bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preconceptional thyrotropin level in euthyroid women is inversely associated with the live birth rate in first in vitro fertilization cycle
Authors: Grove‐Laugesen Diana , Aaskov Camilla , Ebbehøj Eva , Knudsen Ulla B. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIntroductionThyroid disorders have been associated with adverse reproductive outcome. Whether the preconceptional level of thyrotropin (TSH) in euthyroid women impacts on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome has been debated. This study reports the outcome of first IVF cycle in euthyroid women in relation to TSH level.Material and methodsA retrospective study was conducted in women referred for fertility treatment in the period 1 January 2012 until 31 March 2014. Among the exclusion criteria were thyroid medication at referral and comorbidities. TSH was measured as part of the fertility workup, and women were followed until pregnancy loss or live birth. Outcome as well as patient characteristics were prospectively collected from a treatment database.ResultsA total of 623 euthyroid women underwent their first IVF cycle. The live birth rate was 27.0% (n = 168). Comparing women with a preconceptional TSH level above vs below 2.5 mIU/L, we found lower odds for clinical pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.52; 95% CI 0.29‐0.95), and lower odds for live birth (aOR 0.53; 95% CI 0.29‐0.99).ConclusionsA preconceptional TSH level >2.5 mIU/L was associated with lower odds for clinical pregnancy and live birth in euthyroid healthy women undergoing first IVF cycle.
When Gratitude Evokes Indebtedness
Authors: Oishi Shigehiro , Koo Minkyung , Lim Nangyeon , Suh Eunkook M. 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundResearch in the US found that gratitude increases happiness. We conducted three studies to examine whether gratitude increases happiness among Koreans, as well.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to a gratitude or a control condition in Studies 1 and 2, and into a gratitude toward someone important or a gratitude toward own health condition in Study 3. Their moods were then measured.ResultsGratitude writing marginally significantly evoked indebtedness among Korean students (Study 1, N = 336) but not among American students (Study 2, N = 219). Equally important, even among Americans, those who wrote about their gratitude toward someone important reported feeling indebtedness marginally more than those who wrote about their gratitude toward something or someone not that important. In Study 3 (N = 181), American participants, randomly assigned to write about their gratitude toward someone important, reported not only more gratitude but also more indebtedness than those assigned to write about their gratitude toward their own health.ConclusionsTaken together, these studies suggest that gratitude evokes indebtedness when gratitude is about someone important.
Augmented reality‐based virtual manipulatives versus physical manipulatives for teaching geometric shapes to preschool children
Authors: Gecu‐Parmaksiz Zeynep , Delialioglu Omer 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe aim of the current study is to compare the effect of virtual and physical manipulatives on preschool children’s understanding of geometric shapes. A quasi‐experimental research design was employed where children in the experimental group used tablet computers to access Augmented Reality (AR)‐based virtual manipulatives, while children in the control group used physical manipulatives. The instruction lasted for a period of four weeks at a public primary school in Turkey with 72 children aged five and six years old. Comparison of their understanding of geometric shapes was based on their scores from pre‐test and post‐test measures of the Geometric Shape Recognition Task instrument. Analysis of the collected data revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups in the circle recognition task, while statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the recognition tasks for triangle, rectangle, and square shapes in favour of the experimental group. In addition to this, although there was an increase in the total scores of both groups, the results showed a statistically significant difference in test scores in favour of the experimental group. The current study also showed that the children had difficulty in categorising geometric shapes when their attributes were changed, therefore providing different forms of geometric shapes to children is very important for improving their conceptual understanding.
Agentic neglect: Teachers as gatekeepers of England’s national computing curriculum
Authors: Larke Laura R. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe addition of computing to England’s National Curriculum was welcomed as a much‐needed modernization of the country’s digital skills curriculum, replacing a poorly regarded ICT program of study with an industry‐supported scheme of computer science, robotics and computational thinking. This paper will demonstrate how teachers have acted as gatekeepers to block a curriculum that they view as narrow, difficult to teach and in conflict with their beliefs and practices as educational professionals. Extensive qualitative data were collected through classroom observations, teacher and student interviews and student artifact creation in four state‐maintained primary school classrooms to explore how teachers acted agentically to minimize or altogether reject a legally mandated curriculum that clashed with their local, professional knowledge. Analysis of this data was supported by official documents and personal accounts of the creation of the computing program of study, which highlight a discourse of economic anxiety and post‐imperialist nostalgia on the part of the curriculum’s designers. This study will illuminate the significant influence that teachers wield as gatekeepers for subject content, with the ability to reject digital technology curricula even when it is supported by industry and mandated by law.
Serum iodine concentration in pregnant women and its association with urinary iodine concentration and thyroid function
Authors: Pan Ziyun , Cui Tingkai , Chen Wen , Gao Shu , Pearce Elizabeth N. , Wang Wei , Chen Yanting , Guo Wenxing , Tan Long , Shen Jun , Zhang Wanqi 
Published: February 2019

SummaryObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the association of serum iodine concentration (SIC) with urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid function in pregnant women, as well as to provide the reference range of SIC of pregnant women in iodine‐sufficiency area.MethodsPregnant women were enrolled in the Department of Obstetrics, Tanggu Maternity Hospital, Tianjin from March 2016 to May 2017. Fasting venous blood and spot urine samples were collected. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), UIC and SIC were measured.ResultsOne thousand and ninety‐nine participants were included in this study. The median UIC was 156 μg/L. The median SIC was 108 μg/L, and the 95% reference interval for SIC was 65.6‐164.7 μg/L. SIC was positively correlated with UIC (r = 0.12, P < 0.001), FT3 (r = 0.23, P < 0.001), and FT4 (r = 0.50, P < 0.001) and was inversely correlated with TSH (r = −0.14, P < 0.001). Pregnant women with a SIC < 79.9 μg/L had a higher risk of hypothyroxinemia compared to those with higher SIC (OR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.31‐4.75). Those having SIC > 138.5 μg/L were more likely to have thyrotoxicosis than those with lower SIC values (OR = 13.52, 95% CI: 4.21‐43.36).ConclusionsSerum iodine level is associated with UIC and thyroid function in pregnant women. Low SIC was associated with increased risk for iodine deficiency and hypothyroxinemia, while high SIC was related to excess and thyrotoxicosis.
Are we eating the world's megafauna to extinction?
Authors: Ripple William J. , Wolf Christopher , Newsome Thomas M. , Betts Matthew G. , Ceballos Gerardo , Courchamp Franck , Hayward Matt W. , Van Valkenburgh Blaire , Wallach Arian D. , Worm Boris 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMany of the world's vertebrates have experienced large population and geographic range declines due to anthropogenic threats that put them at risk of extinction. The largest vertebrates, defined as megafauna, are especially vulnerable. We analyzed how human activities are impacting the conservation status of megafauna within six classes: mammals, ray‐finned fish, cartilaginous fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles. We identified a total of 362 extant megafauna species. We found that 70% of megafauna species with sufficient information are decreasing and 59% are threatened with extinction. Surprisingly, direct harvesting of megafauna for human consumption of meat or body parts is the largest individual threat to each of the classes examined, and a threat for 98% (159/162) of threatened species with threat data available. Therefore, minimizing the direct killing of the world's largest vertebrates is a priority conservation strategy that might save many of these iconic species and the functions and services they provide.
Cardiac output measurement during exercise in COPD: A comparison of dye dilution and impedance cardiography
Authors: Louvaris Zafeiris , Spetsioti Stavroula , Andrianopoulos Vasileios , Chynkiamis Nikolaos , Habazettl Helmut , Wagner Harrieth , Zakynthinos Spyros , Wagner Peter D. , Vogiatzis Ioannis 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIntroductionImpedance cardiography (IC) derived from morphological analysis of the thoracic impedance signal is now commonly used for noninvasive assessment of cardiac output (CO) at rest and during exercise. However, in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), conflicting findings put its accuracy into question.ObjectivesWe therefore compared concurrent CO measurements captured by IC (PhysioFlow: COIC) and by the indocyanine green dye dilution method (CODD) in patients with COPD.MethodsFifty paired CO measurements were concurrently obtained using the two methods from 10 patients (FEV1: 50.5 ± 17.5% predicted) at rest and during cycling at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% peak work rate.ResultsFrom rest to peak exercise COIC and CODD were strongly correlated (r = 0.986, P < 0.001). The mean absolute and percentage differences between COIC and CODD were 1.08 L/min (limits of agreement (LoA): 0.05‐2.11 L/min) and 18 ± 2%, respectively, with IC yielding systematically higher values. Bland‐Altman analysis indicated that during exercise only 7 of the 50 paired measurements differed by more than 20%. When data were expressed as changes from rest, correlations and agreement between the two methods remained strong over the entire exercise range (r = 0.974, P < 0.001, with no significant difference: 0.19 L/min; LoA: −0.76 to 1.15 L/min). Oxygen uptake (VO2) and CODD were linearly related: r = 0.893 (P < 0.001), CODD = 5.94 × VO2 + 2.27 L/min. Similar results were obtained for VO2 and COIC (r = 0.885, P < 0.001, COIC = 6.00 × VO2 + 3.30 L/min).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that IC provides an acceptable CO measurement from rest to peak cycling exercise in patients with COPD.
Quantification of critical care medicine: An ICU survey
Authors: Yeragunta Yashaswini , Leichtle Stefan W. , Qiao Renli 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe shortage in intensivist workforce has been long recognized but no solution has been identified. Meanwhile, fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) are expanding, other critical care medicine (CCM) programs are contracting. No explanation exists for this contradictory trend, although understanding contributory factors may lead to a solution for the shortage. The fundamental difference between PCCM and other CCM programs lies in the residency training of trainees. We tested the hypothesis that the nature of CCM practice determines its attractiveness to potential candidates.MethodsA questionnaire‐based survey was administered recording all daily activities in four different kinds of ICUs at two teaching hospitals one was public, and one was private. Activities were categorized into conventional CCM, respiratory, medical, and surgical interventions.ResultsThe average daily census was 17.6 ± 6.6. Across two MICU, one trauma/surgical and one cardiothoracic ICU the average daily activity ranged from 152 to 203 of these CCM formed 27%‐36%, respiratory 10%‐13%, medical 43%‐59%, and surgical 1%‐15%. The combination of medical and respiratory interventions represented >50% of daily activities among all the ICUs.ConclusionsQuantitative description of ICU activities indicates that the majority of the ICU daily practice relies on medical and respiratory interventions, which may explain why PCCM remains popular.
When basal insulin is not enough: A dose–response relationship between insulin glargine 100 units/mL and glycaemic control
Authors: Umpierrez Guillermo E. , Skolnik Neil , Dex Terry , Traylor Louise , Chao Jason , Shaefer Charles 
Published: February 2019

AimsA post‐hoc analysis to assess the impact in people with type 2 diabetes, of increasing doses of basal insulin on glycaemic measures, body weight and hypoglycaemia.Research Design and MethodsWe included data from prospective, randomized controlled treat‐to‐target trials of ≥24 weeks' duration in people with type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled on metformin and sulphonylureas, and treated with insulin glargine 100 units/mL (U100), who had at least six fasting plasma glucose (FPG) measurements. The impact of insulin dose on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values, FPG, hypoglycaemia incidence (<3.9 mmol/L [70 mg/dL]), and body weight was analysed. A total of 458 participants from three eligible trials were included.ResultsThe observed relationship between higher basal insulin doses and glycaemic control was non‐linear, with increasing insulin dose leading to smaller reductions in FPG and HbA1c for doses >0.3 IU/kg/d, with a plateauing effect at 0.5 IU/kg/d. Total daily dose of insulin >0.5 IU/kg/d resulted in greater weight gain, but without higher rates of hypoglycaemia, compared with insulin doses ≤0.5 IU/kg/d.ConclusionsThis analysis indicates that basal insulin doses >0.5 IU/kg/d have diminishing additional impact on improving glycaemic measures, with the disadvantage of additional weight gain. Clinicians should consider anti‐hyperglycaemic treatment intensification at doses approaching 0.5 IU/kg/d.
Plant silicon effects on insect feeding dynamics are influenced by plant nitrogen availability
Authors: Moise Eric R.D. , McNeil Jeremy N. , Hartley Sue E. , Henry Hugh A.L. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAlthough there is growing evidence that silicon (Si)‐based plant defenses effectively reduce both the palatability and digestibility of leaves, and thus impact nutrient assimilation by insect herbivores, much less is known about how this is affected by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. For example, do herbivores exhibit compensatory feeding on poor‐quality diets with Si or are Si defenses less effective in agroecosystems where high N availability increases plant quality? To investigate the interactive effects of N and Si on insect feeding, we conducted insect performance and compensatory feeding bioassays using maize, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), and the true armyworm, Pseudeletia unipuncta Haworth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In the performance assay, the addition of Si alone resulted in increased larval mortality compared with the controls, likely because early instars with poorly developed mandibles could not feed effectively. However, larvae fed on plants treated with both Si and N survived better than on plants treated with Si only, although pupal mass did not differ between treatments. In our compensatory assay, Si addition reduced maize consumption, but increased both armyworm approximate digestibility and N assimilation efficiency, suggesting that enhanced post‐ingestion feeding physiology, rather than compensatory food intake, could have accounted for the lack of Si effects on pupal weight. Overall, our results demonstrate that, similar to other chemical and mechanical defenses, the effectiveness of plant Si defense is influenced by plant nutrient status and consumer compensatory ability.
Ecology of female mating failure/lifelong virginity: a review of causal mechanisms in insects and arachnids
Authors: Rhainds Marc 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSexual reproduction implies binary outcomes of competitive interactions for access to male gametes: lifelong virgin females with null fitness vs. mated females with variable (generally nonzero) fitness. Female mating failure has long remained a dormant concept in sexual selection theory in part because it is acutely maladaptive (lifelong virgins that do not reproduce are strongly selected against) and also due to widespread acceptance of the Bateman–Trivers paradigm (anisogamy and correlated sex roles). Based on recent scientific output on lifelong virginity across multiple taxonomic groups in insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Strepsiptera), female mating failure has become a mainstay of sexual selection over the last decade. Lifelong virginity and senescence (death) are intertwined processes; old virgin females compensate for increased risk of lifelong virginity by becoming less choosy and increasing investment in mating‐related activities. Low rates of female lifelong virginity (<5%) in most natural populations of insects indicate that sex generally ‘works’ due to selective pressures acting on both males and females to enhance lifetime fitness. Mating failures are most common in insects with female flightlessness; these pressures may lead in evolutionary time to transitionary pathways from sexual reproduction to parthenogenesis. Female mating probability is affected by nonlinear density‐dependent processes dependent upon the scale of observation (mate‐encounter Allee effect at large spatial scales, mating interferences between females at small scales). Mate choice and sex role reversal (females being the active sexual partner) are ubiquitous in insects and arachnids with significant paternal investment, but consequences in terms of female lifelong virginity remain unknown. Logistically, conceptual development of female mating failure in insects is most limited by the lack of broadly applicable methods to assess rates of lifetime virginity among flighted females.
Predator‐parasitoid‐host interaction: biological control of Rhyzopertha dominica and Sitophilus oryzae by a combination of Xylocoris flavipes and Theocolax elegans in stored cereals
Authors: Adarkwah Charles , Obeng‐Ofori Daniel , Opuni‐Frimpong Emmanuel , Ulrichs Christian , Schöller Matthias 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPost‐harvest management constraints are economically significant in Africa for a broad range of commodities, resulting in a substantial negative impact on food security and livelihoods. Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) coexists with Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) – they infest stored cereal grains, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa, and cause significant losses in storage. Laboratory studies were carried out to determine the efficacy of Xylocoris flavipes (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and Theocolax elegans (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), alone or in combination, in suppressing populations of R. dominica and S. oryzae in stored rice and wheat grains. The weight loss and moisture of the infested grains were assessed, for the various combinations of the two pest insects and the two natural enemies. In rice there was a synergistic effect of the combined release of T. elegans and X. flavipes against both R. dominica and S. oryzae compared to the effect of one natural enemy alone. With the combined release, only 2% F1 progeny of the pest beetles emerged compared to the untreated control (100%), whereas 3.5 and 6% emerged when X. flavipes and T. elegans, respectively, were released alone. When the two natural enemies were released in combination, 0.4% R. dominica F1 progeny emerged, compared to 1.6% with X. flavipes or T. elegans alone. In the combined release only 0.3% S. oryzae F1 progeny emerged, whereas 65% emerged with X. flavipes alone and 41% with T. elegans alone. No synergistic effect of the combined release of the two natural enemies was detected in wheat. In stored rice, the lowest percentage of weight loss (44%) was found when both natural enemies and both beetle species were present. We conclude that the combination of the predator and the parasitoid should be recommended when R. domininca and S. oryzae coexist and feed on stored cereals, especially rice.
Effect of monoamine reuptake inhibition and α1 blockade on respiratory arrest and death following electroshock‐induced seizures in mice
Authors: Kruse Stephen W. , Dayton Kyle G. , Purnell Benton S. , Rosner Jared I. , Buchanan Gordon F. 
Published: February 2019

SummaryObjectiveSudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of death in patients with refractory epilepsy. Although the mechanisms for SUDEP are incompletely understood, seizure‐induced respiratory arrest (S‐IRA) has been strongly and consistently implicated. A body of evidence indicates that serotonin (5‐HT), a modulator of breathing, plays a critical role in SUDEP. Because the 5‐HT and norepinephrine (NE) systems interact in many biologic processes and NE is known to modulate breathing and seizures, we hypothesized that NE may play a role in S‐IRA and SUDEP.MethodsWe examined the effects of pharmacologic manipulation of 5‐HT and NE on S‐IRA and death following maximal electroshock (MES)–induced seizures in adult wild‐type (WT) mice, genetically 5‐HT neuron–deficient (Lmx1bf/f/p) mice, and chemically NE neuron–deficient mice. Mice were treated with pharmacologic agents targeting the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems and subjected to seizure induction via MES while breathing was measured via whole‐body plethysmography.ResultsS‐IRA and death was reduced in WT mice with NE reuptake inhibitors (NRIs), reboxetine and atomoxetine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), fluoxetine and citalopram, and the dual 5‐HT/NE reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), duloxetine. S‐IRA and death was also reduced in Lmx1bf/f/p mice with reboxetine and fluoxetine. The protective effects of the reuptake inhibitors were prevented by the α1 antagonist, prazosin. Citalopram did not reduce S‐IRA and death in NE neuron–deficient mice.SignificanceThese data suggest that 5‐HT and NE critically interact in the modulation of breathing following a seizure and potentially inform preventive strategies for SUDEP.