bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
SymPortal: A novel analytical framework and platform for coral algal symbiont next‐generation sequencing ITS2 profiling
Authors: Hume Benjamin C. C. , Smith Edward G. , Ziegler Maren , Warrington Hugh J. M. , Burt John A. , LaJeunesse Todd C. , Wiedenmann Joerg , Voolstra Christian R. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe present SymPortal (SymPortal.org), a novel analytical framework and platform for genetically resolving the algal symbionts of reef corals using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) data of the ITS2 rDNA. Although the ITS2 marker is widely used to genetically characterize taxa within the family Symbiodiniaceae (formerly the genus Symbiodinium), the multicopy nature of the marker complicates its use. Commonly, the intragenomic diversity resultant from this multicopy nature is collapsed by analytical approaches, thereby focusing on only the most abundant sequences. In contrast, SymPortal employs logic to identify within‐sample informative intragenomic sequences, which we have termed ‘defining intragenomic variants' (DIVs), to identify ITS2‐type profiles representative of putative Symbiodiniaceae taxa. By making use of this intragenomic ITS2 diversity, SymPortal is able to resolve genetic delineations using the ITS2 marker at a level that was previously only possible by using additional genetic markers. We demonstrate this by comparing this novel approach to the most commonly used alternative approach for NGS ITS2 data, the 97% similarity clustering to operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The SymPortal platform accepts NGS raw sequencing data as input to provide an easy‐to‐use, standardization‐enforced, and community‐driven framework that integrates with a database to gain resolving power with increased use. We consider that SymPortal, in conjunction with ongoing large‐scale sampling and sequencing efforts, should play an instrumental role in making future sampling efforts more comparable and in maximizing their efficacy in working towards the classification of the global Symbiodiniaceae diversity.
Pulse corticosteroids in treatment of rheumatic disease concomitant with cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Li Yan , Ren Limin , Liu Xu , Zhao Xiaotao , Hu Fanlei , Li Zhanguo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimTo investigate the impact of corticosteroids on the outcome of antiviral therapy in rheumatic patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV)‐emia.MethodSixty‐two patients with rheumatic disease complicated by CMV infection from 2011 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsFifty‐five of 62 patients were diagnosed with CMV‐DNAemia. Most patients (43/55, 78.2%) achieved viral clearance within 5 weeks. It was shown that, while undergoing active antiviral therapy, there was no significant difference in the CMV‐DNAemia clearance rate between the pulse methylprednisolone (MPSL) therapy group and non‐pulse group (8/9, 88.9% vs 30/36, 83.3%; OR = 1.600, 95% CI 0.168‐15.273, P > 0.05) at the end of the 5‐week follow‐up. However, pulse MPSL might slightly prolong duration of CMV‐DNAemia than non‐pulse MPSL patients (20.78 ± 19.18 days vs 14.33 ± 9.01 days, P = 0.1430), especially in the high baseline titer group (33.7 ± 29.1 days in pulse MPSL group vs 18.3 ± 13.1 days in non‐pulse group, P = 0.457). But in the low baseline titer group, CMVemia duration in the pulse MPSL group (14.3 ± 10.0 days) was about the same as that in the non‐pulse MPSL group (13.4 ± 7.8 days).ConclusionWith effective antiviral therapy, pulse MPSL is acceptable in rheumatic disease patients with CMV‐DNAemia, without significant impact on final clearance of virus. However, duration of CMV‐DNAemia may be prolonged, especially in patients with high CMV‐DNA titer at baseline.
Evaluation of disease chronicity by bone marrow fat fraction using sacroiliac joint magnetic resonance imaging in patients with spondyloarthritis: A retrospective study
Authors: Koo Bon San , Song Yoonah , Shin Ji Hui , Lee Seunghun , Kim Tae‐Hwan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimThis study investigated the use of fat fraction (FF) measurements in the sacroiliac (SI) joint to determine radiologic progression in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).MethodA total of 138 patients who underwent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between September 2014 and March 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. The FF based upon fat deposition (%) using fat signaling on T1 and T2 weighted images in the sacroiliac joint was quantified using a 6‐echo variant of the modified Dixon technique. We defined the normal bone marrow as normal FF, bone marrow edema as active inflammatory FF, and fat metaplasia as post‐inflammatory FF.ResultsThe mean FF of normal marrow was 52.0% ± 10.4% and 50.5% ± 10.1% in the left and right SI joints, respectively. The mean FF of post‐inflammatory fat deposition was 81.9% ± 9.7% and 82.3% ± 9.6% in the left and right SI joints, respectively. The mean FF of active inflammatory fat deposition was 15.8% ± 5.9% and 13.5% ± 6.7% in the left and right SI joints, respectively. In multiple linear regression, post‐inflammatory FF was found to be significantly associated with radiologic progression, such as symptom duration, SI joint grade, and modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score.ConclusionPost‐inflammatory FF indicates the chronicity of SpA. Evaluating FF using MRI in the SI joint will help to determine radiologic progression.
Do stock bulletin board systems (BBS) contain useful information? A viewpoint of interaction between BBS quality and predicting ability
Authors: Xiong Xiong , Luo Chunchun , Zhang Ye , Lin Shen 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study explores whether information on internet stock bulletin board systems (BBS) is valuable for stock return prediction, taking advantage of data derived from the biggest stock BBS in China. Using a text classification algorithm, we find the online messages significantly predict stock return with negligible R‐squared. However, we find that accuracy of individual BBS posts is below 50 percent and there is no distinction at prediction accuracy between high‐ and low‐quality stock BBS. Due to the autocorrelation of stock returns, we argue that BBS predicts stock returns because of its reflection on the simultaneous stock return rather than revelation on valuable information.
Long‐term outcomes of switching to aflibercept for treatment‐resistant neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Spooner Kimberly , Hong Thomas , Nair Rashmi , Chow Nicholas Chian Chiang , Broadhead Geoffrey K. , Wijeyakumar Wijeyanthy , Chang Andrew A. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPurposeTo report 4‐year outcomes following the switch to aflibercept in treatment‐resistant neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD).MethodsIn this prospective, open‐label, non‐controlled, clinical trial, 49 patients with treatment‐resistant nAMD received 2 mg intravitreal aflibercept as three loading doses every 4 weeks, followed by injections every 8 weeks for the first 48 weeks, then an individualized regimen for a further 36 months, following previous treatment with ranibizumab and/or bevacizumab. Outcome measures included best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), pigment epithelial detachment (PED) height and geographic atrophy (GA) surface area.ResultsOf the 49 patients who were initially recruited, data from 39 eyes of 39 patients were available at 48‐month follow‐up. Mean age was 76.7 ± 7.2 years. Over the 48 months, these eyes received a mean of 32.1 ± 5.6 injections. The mean BCVA improved significantly following 12 months of treatment (4.9 ± 9.0 ETDRS letters, p < 0.001); however, this was not maintained and was similar to baseline after 48 months (mean difference −0.4 ± 13.3 letters between baseline and 48 months, p < 0.001). The reduction in CRT from baseline was 170.3 ± 143.3 μm (p < 0.001) with absence of macular fluid in 56% of the 39 eyes at the end of month 48. PED height reduced by a mean 77.5 ± 20.0 μm, and geographic atrophy increased by a mean of 4.1 ± 3.4 mm2 (p < 0.01) over the 48 months.ConclusionAflibercept is an effective alternative therapy for treatment‐resistant nAMD. Good anatomical and stable functional responses are achievable with continued therapy. The lack of continued visual improvement may be representative of GA progression, reflecting the progression of late‐stage nAMD in these patients.
The impact of non‐urothelial variant histology on oncological outcomes following radical cystectomy
Authors: Stroman Luke , Nair Rajesh , Russell Beth , Malik Nabiah , Desai Arjun , Chandra Ashish , Thurairaja Ramesh , Dasgupta Prokar , Khan Muhammad Shamim , Malde Sachin 
Published: February 2019

ObjectivesTo determine if the presence of non‐urothelial variant histology (NUVH) is associated with a poorer prognosis following radical cystectomy (RC) compared to pure urothelial carcinoma (PUC).Patients and methodsA prospectively maintained database of all patients undergoing RC at a high‐volume regional tertiary bladder cancer service between January 2010 and January 2017 was retrospectively analysed looking for patients with NUVH. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine disease recurrence, overall survival and bladder cancer‐specific survival, as well as lymph node positivity. Association of tumour stage was determined using chi‐squared analysis.ResultsIn total, 430 patients underwent RC of which 73 (17%) had NUVH and 357 (83%) had PUC. The median (range) follow‐up was 45.0 (8.5–100.2) months. The presence of NUVH was associated with both increased overall (hazard ratio [HR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–2.85) and bladder cancer‐specific mortality (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.91–3.01), as well as disease recurrence (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.06–2.75) in multivariate analysis. Squamous cell variant was also associated with increased overall mortality (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.16–3.13), cancer‐specific mortality (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.21–3.42) and disease recurrence (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.23–3.52), although this was not seen in other variant subtypes. Lymph node positivity was not associated with NUVH in multivariate analysis (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.59–2.75), but NUVH was associated with advanced tumour stage on chi‐squared analysis (P < 0.001).ConclusionOur results showed a risk of shorter survival in NUVH compared to PUC. This suggests NUVH as an independent predictor of worse outcomes. As a result, patients with NUVH should be counselled preoperatively that overall and disease‐specific outcomes are worse postoperatively and about the possible need for adjuvant treatment.
A model of wage and employment effects of service offshoring
Authors: Tobal Martin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis paper develops a two‐sector model of trade in goods and intermediate tasks that differ in tradability and skill intensity. A skill‐abundant country with high productivity is shown to offshore more unskilled tasks than skilled tasks, without relying on a particular correlation structure between tradability and skill intensity. With putty‐clay technology that allows retraining in the long run, transition from the non‐offshoring to the offshoring equilibrium generates wage and employment effects that switch from negative to positive as tradability declines, with the switches occurring at a higher degree of tradability for skilled tasks. This is consistent with the empirical literature.
Student loans and the allocation of graduate jobs
Authors: Cigno Alessandro , Luporini Annalisa 
Published: February 2019

AbstractHigher education is not just a costly signal of native talent but also a means of raising a person's ability to hold a graduate job (and at least a certain educational achievement is required to get one). Graduate jobs differentiated by quality are allocated to graduates differentiated by native talent and parental wealth through a tournament. Non‐graduates jobs pay a fixed wage to those who do not participate in the tournament. Assuming that credit is rationed, some poor school leavers will go straight into the non‐graduate labour market even if they are talented enough to get a higher education and participate in the tournament. Some others will buy the same amount of higher education and end up doing graduate jobs of the same quality as less talented but richer school leavers. We show that student loans improve job matching and bring educational investments closer to efficiency. If the size of the loan is not very large, some poor school leavers will still be liquidity‐constrained and thus buy the same amount of higher education as less talented but richer ones. In that case, the former will get a productivity bonus. But raising the size of the loan to such a level that nobody is liquidity‐constrained could be socially optimal only if social preferences were extremely egalitarian.
Parental asthma and risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: A population and family‐based case‐control study
Authors: Gong Tong , Lundholm Cecilia , Rejnö Gustaf , Bölte Sven , Larsson Henrik , D'Onofrio Brian M. , Lichtenstein Paul , Almqvist Catarina 
Published: February 2019

SummaryBackgroundAssociations between parental asthma and prenatal exposure to asthma medications with offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been reported. However, the associations might be confounded by unmeasured (genetic and shared environmental) familial factors.ObjectiveWe investigated the association between (a) maternal/paternal asthma and offspring ASD, and (b) prenatal exposures to β2‐agonists, other asthma medications and offspring ASD using cases and controls selected from the population as well as biological relatives with different degrees of relatedness.MethodsWe included all children (N = 1 579 263) born in Sweden 1992‐2007. A nested case‐control design was used to compare 22 894 ASD cases identified from the National Patient Register to (a) 228 940 age‐, county‐ and sex‐matched controls randomly selected from the population, (b) their eligible full‐siblings (n = 1267), (c) half‐siblings (n = 1323), (d) full‐cousins (n = 11 477) and (e) half‐cousins (n = 3337). Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ASD in children differentially exposed to parental asthma or prenatal asthma medications.ResultsMaternal asthma was associated with increased risk of offspring ASD (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.38‐1.49); there was a weaker association for paternal asthma (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11‐1.23). The risk of offspring ASD in mothers with asthma showed similar estimates when adjusting for shared familial factors among paternal half‐siblings (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.80‐1.81), full‐cousins (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.16‐1.41) and half‐cousins (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10‐1.54), albeit with wider confidence intervals. Prenatal exposure to asthma medications among subjects whose mothers had asthma was not associated with subsequent ASD.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceIn this large observational study, parental asthma was associated with slightly elevated risk of ASD in offspring. More specifically, the increased risk by maternal asthma did not seem to be confounded by familial factors. There was no evidence of an association between asthma medications during pregnancy and offspring ASD.
Rectal Surgery Evaluation Trial: protocol for a parallel cohort trial of outcomes using surgical techniques for total mesorectal excision with low anterior resection in high‐risk rectal cancer patients
Authors: Rouanet P. , Gourgou S. , Gogenur I. , Jayne D. , Ulrich A. , Rautio T. , Spinoglio G. , Bouazza N. , Moussion A. , Gomez Ruiz M. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimTotal mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard of care for rectal cancer, which can be combined with low anterior resection (LAR) in patients with mid‐to‐low rectal cancer. The narrow pelvic space and difficulties in obtaining adequate exposure make surgery technically challenging. Four techniques are used to perform the surgery: open laparotomy, laparoscopy, robot‐assisted surgery and transanal surgery. Comparative data for these techniques are required to provide clinical data on the surgical management of rectal cancers.MethodsThe Rectal Surgery Evaluation Trial will be a prospective, observational, case‐matched, four‐cohort, multicentre trial designed to study TME with LAR using open laparotomy, laparoscopy, robot‐assisted surgery or transanal surgery in high‐surgical‐risk patients with mid‐to‐low non‐metastatic rectal cancer. All surgeries will be performed by surgeons experienced in at least one of the techniques. Oncological, morbidity and functional outcomes will be assessed in a composite primary outcome, with success defined as circumferential resection margin ≥ 1 mm, TME Grade III and minimal postoperative morbidity (absence of Clavien–Dindo Grade III–IV complications within 30 days after surgery). Secondary end‐points will include the co‐primary end‐points over the long term (2 years), quality of surgery, quality of life, length of hospital stay, operative time and rate of unplanned conversions.DiscussionThis will be the first trial to study all four surgical techniques currently used for TME with LAR in a specific group of high‐risk patients. The knowledge obtained will contribute towards helping physicians determine the advantages of each technique and which may be the most appropriate for their patients.
Evolution of the wealth gap in child development and mediating pathways: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Bogota, Colombia
Authors: Rubio‐Codina Marta , Grantham‐McGregor Sally 
Published: February 2019

AbstractLarge gaps in cognition and language on the Bayley‐III between the top and bottom household wealth quartiles in 1,330 children aged 6–42 months in a representative sample of low‐ and middle‐income families in Bogota were previously shown. Maternal education and the home environment mediated these wealth effects, whereas height‐for‐age mediated a small amount of the language deficit only. At ages 6–8 years, we relocated 72% of the children and assessed their IQ on the WISC‐V, school achievement, and behavior to investigate the evolution of the wealth gaps and potential mediators. The wealth gap in IQ at 6–8 years was significantly larger than that in a factor combining Bayley‐III language and cognition at 6–42 months; whereas the gap in achievement was larger but not significantly. Moreover, in cross‐sectional analysis, the IQ gap increased from 6 to 8 years reaching over 1 SD. In contrast, the gap in behavior was not significant in either childhood stage. Parental education and early home environment remained major mediators of the wealth gap in IQ and achievement at 6–8 years; later home environment and attending private education also had an effect; and early height‐for‐age was no longer significant. The home environment partly mediated the effect of parental education on wealth. All mediators combined explained most of the variance in the wealth gap; the remaining gaps being not significant. Results highlight the importance of the early home environment and suggest that interventions focusing on that should have long‐term benefits. Also, continued intervention through to 8 years may be desirable.A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_U53iXNww3I.
The neural correlates of orienting to walking direction in 6‐month‐old infants: An ERP study
Authors: Lunghi Marco , Piccardi Elena Serena , Richards John E. , Simion Francesca 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe ability to detect social signals represents a first step to enter our social world. Behavioral evidence has demonstrated that 6‐month‐old infants are able to orient their attention toward the position indicated by walking direction, showing faster orienting responses toward stimuli cued by the direction of motion than toward uncued stimuli. The present study investigated the neural mechanisms underpinning this attentional priming effect by using a spatial cueing paradigm and recording EEG (Geodesic System 128 channels) from 6‐month‐old infants. Infants were presented with a central point‐light walker followed by a single peripheral target. The target appeared randomly at a position either congruent or incongruent with the walking direction of the cue. We examined infants' target‐locked event‐related potential (ERP) responses and we used cortical source analysis to explore which brain regions gave rise to the ERP responses. The P1 component and saccade latencies toward the peripheral target were modulated by the congruency between the walking direction of the cue and the position of the target. Infants' saccade latencies were faster in response to targets appearing at congruent spatial locations. The P1 component was larger in response to congruent than to incongruent targets and a similar congruency effect was found with cortical source analysis in the parahippocampal gyrus and the anterior fusiform gyrus. Overall, these findings suggest that a type of biological motion like the one of a vertebrate walking on the legs can trigger covert orienting of attention in 6‐month‐old infants, enabling enhancement of neural activity related to visual processing of potentially relevant information as well as a facilitation of oculomotor responses to stimuli appearing at the attended location.
Reliability of the Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument in physiotherapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Ryan Jennifer L , Levac Danielle E , Wright F Virginia 
Published: February 2019

AimTo evaluate the reliability of the Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument (MLSRI‐20) in gait‐based, video‐recorded physiotherapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodThirty videos of 18 children with CP, aged 6 to 17 years, participating in either traditional or Lokomat‐based physiotherapy interventions were rated using the MLSRI‐20. Physiotherapist raters provided general and item‐specific feedback after rating each video, which was used when interpreting reliability results.ResultsBoth interrater and intrarater reliability of the MLSRI‐20 total score was good. The interrater reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.78 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.53–0.89 and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 11.8%. The intrarater reliability ICC was 0.89 with a 95% CI of 0.76–0.95 and CV of 7.8%. Rater feedback identified task delineation and interpretation of therapist verbalizations as sources of interrater reliability‐related scoring challenges.InterpretationThe MLSRI‐20 is a reliable tool for measuring the extent to which a physiotherapist uses motor learning strategies during a video‐recorded intervention. These results have clinical and research implications for documenting and analyzing the motor learning content of physiotherapy interventions for children with CP.What this paper adds

The Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument (MLSRI‐20) is reliable for use by trained physiotherapist raters.

Measuring motor learning strategies can identify active ‘ingredients’ in physiotherapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy.

The MLSRI‐20 promotes a common language in motor learning.