bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of peak atrial longitudinal strain with atrial fibrillation recurrence in patients with chronic lung diseases following radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Bai Ying , Zhao Ying , Li Jie , Zhang Ying , Bai Rong , Du Xin , Dong Jian‐Zeng , He Yi‐Hua , Ma Chang‐Sheng 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackgroundStrain was shown associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (RFA), but data on AF patients complicated with chronic lung diseases (CLD) were rare.AimThis study was designed to evaluate the relationship of baseline atrial function with AF recurrence in these patients using speckle‐tracking echocardiography.MethodsAverage strain values (median: 2 days before RFA) were calculated for 87 AF patients (Mean age: 61.91 years, male: 71.26%) with CLD undergoing RFA from 2013 to 2014. Of these patients, 25 (28.74%) experienced AF recurrence during a mean follow up of 10.3 months.ResultsPeak right atrial longitudinal strain (R‐PALS) was associated with peak left atrial longitudinal strain (L‐PALS, Standardised β = 0.45, P < 0.001) in multivariate linear regression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed R‐PALS was associated with AF recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78–0.96, P = 0.005) in CLD. Patients with R‐PALS ≥14.69% had higher AF free rate compared with R‐PALS<14.69% using Kaplan–Meier analysis (log‐rank, P < 0.001). R‐PALS had similar C‐index compared to L‐PALS (difference: 0.03, 95%CI: −0.06–0.12, P = 0.53) and combined R‐PALS and L‐PALS (difference: 0.005, 95%CI: −0.04–0.05, P = 0.84) associated with AF recurrence in CLD.ConclusionR‐PALS, L‐PALS and combined R‐PALS and L‐PALS are important factors associated with AF recurrence following RFA in patients with CLD.
Perceived utility and relevance of intern well‐being sessions
Authors: Ward Susannah , Outram Sue , Heslop Benjamin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground/AimWe conducted a pilot project assessing the perceived utility and relevance of well‐being sessions provided to interns at a large regional teaching hospital in Australia, with the aim of promoting intern well‐being and fostering a nurturing and supportive learning and work hospital culture.MethodsOur intervention involved two separate 60‐min lectures covering well‐being topics and skills to approximately 50 interns within protected teaching time, along with emailed well‐being resources. Participants were emailed an online survey asking questions about value and novelty of the sessions, and work satisfaction and stress, as well as open comments. A request for an additional interview to explore responses in more depth was included.ResultsFifty interns attended at least one of the sessions and 35 participated in the survey, six to an additional interview. Survey and interview data showed that the majority of interns perceived the sessions as valuable, relevant and useful and felt that ongoing sessions would benefit junior medical officers in future years. Feedback highlighted the importance of providing future sessions in person, incorporating an interactive approach and emphasised that work site factors and medical culture play a large causative role in their stress.ConclusionsWe conclude that well‐being sessions are acceptable and useful to interns and should be incorporated into hospital teaching curricula, and evaluated. However, these programmes are unlikely to change the high stress experienced unless external and systemic stressors are addressed by all stakeholders.
T‐cell modulation by cyclophosphamide for tumour therapy
Authors: Hughes Ellyn , Scurr Martin , Campbell Emma , Jones Emma , Godkin Andrew , Gallimore Awen 
Published: February 2018

SummaryThe power of T cells for cancer treatment has been demonstrated by the success of co‐inhibitory receptor blockade and adoptive T‐cell immunotherapies. These treatments are highly successful for certain cancers, but are often personalized, expensive and associated with harmful side effects. Other T‐cell‐modulating drugs may provide additional means of improving immune responses to tumours without these disadvantages. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are traditionally used to target cancers directly; however, it is clear that some also have significant immune‐modulating effects that can be harnessed to target tumours. Cyclophosphamide is one such drug; used at lower doses than in mainstream chemotherapy, it can perturb immune homeostasis, tipping the balance towards generation of anti‐tumour T‐cell responses and control of cancer growth. This review discusses its growing reputation as an immune‐modulator whose multiple effects synergize with the microbiota to tip the balance towards tumour immunity offering widespread benefits as a safe, and relatively inexpensive component of cancer immunotherapy.
Molecular characteristics of rhesus macaque interleukin‐22: cloning, in vitro expression and biological activities
Authors: Yu Lei , Wang Feng‐Jie , Cui Yan‐Fang , Li Dong , Yao Wen‐Rong , Yang Gui‐Bo 
Published: February 2018

SummaryInterleukin‐22 (IL‐22) is a potential therapeutic agent for diseases driven by epithelial injury. To characterize the IL‐22 expressed by rhesus macaques, animals that are irreplaceable for human disease research, rhesus macaque IL‐22 (rhIL‐22) was cloned and expressed, and its biological activity and in vivo distribution were examined. It was found that the rhIL‐22 gene consists of five introns and six exons, including a short non‐coding exon starting 22 bp downstream of a putative TATA box. The amino acid sequence of rhIL‐22 showed 95·5% identity to that of humans, and it shared two conserved disulphide bonds, three N‐glycosylation sites and all the critical residues for binding to IL‐22R1. High levels of IL‐22 mRNA were observed in the liver, pancreas, lymphoid tissues and especially in the outer‐body barriers such as the intestinal tract of rhesus macaques. Functionally, purified rhIL‐22 has a similar but a little earlier effect on signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 phosphorylation at Tyr705 compared with that of commercial human IL‐22. The expression of the antibacterial proteins β‐defensin‐2, S100A8, S100A9, RegIIIα and Muc1 by HT‐29 cells was largely upregulated after stimulation with rhIL‐22. Recombinant rhIL‐22 could also significantly promote the proliferation of human intestinal epithelial cells without affecting cell apoptosis. These data indicate that rhesus macaque IL‐22 is highly similar to that of humans in both structure and function, and tests of therapeutic effects of human IL‐22 on human diseases in rhesus macaques are warranted.
Effect of damage by hydroxyl generation on strength of silica fibers
Authors: Fett Theo , Schell Karl G. , Hoffmann Michael J. , Wiederhorn Sheldon M. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWhen water diffuses into silica glass, a chemical reaction between the water and the glass damages the ring structure of the glass, causing a reduction in the Young's modulus, a lowering of the intrinsic strength and a reduction in the crack‐growth resistance of the glass. In the absence of swelling of the glass within the water penetrated zone, the damage caused by hydroxyl group generation will have no effect on the strength of the glass fibers, provided the water‐affected surface zone is much thinner than the bulk material. In contrast, swelling stresses within the water penetrated zone at the fiber glass surface will increase the strength of the glass fibers.
Copper‐substituted spinel Zn‐Mg ferrite nanoparticles as potential heating agents for hyperthermia
Authors: Ansari Mohammad , Bigham Ashkan , Hassanzadeh Tabrizi Sayed Ali , Abbastabar Ahangar Hossein 
Published: February 2018

AbstractCuxZn0.5‐xMg0.5Fe2O4(x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) ferrite nanoparticles are synthesized via thermal treatment technique using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a capping agent. The effect of Cu2+ions substitution on the magnetic and structural properties of ZnMg ferrite nanoparticles is assessed. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results prove the formation of spinel cubic ferrite with nanocrystalline structure. It is observed by increasing Cu2+ions content in Cu2+‐substituted ZnMg ferrite samples, the lattice constant decreases. The field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs indicate that all samples have sizes in nanometer scale with almost spherical morphology and ZnMg ferrite nanoparticles size is increased as the result of Cu2+substitution. Magnetic data show that by increasing in Cu2+content, the saturation magnetization (Ms) increases up tox = 0.3 and then declines with the addition of more Cu2+ions in the samples. To assess the heat release of Cu2+‐substituted ZnMg ferrite nanoparticles, an alternating magnetic (AC) field is applied. The results show an upward trend for the samples in the temperature vs time chart, as a result of increasing in Ms of the samples. The Cu0.3Zn0.2Mg0.5Fe2O4sample exhibits a temperature increase up to 43°C during 510 seconds in the exposure of 125 Oe magnetic field intensity. The cell compatibility of the samples is investigated using osteoblast‐like cells (MG63). Results show that the substitution of Cu2+significantly affects the cell compatibility of the ZnMg ferrite nanoparticles.
Engagement and performance in a first year natural resource science course
Authors: McKenna Brigid A. , Kopittke Peter M. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractQuantifying student engagement with online learning resources on virtual learning environments such as BlackBoard is important in understanding how these technologies enhance the student learning. In the present study, it was examined when, and how often, first‐year students accessed lecture recordings, lecture slides, and lecture notes via BlackBoard, in an introductory natural resource course taken by both on campus students and remote students. The findings demonstrated that lecture recordings were not well utilized by students—although only 58% of on campus students attended face‐to‐face lectures, less than 15% of absent students downloaded the missed lecture. Overall, more students downloaded lecture slides (an average of 63% per week) than notes (38%) or recordings (16%). Indeed, the average student downloaded only 1.1 types of the 3 online resources (recordings, slides, and notes) that were available each week, with 5.7% of students downloading all 3 types of resources, 23% downloading 2 types of resources, 42% downloading only 1 type of resource, and 29% downloading none of the 3 types of resources. Finally, remote students were more likely to download lecture notes and recordings than were on campus students. The information presented here is important in understanding student behaviour and engagement.
ViDA: A virtual debugging advisor for supporting learning in computer programming courses
Authors: Lee V.C.S. , Yu Y.T. , Tang C.M. , Wong T.L. , Poon C.K. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMany students need assistance in debugging to achieve progress when they learn to write computer programs. Face‐to‐face interactions with individual students to give feedback on their programs, although definitely effective in facilitating their learning, are becoming difficult to achieve with ever‐growing class sizes. This paper proposes a novel approach to providing practical automated debugging advice to support students' learning, based on the strong relationship observed between common wrong outputs and the corresponding common bugs in students' programs. To implement the approach, we designed a generic system architecture and process, and developed a tool called Virtual Debugging Advisor (ViDA) that was put into use in classes in a university. To evaluate the effectiveness of ViDA, a controlled experiment and a survey were conducted with first year engineering students in an introductory computer programming course. Results are encouraging, showing that (a) a higher proportion of students could correct their faulty code themselves with ViDA enabled, (b) an overwhelming majority of respondents found ViDA helpful for their learning of programming, and (c) most respondents would like to keep ViDA enabled when they practice writing programs.
Research Review: Test–retest reliability of standardized diagnostic interviews to assess child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Duncan Laura , Comeau Jinette , Wang Li , Vitoroulis Irene , Boyle Michael H. , Bennett Kathryn 
Published: February 2018

BackgroundA better understanding of factors contributing to the observed variability in estimates of test–retest reliability in published studies on standardized diagnostic interviews (SDI) is needed. The objectives of this systematic review and meta‐analysis were to estimate the pooled test–retest reliability for parent and youth assessments of seven common disorders, and to examine sources of between‐study heterogeneity in reliability.MethodsFollowing a systematic review of the literature, multilevel random effects meta‐analyses were used to analyse 202 reliability estimates (Cohen's kappa = ҡ) from 31 eligible studies and 5,369 assessments of 3,344 children and youth.ResultsPooled reliability was moderate at ҡ = .58 (CI 95% 0.53–0.63) and between‐study heterogeneity was substantial (Q = 2,063 (df = 201), p < .001 and I2 = 79%). In subgroup analysis, reliability varied across informants for specific types of psychiatric disorder (ҡ = .53–.69 for parent vs. ҡ = .39–.68 for youth) with estimates significantly higher for parents on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and the broad groupings of externalizing and any disorder. Reliability was also significantly higher in studies with indicators of poor or fair study methodology quality (sample size <50, retest interval <7 days).ConclusionsOur findings raise important questions about the meaningfulness of published evidence on the test–retest reliability of SDIs and the usefulness of these tools in both clinical and research contexts. Potential remedies include the introduction of standardized study and reporting requirements for reliability studies, and exploration of other approaches to assessing and classifying child and adolescent psychiatric disorder.
Bloody‐minded parasites and sex: the effects of fluctuating virulence
Authors: Gibson Amanda K. , Stoy Kayla S. , Lively Curtis M. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAsexual lineages can grow at a faster rate than sexual lineages. Why then is sexual reproduction so widespread? Much empirical evidence supports the Red Queen hypothesis. Under this hypothesis, coevolving parasites favour sexual reproduction by adapting to infect common asexual clones and driving them down in frequency. One limitation, however, seems to challenge the generality of the Red Queen: in theoretical models, parasites must be very virulent to maintain sex. Moreover, experiments show virulence to be unstable, readily shifting in response to environmental conditions. Does variation in virulence further limit the ability of coevolving parasites to maintain sex? To address this question, we simulated temporal variation in virulence and evaluated the outcome of competition between sexual and asexual females. We found that variation in virulence did not limit the ability of coevolving parasites to maintain sex. In fact, relatively high variation in virulence promoted parasite‐mediated maintenance of sex. With sufficient variation, sexual females persisted even when mean virulence fell well below the threshold virulence required to maintain sex under constant conditions. We conclude that natural variation in virulence does not limit the relevance of the Red Queen hypothesis for natural populations; on the contrary, it could expand the range of conditions over which coevolving parasites can maintain sex.
How can we improve the performance of Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease sodium score in patients with hepatitis B virus‐related decompensated liver cirrhosis commencing antiviral treatment?
Authors: Kim Tae Hyung , Ku Dae Hoe , Um Soon Ho , Lee Han Ah , Park Seung Woon , Chang Jung Mi , Yim Sun Young , Suh Sang Jun , Jung Young Kul , Seo Yeon Seok , Kim Ji Hoon , Yim Hyung Joon , Yeon Jong Eun , Byun Kwan Soo , Ahn Hyonggin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground and AimWe aimed to develop a more efficient prognostic model to predict 1‐year mortality in patients with hepatitis B virus‐related decompensated cirrhosis beginning antiviral treatment.MethodsUsing Cox regression analysis, survival analyses were performed on 554 patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were followed up from the start of nucleos(t)ide analogue antiviral treatment.ResultsAt baseline, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy were found in 78.0% and 18.1% of patients, respectively. Eighty‐six events (77 deaths and 9 emergency liver transplants) occurred within the first year of treatment. Severity of ascites, presence of hepatic encephalopathy, and the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD)–sodium (MELDNa) score were independent risk factors for 1‐year mortality. The new prognostic model (the revised MELDNa) constructed by adding ascites and encephalopathy to the MELDNa score significantly improved the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for predicting 1‐year events at baseline compared with the Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh system, MELD and MELDNa models, and Fontana index (0.905 vs 0.867, 0.843, 0.871, and 0.815, respectively; P < 0.05). Furthermore, repetitive application of revised MELDNa at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6 months of treatment could predict 81.4% (70/86) of 1‐year events, which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the sensitivity of the Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh system (68.6%), MELD (70.9%) and MELDNa (68.6%) scores, and Fontana index (64.0%), achieving similar specificities of ~96%.ConclusionsAscites and encephalopathy should be considered together with the MELDNa score when predicting short‐term mortality and planning liver transplant in patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus‐related cirrhosis starting antiviral treatment.
Comparison of the microbial community structure between inflamed and non‐inflamed sites in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Hirano Atsushi , Umeno Junji , Okamoto Yasuharu , Shibata Hiroki , Ogura Yoshitoshi , Moriyama Tomohiko , Torisu Takehiro , Fujioka Shin , Fuyuno Yuta , Kawarabayasi Yutaka , Matsumoto Takayuki , Kitazono Takanari , Esaki Motohiro 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground and AimThe gut microbiota is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, interindividual and spatial variations hamper the identification of UC‐related changes. We thus investigated paired mucosa‐associated microbiota obtained from both inflamed and non‐inflamed sites of UC patients and corresponding sites of non‐inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) controls.MethodsMucosal biopsies of both inflamed and non‐inflamed sites were obtained from 14 patients with active UC of the left‐sided or proctitis type. Paired mucosal biopsies of the corresponding sites were obtained from 14 non‐IBD controls. The microbial community structure was investigated using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, followed by data analysis using qiime and LEfSe softwares.ResultsMicrobial alpha diversity in both inflamed and non‐inflamed sites was significantly lower in UC patients compared with non‐IBD controls. There were more microbes of the genus Cloacibacterium and the Tissierellaceae family, and there were less microbes of the genus Neisseria at the inflamed site when compared with the non‐inflamed site in UC patients. Decreased abundance of the genera Prevotella, Eubacterium, Neisseria, Leptotrichia, Bilophila, Desulfovibrio, and Butyricimonas was evident at the inflamed site of UC patients compared with the corresponding site of non‐IBD controls. Among these taxa, the genera Prevotella and Butyricimonas were also less abundant at the non‐inflamed site of UC patients compared with the corresponding site in non‐IBD controls.ConclusionsMucosal microbial dysbiosis occurs at both inflamed and non‐inflamed sites in UC patients. The taxa showing altered abundance in UC patients might mediate colonic inflammation.
Factors Affecting Discharge to Home of Geriatric Intermediate Care Facility Residents in Japan
Authors: Morita Kojiro , Ono Sachiko , Ishimaru Miho , Matsui Hiroki , Naruse Takashi , Yasunaga Hideo 
Published: February 2018

ObjectivesTo investigate factors associated with lower likelihood of discharge to home from geriatric intermediate care facilities in Japan.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingWe used data from the nationwide long‐term care (LTC) insurance claims database (April 2012–March 2014).ParticipantsStudy participants were 342,758 individuals newly admitted to 3,459 geriatric intermediate care facilities during the study period.MeasurementsThe primary outcome was discharge to home. We performed a multivariable competing‐risk Cox regression with adjustment for resident‐, facility‐, and region‐level characteristics. Resident level of care needs and several medical conditions were included as time‐varying covariates. Death, admission to a hospital, and admission to another LTC facility were treated as competing risks.ResultsDuring the 2‐year follow‐up period, 19% of participants were discharged to home. In the multivariable competing‐risk Cox regression, the following factors were significantly associated with lower likelihood of discharge to home: older age, higher level of care need, having several medical conditions, private ownership of the facility, more beds in the facility, and more LTC facility beds per 1,000 adults aged 65 and older in the region.ConclusionOnly 19% of residents were discharged to home. Our results are useful for policy‐makers to promote discharge to home of older adults in geriatric intermediate care facilities.
The remarkable vocal anatomy of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus): insights into low‐frequency sound production in a marsupial species
Authors: Frey Roland , Reby David , Fritsch Guido , Charlton Benjamin D. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractKoalas are characterised by a highly unusual vocal anatomy, with a descended larynx and velar vocal folds, allowing them to produce calls at disproportionately low frequencies. Here we use advanced imaging techniques, histological data, classical macroscopic dissection and behavioural observations to provide the first detailed description and interpretation of male and female koala vocal anatomy. We show that both males and females have an elongated pharynx and soft palate, resulting in a permanently descended larynx. In addition, the hyoid apparatus has a human‐like configuration in which paired dorsal, resilient ligaments suspend the hyoid apparatus from the skull, while the ventral parts tightly connect to the descended larynx. We also show that koalas can retract the larynx down into the thoracic inlet, facilitated by a dramatic evolutionary transformation of the ventral neck muscles. First, the usual retractors of the larynx and the hyoid have their origins deep in the thorax. Secondly, three hyoid muscles have lost their connection to the hyoid skeleton. Thirdly, the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles are greatly increased in length. Finally, the digastric, omohyoid and sternohyoid muscles, connected by a common tendinous intersection, form a guiding channel for the dynamic down‐and‐up movements of the ventral hyoid parts and the larynx. We suggest that these features evolved to accommodate the low resting position of the larynx and assist in its retraction during call production. We also confirm that the edges of the intra‐pharyngeal ostium have specialised to form the novel, extra‐laryngeal velar vocal folds, which are much larger than the true intra‐laryngeal vocal folds in both sexes, but more developed and specialised for low frequency sound production in males than in females. Our findings illustrate that strong selection pressures on acoustic signalling not only lead to the specialisation of existing vocal organs but can also result in the evolution of novel vocal structures in both sexes.