bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety of non‐insulin glucose‐lowering drugs in pregnant women with pre‐gestational diabetes: A cohort study
Authors: Cea‐Soriano Lucía , García‐Rodríguez Luis A. , Brodovicz Kimberly G. , Masso Gonzalez Elvira , Bartels Dorothee B. , Hernández‐Díaz Sonia 
Published: March 2018

AimsTo evaluate the association between use of non‐insulin antidiabetics in early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and major structural malformations.Materials and MethodsA cohort of 1511 pregnant women with pre‐gestational diabetes linked to live births was identified using electronic medical records from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) for the period 1995 to 2012. Information on prescriptions, foetal outcomes and potential confounders was ascertained from both codes and free text in the THIN database. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of adverse foetal outcomes in women treated with non‐insulin antidiabetics during the first trimester compared to those on insulin were estimated using logistic regression to adjust for type of diabetes, glycaemic control and other maternal characteristics.ResultsAmong 311 pregnant women on non‐insulin antidiabetics, 21.9% had a miscarriage and 1.6% a stillbirth; 1.9% of live births had major malformations. The corresponding frequencies for the 883 women on insulin were 13.3%, 1.7% and 9.6%. Insulin users more often had type 1 diabetes and poor glycaemic control. Compared to women with type 1 diabetes, those with type 2 diabetes had a higher risk of miscarriages (20.5% vs 12.8%) but a lower prevalence of malformations (4.0% vs 9.2%). Compared to women with HbA1c ≤7%, those with HbA1c >7% had a higher prevalence of malformations (12.6% vs 2.7%). After adjustment for diabetes type and glycaemic control, compared to insulin, non‐insulin antidiabetic patients were associated with an OR for miscarriage of 1.19 (95% CI, 0.75‐1.89), for stillbirths of 0.65 (95% CI, 0.16‐2.58), and for major malformations of 0.25 (95% CI, 0.08‐0.84).ConclusionAmong women with diabetes, use of non‐insulin antidiabetics early in pregnancy was not associated with greater risks of foetal losses or major malformations than was insulin.
Assessments of pain, functional impairment, anxiety, and depression in US adults with hemophilia across patient‐reported outcome instruments in the Pain, Functional Impairment, and Quality of Life (P‐FiQ) study
Authors: Buckner Tyler W. , Batt Katharine , Quon Doris , Witkop Michelle , Recht Michael , Kessler Craig , Baumann Kimberly , Hernandez Grace , Wang Michael , Cooper David L. , Kempton Christine L. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractIntroductionPain, functional impairment, anxiety, and depression associated with joint disease may affect health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with hemophilia.ObjectiveTo report detailed patient‐reported outcomes (PRO) assessments related to HRQoL in participants in the Pain, Functional Impairment, and Quality of Life (P‐FiQ) study.MethodsPain and HRQoL were assessed via PRO instruments in US adult males with hemophilia A or B and a history of joint pain or bleeding. PRO instruments included EQ‐5D‐5L with visual analog scale, Brief Pain Inventory v2 Short Form, SF‐36v2, and Hemophilia Activities List. Instrument domain and item responses were described.ResultsResponses were collected from 381 adult males with a median age of 34 years. Pain was observed across instruments and affected daily activities and quality of life. Respondents reported functional impairment that limited the kind of work and activities they participated in, with activities involving the lower extremities being most affected. A high prevalence of mental health disorders was identified across instruments.ConclusionsPain and HRQoL were evaluated using multiple PRO instruments, which vary in timescales of assessment and levels of detail. More consistent clinical assessments and patient dialog regarding pain and aspects of HRQoL may help drive improved outcomes.
Hurdles in the evolutionary epidemiology of Angiostrongylus cantonensis: Pseudogenes, incongruence between taxonomy and DNA sequence variants, and cryptic lineages
Authors: Dusitsittipon Sirilak , Criscione Charles D. , Morand Serge , Komalamisra Chalit , Thaenkham Urusa 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAngiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is a zoonotic pathogen that is one of the leading causes of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide. This parasite is regarded as an emerging pathogen with a global range expansion out of southeastern Asia post‐WWII. To date, molecular systematic/phylogeographic studies on A. cantonensis have mainly used two mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers, cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) and cytochrome b (CYTB), where the focus has largely been descriptive in terms of reporting local patterns of haplotype variants. In order to look for more global evolutionary patterns, we herein provide a collective phylogenetic assessment using the six available whole mtDNA genome samples that have been tagged as A. cantonensis, A. malaysiensis, or A. mackerrasae along with all other GenBank CO1 and CYTB partial sequences that carry these species identifiers. The results reveal three important complications that researchers will need to be aware of, or will need to resolve, prior to conducting future molecular evolutionary studies on A. cantonensis. These three problems are (i) incongruence between taxonomic identifications and mtDNA variants (haplotypes or whole mtDNA genome samples), (ii) the presence of a CYTB mtDNA pseudogene, and (iii) the need to verify A. mackerrasae as a species along with other possible cryptic lineages, of which there is suggestive evidence (i.e., A. cantonensis could be a species complex). We provided a discussion of how these complications are hurdles to our understanding of the global epidemiology of angiostrongyliasis. We call for future studies to be more explicit in morphological traits used for identifications (e.g., provide measurements). Moreover, it will be necessary to repeat prior morphological and life‐history studies while simultaneously using sequence data in order to assess possible associations between critical epidemiological data (e.g., biogeography, virulence/pathology, host species use) and specific lineages.
Genetic risk factors for osteochondrosis in various horse breeds
Authors: Naccache F. , Metzger J. , Distl O. 
Published: March 2018

SummaryOsteochondrosis (OC) is an injury to cartilage canals with a following necrosis in the growth cartilage, from there it can develop to osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). Due to its high impact in the equine industry, new insights into predisposing factors and potential high‐risk genetic variants are warranted. This article reviews advancements in quantitative and molecular genetics in refining estimation of genetic parameters and identifying predisposing genetic loci. Heritabilities were highest for hockOCwith estimates at 0.29–0.46 in Hanoverian warmblood and Norwegian trotters, whereas in Thoroughbreds only very low genetic variation seemed to be present in hockOClesions. Whole genome scans using the Illumina EquineSNP50 orSNP70 Beadchip were performed in Thoroughbred, Standardbred, French and Norwegian trotter, Hanoverian and Dutch warmblood. Validation studies in Spanish Purebred and Hanoverian warmblood horses corroboratedOCrisk loci onECA3, 14, 27 and 29. Particularly, a strong association with hock‐OCDwas found for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on horse chromosome (ECA) 3 upstream to theLCORLgene. Gene expression and microRNAanalyses may be helpful to understand pathophysiological processes in equineOCand to connectOCD‐associated genomic regions with potential candidate genes. Furthermore progress in elucidating the underlying genetic variants and pathophysiological changes inOCmay be expected from whole genomeDNAandRNAnext‐generation sequencing studies.
Structural basis of potassium activation in plant asparaginases
Authors: Ajewole Ebenezer , Santamaria‐Kisiel Liliana , Pajak Agnieszka , Jaskolski Mariusz , Marsolais Frédéric 
Published: March 2018

l‐asparaginases (EC 3.5.1.1) play an important role in nitrogen mobilization in plants. Here, we investigated the biochemical and biophysical properties of potassium‐dependent (PvAspG1) and potassium‐independent (PvAspG‐T2) l‐asparaginases from Phaseolus vulgaris. Our previous studies revealed that PvAspG1 requires potassium for catalytic activation and its crystal structure suggested that Ser‐118 in the activation loop plays a critical role in coordinating the metal cation. This amino acid residue is replaced by isoleucine in PvAspG‐T2. Reciprocal mutants of the enzymes were produced and the effect of the amino acid substitution on the kinetic parameters, allosteric effector binding, secondary structure conformation, and pH profile were studied. Introduction of the serine residue conferred potassium activation in PvAspG‐T2. Conversely, the PvAspG1‐S118I mutant could no longer be activated by potassium. PvAspG1 and the PvAspG‐T2‐I117S mutant had a similar half‐maximal effective concentration (EC50) value for potassium activation, between 0.1 and 0.3 mm. Potassium binding elicited a similar conformational change in PvAspG1 and PvAspG‐T2‐I117S, as studied by circular dichroism. However, no change in conformation was observed for PvAspG‐T2 and PvAspG1‐S118I. Analysis of kinetic parameters in function of pH indicated that potassium activation mediated by Ser‐118 influences the ionization of specific functional groups in the enzyme–substrate complex. Together, the results indicate that Ser‐118 of PvAspG1 is essential and sufficient for potassium activation in plant l‐asparaginases.Enzymel‐Asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1).
Hybrid Multilevel System for Monitoring Groundwater Flow and Agricultural Impacts in Fractured Sedimentary Bedrock
Authors: Chapman Steven , Parker Beth , Cherry John , Munn Jonathan , Malenica Amanda , Ingleton Robert , Jiang Yefang , Padusenko Greg , Piersol John 
Published: March 2018

AbstractUnderstanding agricultural contamination in bedrock aquifers is challenging due to complexity of fracture networks and limitations in data acquisition imposed by instrumentation and drilling costs. Engineered assemblages known as multilevel monitoring systems (MLSs) maximize data from each borehole by providing numerous, depth‐discrete monitoring intervals for profiles of hydraulic head and hydrochemistry. This article describes a hybrid MLS that uses key components of the Waterloo MLS, with extra piezometers of sufficient diameter to accommodate removable transducers for continuous pressure monitoring, attached to the outside using custom clamps. Monitoring intervals are created with sand packs separated by bentonite seals, either via backfilling from surface or tremie placement. The hybrid MLS is best suited for use in rotary drilled boreholes 12 to 15 cm diameter, smaller holes have insufficient space for the MLS and added piezometer(s) while larger holes have excessive backfill material and purge requirements. Variations were installed to 60 m depth in sandstone in Prince Edward Island, and to 150 m in dolostone in southwestern Ontario. Transducers in the external piezometers provided temporal head data under ambient and stressed conditions in key intervals, and manual measurements in all ports provided detailed vertical hydraulic snapshots. Combined with hydrochemistry profiles from groundwater sampling, the hybrid MLS provided detailed composite datasets for interpreting flow and transport in these bedrock aquifers. The hybrid MLS offers promise as a versatile low‐cost option for groundwater studies in agricultural areas providing improved insights on groundwater flow systems and vertical distribution of nitrate and other contaminants, allowing more informed management decisions.
Controls on Nitrate Loading and Implications for BMPs Under Intensive Potato Production Systems in Prince Edward Island, Canada
Authors: Zebarth Bernie J. , Danielescu Serban , Nyiraneza Judith , Ryan M. Cathryn , Jiang Yefang , Grimmett Mark , Burton David L. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPotato production is critical to economy of Prince Edward Island (PEI), but has been linked to increasing groundwater nitrate contamination and anoxic events in estuaries. Given that PEI is entirely groundwater‐dependent for potable water, this has resulted in considerable pressure to find solutions to protect water quality. However, our understanding of the controls on nitrate loading to groundwater, and the consequent potential to mitigate nitrate loading through beneficial management practices (BMPs), is limited. In PEI, flow and nitrate transport in the vadose zone are controlled by the matrix porosity of the till and sandstone, while flow and transport in the saturated zone are controlled by a conductive fracture network with limited storage capacity. Diffusion of nitrate stored in the matrix may introduce a significant time lag between reduced nitrate loading from implementation of BMPs and measureable improvement in groundwater quality. BMPs with potential to mitigate nitrate loading to groundwater through improved nitrogen fertilizer practices in producing potato crops have been identified, but implementation of these practices alone is not sufficient to control nitrate loading due to the economic context of potato production. Additional BMPs for improved potato cropping systems have also been identified; however, reducing the intensity of agricultural production, including the proportion of land in potato production, at the watershed level may be required to meet the drinking water guideline for nitrate in PEI. Given the important role of market forces in determining profitability of crop production, it becomes challenging to modify crop production practices to meet an environmental goal without some additional external incentive or public pressure.
Groundwater Monitoring to Support Development of BMPs for Groundwater Protection: The Abbotsford‐Sumas Aquifer Case Study
Authors: Zebarth Bernie J. , Ryan M. Cathryn , Graham Gwyn , Forge Thomas A. , Neilsen Denise 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe Abbotsford‐Sumas Aquifer is arguably the most studied case in Canada of groundwater nitrate contamination associated with agricultural production. Underlying some of the most productive agricultural land in Canada, this highly vulnerable trans‐boundary aquifer provides a unique case study on the opportunities and challenges of addressing water quality issues. A groundwater monitoring program initiated in the early 1990s has been important in tracking spatial and temporal variation in groundwater nitrate concentration. However, small land parcels with spatially and temporally variable land use and management practices and sub‐horizontal flow in this highly permeable sand and gravel aquifer make it difficult to relate groundwater monitoring results to specific agricultural practices. Other approaches pointed to the historical over‐application of N relative to crop requirement (primarily as manure used to increase soil organic matter during replanting but also as a nutrient source during production). Despite changes in agricultural practices, and programs aimed at raising grower awareness, no appreciable change in average groundwater nitrate concentration has occurred over the monitoring period. On individual land parcels, nitrate contamination may be reduced through development and adoption of an integrated suite of beneficial management practices (BMPs) to improve N fertilization, irrigation and alley vegetation management, and in particular to eliminate application of any organic soil amendment such as untreated manure in which the N has not been stabilized (e.g., by composting). However, the substantial N imbalance on a regional scale, and the lack of an effective on‐going consultative process among stakeholders, remain major barriers to the development, demonstration and adoption of BMPs.
World's Largest In Situ Thermal Desorption Project: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Heron G. , Parker K. , Fournier S. , Wood P. , Angyal G. , Levesque J. , Villecca R. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper presents the largest In Situ Thermal Desorption (ISTD) project completed to date. The redevelopment of a former aerospace manufacturing facility adjacent to a commercial airport was the main driver, requiring relatively rapid reduction of several chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOC) in a 3.2‐acre source zone. The source zone was divided into four quadrants with differing treatment depths, heated simultaneously using a total of 907 thermal conduction heater wells. Five different depths were selected across the area, according to the depth of contaminant impact. Prior to implementation, a risk and optimization study led to placement of a vertical sheet‐pile wall around the treatment zone to minimize groundwater flow, and a pilot test of a novel direct‐drive method for installation of the heater casings. Because of a shallow water table, a layer of clean fill was placed over the treatment zone, and partial dewatering was necessary prior to heating. A network of vertical multiphase extraction wells and horizontal vapor extraction wells was used to establish hydraulic and pneumatic control and to capture the contaminants. The site was split into four decision units, each with a rigorous soil sampling program which included collecting a total of 270 confirmatory soil samples from locations with the highest pretreatment CVOC concentrations requiring reduction to below 1 mg/kg for each contaminant. Temperature monitoring and mass removal trends were used to trigger the sampling events. Eventually, a small area near the center of the site required the installation of four additional heaters before the soil goals were reached after 238 days of heating. The total energy usage for heating and treating the source area was 23 million kWh—slightly lower than the estimated 26.5 million kWh. Actual energy losses and the energy removal associated with the extracted steam were lower than anticipated. An estimated 13,400 kg (29,800 lbs) of CVOC mass was removed, and all soil goals were met. This paper presents the challenges associated with a project of this scale and describes the solutions to successfully complete the ISTD remedy.
Comparison of Phytoscreening and Direct‐Push‐Based Site Investigation at a Rural Megasite Contaminated with Chlorinated Ethenes
Authors: Rein Arno , Holm Olaf , Trapp Stefan , Popp‐Hofmann Steffen , Bittens Martin , Leven Carsten , Dietrich Peter 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe reliable characterization of subsurface contamination of spatially extended contaminated sites is a challenging task, especially with an unknown history of land use. Conventional technologies often fail due to temporal and financial constraints and thus hinder the redevelopment of abandoned areas in particular. Here we compare two site screening techniques that can be applied quickly at relatively low cost, namely Direct Push (DP)‐based groundwater sampling and tree core sampling. The effectiveness of both methods is compared for a rural megasite contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Unexpected pollution hot spots could be identified using both of these methods, while tree coring even enabled the delineation of the contaminant plume flowing into an adjacent wetland inaccessible for DP units. Both methods showed a good agreement in revealing the spatial pattern of the contamination. The correlation between groundwater concentrations and equivalent concentrations in wood was linear and highly significant for trichloroethene. Correlation was less obvious for its metabolite cis‐dichloroethene, but still significant. As outcome of our study we recommend tree coring and for initial screening in combination with a DP sampling to retrieve quantitative data on groundwater pollutants in order to assess the contamination situation of a non‐ or only partly investigated site. The subsequent placement of monitoring wells for long‐term monitoring of contamination levels is recommended. A combination of methods would achieve more relevant information at comparable or possibly even lower efforts in comparison to a conventional site investigation.
Using Tracers to Quantify Drilling Water Influence and Obtain Representative Groundwater Samples
Authors: McCaughey M.C. , Divine Craig E. , Gefell Michael J. , McGrane Sean 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper describes a practical field method of using applied tracers to determine how much purging is required to collect representative groundwater samples after the introduction of drilling water during borehole advancement. In general, the approach involves adding a tracer of known concentration to the drilling water and then measuring the tracer in the purge water until the tracer concentration declines to a defined target level. If necessary, the dilution effects of residual drilling water can be quantified, and the measured contaminant concentration can be corrected based on the measured tracer concentration. A project example is presented to demonstrate that this method is straightforward and reliable and that applied tracers can be used to quantify the influence of residual drilling water on formation water quality while also ensuring that purge times and volumes are not unnecessarily large.
Negative Bias and Increased Variability in VOC Concentrations Using the HydraSleeve in Monitoring Wells
Authors: McHugh Thomas E. , Kulkarni Poonam R. , Beckley Lila M. , Newell Charles J. , Zumbro Marilyn 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe HydraSleeve is a sampling device for collecting groundwater from the screened interval of a monitoring well without purging that uses a check valve to take in water over the first 3 to 5 feet of an upward pulling motion. If the check valve does not perform as expected, then the HydraSleeve has the potential to collect water from an incorrect depth interval, possibly above the screened interval of the well. We have evaluated volatile organic chemical (VOC) results from groundwater samples collected with the HydraSleeve sampler compared to other methods for sampling monitoring wells at three sites. At all three sites, lower VOC concentration results were observed for samples collected using the HydraSleeve. At two of these three sites, the low concentration sample results were most strongly associated with monitoring wells with more than 10 feet of water above the monitoring well‐screened interval. At the site with the largest dataset, the median bias for samples collected with HydraSleeve was −20% (p < 0.001). At this site, a bias of −26% (p < 0.001) was observed for the subset of monitoring wells with greater than 10 feet of water above the screened interval compared to a bias of −7% (p = 0.21) for wells screened across the top of the water table. In addition to lower VOC concentrations, the monitoring records obtained using the HydraSleeve were more variable compared to monitoring records obtained using purge sampling methods, a characteristic that would make it more difficult to determine the long‐term concentration trend in the well.