bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with onychomycosis in nail psoriasis: a multicenter study in Pakistan
Authors: Tabassum Saadia , Rahman Atiya , Awan Safia , Jabeen Kausar , Farooqi Joveria , Ahmed Bilal , Masood Sadia , Memon Manzor , Rashid Ajmal , Soomro Muhammad R. , Samdani Azam J. , Naveed Shaheen , Kapadia Naseema 
Published: January 2019

AbstractBackgroundTreatment of psoriatic nail disease is challenging, and dystrophic psoriatic nails can get secondarily infected with fungi.MethodsThis 2‐year, matched case–control study was conducted at three tertiary care centers of Karachi, Pakistan. Data were collected from patients with nail psoriasis as cases with age‐ and gender‐matched controls. A detailed questionnaire was filled for all study participants. Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) scoring tool was used to assess dystrophy. Fungal infection was inferred by nail clippings for fungal hyphae and culture.ResultsAmong 477 participants, 159 cases and 318 controls completed the study. Their mean age was 44 years, and one‐third were female. Fungal culture positivity was statistically significant in cases as compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The most frequent species identified wasCandida parapsilosisin both cases and controls. Body mass index,NAPSIscoring, socioeconomic status, elevated diastolic blood pressure, smoking status psoriasis among first‐degree relatives, and longstanding disease of more than 10 years were significant factors in univariable analysis. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent factors like low to middle socioeconomic status, history of psoriasis in first‐degree relative, current smoker, and obesity.ConclusionWe found nearly one‐third of the psoriatic patients with nail involvement having concomitant fungal infection. We emphasize that nail clipping for fungal smear and culture should be advised to those patients with coexisting factors found significant in our study results. This opinion can be incorporated in psoriasis management guidelines for improving treatment of psoriatic nails.
A certain invariance property of BLUE in a whole‐genome regression context
Authors: Gianola Daniel , Fernando Rohan L. , Garrick Dorian J. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractA curious result from mixed linear models applied to genome‐wide association studies was expanded. In particular, a model in which one or more markers are considered as fixed but are allowed to contribute to the covariance structure by treating such markers as random as well was examined. The best linear unbiased estimator of marker effects is invariant with respect to whether those markers are employed in constructing a genomic relationship matrix or are ignored, provided marker effects are uncorrelated with those not being tested. Also, the implications of regarding some marker effects as fixed when, in fact, these possess a non‐trivial covariance structure with those declared as random were examined.
Smiling asleep: A study of happy emotional expressions during adult sleep
Authors: Clé Marion , Maranci Jean‐Baptiste , Weyn Banningh Sebastian , Lanfranchi Jade , Vidailhet Marie , Arnulf Isabelle 
Published: January 2019

AbstractHuman foetuses and newborns smile first during sleep, before they smile while awake and interacting with caregivers. Whether smiling persists during adult sleep, and expresses inner joy, is yet unknown. Smiles were looked for during night‐time video‐polysomnography combined with electromyography of the zygomatic and orbicularis oculi muscles in 100 controls, 22 patients with sleepwalking and 52 patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder. Autonomous reactions (heart rate and level of vasoconstriction) and the presence of rapid eye movements were examined during smiles and laughs. On visual examination of the face video clips synchronous with zygomatic contraction, 8% of controls smiled while asleep (7% in REM sleep and 1% in non‐REM sleep). Some patients with sleepwalking also smiled and laughed during N2 sleep and N3 parasomnia. Half of the patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder smiled and one‐third laughed, mostly during REM sleep. The 173 happy faces included mild smiles (24.8%), open‐mouth smiles (29.5%) and laughs (45.7%). More than half of the smiles were the Duchenne (genuine) type, including an active closure of the eyelids. Approximately half of the smiles and laughs were temporally associated with rapid eye movements. There was no increased heart rate variability during smiles and laughs. Two scenic behaviours including smiles and laughs suggested that the happy facial expression was associated with a happy dreaming scenario. Smiling and laughing occasionally persist during adult sleep. There are several lines of evidence suggesting that these happy emotional expressions reflect a true inner mirth.
Clinical mycology in Latin America and the Caribbean: A snapshot of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities
Authors: Falci Diego R. , Pasqualotto Alessandro C. 
Published: January 2019

SummaryDespite the existence of endemic mycoses in Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to a large population of patients at risk for invasive mycoses, the capability of medical centres to perform a proper diagnosis in mycology has not been studied in the region. Moreover, availability of antifungal drugs in the region is unknown. Here, we report the results of a survey involving 129 centres in 24 countries. Only 9% of centres would have the potential to apply for the minimum standards in mycology, as determined by the European Confederation of Medical Mycology. There is an urgent need to improve diagnostic conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as providing access to safer and more efficacious antifungal drugs.
Six‐month clinical outcomes of non‐surgical periodontal treatment with antibiotics on apoptosis markers in aggressive periodontitis
Authors: Aral Kübra , Aral Cüneyt A. , Kapila Yvonne 
Published: January 2019

AbstractObjectiveExtrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis are involved in generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP). The aim of this study was to evaluate 6‐month clinical outcomes relative to apoptosis of one‐stage full‐mouth disinfection (OSFMD) and systemic antibiotics (SA) in the treatment of GAgP.MethodsTwenty‐six patients with GAgP were included in this prospective follow‐up intervention study. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected from patients at baseline and 3 and 6 months after periodontal therapy, which consisted of OSFMD and SA (amoxicillin and metronidazole, 500 mg each for 7 days). The levels of p53, caspase‐3, TNF‐α, TRAIL, IL‐1β, and IL‐10 in GCF were measured via ELISA.ResultsPeriodontal parameters were improved at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline (p < 0.05). p53 was decreased up to 6 months (p < 0.05). TRAIL, TNF‐α, and IL‐10 were similar at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Caspase‐3 and IL‐1β were decreased at 3 months (p < 0.05), but similar at 6 months compared to baseline (p > 0.05).ConclusionAlthough OSFMD plus SA improves clinical periodontal parameters up to 6 months, this treatment protocol differentially regulates the apoptosis markers caspase‐3 at 3 months and p53 at 6 months without influencing TRAIL in GCF.
Catholic devotion in the Americas
Authors: Maldonado‐Estrada Alyssa 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThis article surveys scholarly contributions to the study of Catholic devotional practice in the Americas, tracing how historical, sociological, and ethnographic studies have examined the relationship between devotion, gender, and embodiment. Scholars have explored how the saints have been brought to bear on the conditions of daily life including immigration and migration, suffering, and social change. Women's devotion has been at the center of studies of gender and lived religion, as scholars explore the creative and tensile ways, women's religious practice has exceeded the institutional authority and architectural boundaries of the church. This essay ends with a provocation about how the study of men and masculinities can challenge the portrayal of devotion as an exclusively feminine domain and complicate the binary of (male) clerical authorities/women that pervades studies of religious practice and materiality.
Comparison of gluteus medius and minimus activity during gait in people with hip osteoarthritis and matched controls
Authors: Zacharias Anita , Pizzari Tania , Semciw Adam I. , English Daniel J. , Kapakoulakis Theo , Green Rodney A. 
Published: January 2019

The gluteal muscles act as stabilizers of the hip joint and are important for the maintenance of hip function. Atrophy and weakness of the gluteal muscles have been identified in people with hip OA, but it is not known whether these muscles also exhibit altered activity patterns. The aim of this study was to compare gluteal muscle activity in people with hip OA and healthy older adults. Fine‐wire intramuscular electrodes were inserted into the three segments of gluteus medius (GMed) and two segments of gluteus minimus (GMin) in 20 participants with unilateral hip OA and 20 age‐ and gender‐matched controls. Electromyographic activity of these muscle segments was examined during walking along a 10 m walkway. Peak amplitude, average amplitude, and time to peak were compared between groups during the stance phase of the gait cycle. During early stance, the OA group demonstrated a higher burst of activity in posterior GMin (P = 0.02) and trends toward a higher peak in anterior GMin. Both groups displayed peak activity in anterior GMin in the early stance phase in contrast to previous reports in young adults. This early burst of muscle activity was more pronounced with increasing severity of OA. No differences were identified in GMed activity. While altered GMin activity is associated with aging, these changes were more pronounced in participants with hip OA. To reduce disability associated with hip OA, future rehabilitation programs should consider targeted gait strategies and exercises for GMin.
The impact of sugarcane filter cake on the availability of P in the rhizosphere and associated microbial community structure
Authors: Arruda Bruna , Rodrigues Marcos , Gumiere Thiago , Richardson Alan E. , Andreote Fernando Dini , Soltangheisi Amin , Gatiboni Luciano Colpo , Pavinato Paulo Sergio 
Published: January 2019

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the interaction between filter cake (FC), and phosphorus fertilizers with differing solubility on the growth and P nutrition of sugarcane. Effects of soil amendment with FC on different soil P fractions and influence on microbial community structure in the rhizosphere were also assessed. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted with completely randomized block designs. The first experiment evaluated rates of FC using a factorial design (5 × 2): 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 g FC kg−1 soil applied as either broadcast in bulk soil or in the planting furrow. The second experiment used a factorial design (2 × 3): without and with FC (5 g kg−1 soil, dry basis), both without P (NP) and with P supplied as either triple superphosphate (TSP) or as rock phosphate (RP), both at the rate of 78.4 mg kg−1 based on total P. Microbial community structure was determined using TRFLP and dynamics of soil P by Hedley fractionation. Filter cake applied at increasing rates in the absence of P was effective in increasing shoot growth and P uptake by plant, particularly when applied to bulk soil as compared to furrow application. Also, FC improved P uptake and increased the availability of labile inorganic P in the rhizosphere and modified the structure of fungal and bacterial communities, whereas only bacterial and archaea communities were influenced by P fertilizer use. Filter cake was more effective when combined with RP, with increased growth and P utilization and thus can be considered as a feasible and practical option for farmer use in substitution to TSP, a more expensive source.
Direct‐acting antiviral agents for liver transplant recipients with recurrent genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu Jiaye , Ma Buyun , Cao Wanlu , Li Meng , Bramer Wichor M. , Peppelenbosch Maikel P. , Pan Qiuwei 
Published: January 2019

AbstractBackgroundComprehensive evaluation of safety and efficacy of different combinations of direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) in liver transplant recipients with genotype 1 (GT1) hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence remains limited. Therefore, we performed this systematic review and meta‐analysis in order to evaluate the clinical outcome of DAA treatment in liver transplant patients with HCV GT1 recurrence.MethodsStudies were included if they contained information of 12 weeks sustained virologic response (SVR12) after DAA treatment completion as well as treatment related complications for liver transplant recipients with GT1 HCV recurrence.ResultsWe identified 16 studies comprising 885 patients. The overall pooled estimate proportion of SVR12 was 93% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0.96), with moderate heterogeneity observed (τ2 = 0.01, P < 0.01, I2=75%). High tolerability was observed in liver transplant recipients reflected by serious adverse events (sAEs) with pooled estimate proportion of 4% (95% CI: 0.01, 0.07; τ2 = 0.02, P < 0.01, I2 = 81%). For subgroup analysis, a total of five different DAA regimens were applied for treating these patients. Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir (SOF/LDV) led the highest pooled estimate SVR12 proportion, followed by Paritaprevir/Ritonavir/Ombitasivir/Dasabuvir (PrOD), Daclatasvir (DCV)/Simeprevir (SMV) ± Ribavirin (RBV), and SOF/SMV ± RBV, Asunaprevir (ASV)/DCV. There was a tendency for favoring a higher pooled SVR12 proportion in patients with METAVIR Stage F0‐F2 of 97% (95% CI: 0.93, 0.99) compared to 85% (95% CI: 0.79, 0.90) for stage F3‐F4 (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between LT recipients treated with or without RBV (P = 0.23).ConclusionsDirect‐acting antiviral treatment is highly effective and well‐tolerated in liver transplant recipients with recurrent GT1 HCV infection.
Eradication of Neuroblastoma by T Cells Redirected with an Optimized GD2-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor and Interleukin-15
Authors: Chen Yuhui , Sun Chuang , Landoni Elisa , Metelitsa Leonid , Dotti Gianpietro , Savoldo Barbara 
Published: January 2019

Abstract

Purpose:
A delay in encountering the cognate antigen while in the circulation, and the suboptimal costimulation received at the tumor site are key reasons for the limited activity of chimeric antigen receptor–redirected T cells (CAR-T) in solid tumors. We have explored the benefits of incorporating the IL15 cytokine within the CAR cassette to provide both a survival signal before antigen encounter, and an additional cytokine signaling at the tumor site using a neuroblastoma tumor model.

Experimental Design:
We optimized the construct for the CAR specific for the NB-antigen GD2 without (GD2.CAR) or with IL15 (GD2.CAR.15). We then compared the expansion, phenotype, and antitumor activity of T cells transduced with these constructs against an array of neuroblastoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo using a xenogeneic metastatic model of neuroblastoma.

Results:
We observed that optimized GD2.CAR.15-Ts have reduced expression of the PD-1 receptor, are enriched in stem cell–like cells, and have superior antitumor activity upon repetitive tumor exposures in vitro and in vivo as compared with GD2.CAR-Ts. Tumor rechallenge experiments in vivo further highlighted the role of IL15 in promoting enhanced CAR-T antitumor activity and survival, both in the peripheral blood and tissues. Finally, the inclusion of the inducible caspase-9 gene (iC9) safety switch warranted effective on demand elimination of the engineered GD2.CAR.15-Ts.

Conclusions:
Our results guide new therapeutic options for GD2.CAR-Ts in patients with neuroblastoma, and CAR-T development for a broad range of solid tumors.
Circulating miRNAs and PD-L1 Tumor Expression Are Associated with Survival in Advanced NSCLC Patients Treated with Immunotherapy: a Prospective Study
Authors: Boeri Mattia , Milione Massimo , Proto Claudia , Signorelli Diego , Lo Russo Giuseppe , Galeone Carlotta , Verri Carla , Mensah Mavis , Centonze Giovanni , Martinetti Antonia , Sottotetti Elisa , Pastorino Ugo , Garassino Marina Chiara , Sozzi Gabriella 
Published: January 2019

Abstract

Purpose:
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved the survival of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only a subset of patients benefit from ICIs, and the role of PD-L1 as predictive biomarker is still debated. A plasma immune-related miRNA-signature classifier (MSC) was established in lung cancer screening settings to identify the lethal form of the disease in early stages. In this exploratory study, we tested the efficacy of the MSC as prognostic marker in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICIs.

Experimental Design:
The MSC risk level was prospectively assessed in a consecutive series of 140 patients with NSCLC before starting treatment with ICIs. Overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in strata of PD-L1 and MSC alone or combined were considered as endpoints. Multiple plasma samples to monitor MSC risk level during treatment were also profiled.

Results:
Adequate tissue and plasma samples were available from 111 (79%) and 104 (75%) patients with NSCLC, respectively. MSC risk level was associated with ORR (P = 0.0009), PFS [multivariate HR = 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17–0.56; P = 0.0001], and OS (multivariate HR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.18–0.59; P = 0.0002). The combination of MSC and PD-L1 stratified patients into three risk groups having 39%–18%–0% 1-year PFS (P &lt; 0.0001) and 88%–44%–0% 1-year OS (P &lt; 0.0001), according to the presence of 2–1–0 favorable markers. During treatment, MSC risk level decreased or remained low until tumor progression in patients with responsive or stable disease.

Conclusions:
The plasma MSC test could supplement PD-L1 tumor expression to identify a subgroup of patients with advanced lung cancer with worse ORR, PFS, and OS in immunotherapy regimens.
Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Myocardial Infarction in Hospitals With and Without On-Site Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Hannan Edward L. , Zhong Ye , Wu Yifeng , Berger Peter B. , Jacobs Alice K. , Walford Gary , Venditti Ferdinand J. , Ling Frederick S.K. , Tamis-Holland Jacqueline , King Spencer B. 
Published: January 2019

Background:
Many studies have revealed no outcome differences among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in hospitals with and without surgery on-site (SOS), but one earlier study found differences in target vessel PCI rates and in mortality for patients with acute myocardial infarction who did not undergo PCI. It is important to examine outcome differences between SOS and non-SOS hospitals with more contemporary data.

Methods and Results:

A total of 21 924 propensity-matched patients who were discharged between January 1, 2013, and November 30, 2015, who were in the New York PCI registry and other hospital databases were used to compare outcomes in hospitals with and without SOS for all patients and for patients with and without ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing PCI. Also, 30-day mortality was compared for patients with STEMI regardless of whether they underwent PCI. For all patients with PCI and patients without STEMI, there were no significant differences in in-hospital/30-day mortality, 2-year mortality, or 2-year repeat target lesion PCI. For patients with STEMI, there were no significant mortality differences between patients in SOS and non-SOS hospitals. Patients with STEMI in SOS hospitals had significantly lower 2-year repeat target lesion PCI rates (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.68 [0.49–0.94]). There was no difference in the percentage of patients undergoing PCI in the 2 types of hospitals (75.7% versus 74.6%;
P
=0.21) or in 30-day mortality of all patients with STEMI (patients who did and did not undergo PCI, 10.86% versus 11.32%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.06 [0.88–1.29]).

Conclusions:
Short-term and long-term outcomes were not different in SOS and non-SOS hospitals except that 2-year repeat target lesion PCI rates were lower in SOS hospitals for patients with STEMI.
Navigation Algorithm Applied to the Bit of Underwater Horizontal Directional Drilling in a Vibration Environment
Authors: Yang Ke 
Published: January 2019

Abstract
In its working state, the bit used in underwater horizontal directional drilling (UHDD) produces a high-frequency vibration that can affect accuracy of navigation. We designed a low-pass filter with linear phase on the basis of spectral characteristics of sensor data. To improve further the accuracy of navigation, we deduce the state error model on the basis of the random walk model of acceleration and angular velocity. We use an indirect Kalman filter algorithm to correct the attitude and position of the bit used with UHDD on the basis of observations coming from our working state analysis. Last, we derive a complete navigation algorithm function, including the acquisition method of steady-state component of acceleration and angular velocity. Experimental results show that the navigation algorithm proposed in this paper can obtain accurate attitude and location information of the bit in a vibration environment.
An Examination of 40 Years of Mathematics Education among Norwegian Braille-Reading Students
Authors: Klingenberg Oliv G. , Fosse Per , Augestad Liv Berit 
Published: January 2019

Introduction The study presented here estimated the occurrence of braille-reading students in Norway who were educated according to their grade-level progression in mathematics from 1967 to 2007. It also analyzed the association among these students’ progression in mathematics and the causes of visual impairment, the age at which the diagnosis was established, the students’ gender, and the students’ use of reading media (braille as the sole, primary, or secondary literacy medium). Methods A retrospective, population-based study design was used. All the students who had received braille education in the past four decades prior to the study were included. The following data were abstracted from each student's records: birth year, country of birth, gender, year diagnosed, diagnosis, type of reading media, and whether the student's education had followed their grade-level progression. Results In total, 248 braille-reading students were identified. Of these students, 141 (57%) had been taught mathematics at grade level. In 19 of the 45 principal eye diagnoses that were registered, all the students were educated according to the normative grade progress in mathematics. There were no statistically significant associations between gender and the abstracted variables or between mathematics education and reading media. Discussion During the four decades under study, there was some variation in the distribution of different diagnoses. Students with diagnoses related to the central nervous system had a comparatively higher risk of not attaining their normal grade level in mathematics. Implication for practitioners Teachers may expect that a braille-reading student will follow his or her grade level in mathematics. It is essential, however, to gain information on the causes of visual impairment, in general, and in cases of the co-occurrence of visual impairment and learning disabilities, in particular. It is essential to document typical learning patterns among braille-reading students and intervention strategies for students with visual impairments and learning disabilities.