bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
4 in 1: Antibody‐free protocol for isolating the main hepatic cells from healthy and cirrhotic single rat livers
Authors: Fernández‐Iglesias Anabel , Ortega‐Ribera Martí , Guixé‐Muntet Sergi , Gracia‐Sancho Jordi 
Published: November 2018

AbstractLiver cells isolated from pre‐clinical models are essential tools for studying liver (patho)physiology, and also for screening new therapeutic options. We aimed at developing a new antibody‐free isolation method able to obtain the four main hepatic cell types (hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells [LSEC], hepatic macrophages [HMΦ] and hepatic stellate cells [HSC]) from a single rat liver. Control and cirrhotic (CCl4 and TAA) rat livers (n = 6) were perfused, digested with collagenase and mechanically disaggregated obtaining a multicellular suspension. Hepatocytes were purified by low revolution centrifugations while non‐parenchymal cells were subjected to differential centrifugation. Two different fractions were obtained: HSC and mixed LSEC + HMΦ. Further LSEC and HMΦ enrichment was achieved by selective adherence time to collagen‐coated substrates. Isolated cells showed high viability (80%‐95%) and purity (>95%) and were characterized as functional: hepatocytes synthetized albumin and urea, LSEC maintained endocytic capacity and in vivo fenestrae distribution, HMΦ increased expression of inflammatory markers in response to LPS and HSC were activated upon in vitro culture. The 4 in 1 protocol allows the simultaneous isolation of highly pure and functional hepatic cell sub‐populations from control or cirrhotic single livers without antibody selection.
Evaluation of the efficacy of microneedle fractional radiofrequency in Turkish patients with atrophic facial acne scars
Authors: Bulbul Baskan Emel , Akin Belli Asli 
Published: November 2018

SummaryBackgroundScarring is an undesirable and severe complication of acne resulting in loss of self‐esteem in young people. Although microneedle fractional radiofrequency (MFR) system has emerged as a good option to treat acne scars in recent years, it was examined in a few studies which were commonly from Asian countries.AimsWe sought to evaluate the efficacy of MFR in Turkish patients with facial acne scars.MethodsNine patients with atrophic facial acne scars treated with MFR device were included in the study. The number of treatment sessions was varied from one to five (median three) with 4‐week intervals. Demographic and basal clinical features were recorded. Efficacy of the device was evaluated by the physicians’ global assessment and patients’ self‐assessment scales 4 weeks after the last treatment session.ResultsOf nine patients, two were male and seven were female (mean age, 31.33 years). Two patients had mild, four had moderate, and three had severe facial acne scars. Mean acne scar age was 13.22 ± 8.79 years. According to the predominant scar subtype, three patients had V‐shaped, three had U‐shaped, and three had M‐shaped atrophic acne scars. A clinical improvement of >25% has been reported in seven patients (77.7%) and eight patients (88.9%) by the physicians and patients, respectively. U‐shaped atrophic acne scars responded better to the treatment than the other types, as statistically nonsignificant. There were no severe side effects.ConclusionsMicroneedle fractional radiofrequency system showed a quite good efficacy and safety in the treatment of atrophic facial acne scars (Department of Dermato‐Cosmetology, Uludag University Medical School).
FINANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Heil Mark 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThis paper surveys a broad range of studies and highlights the main findings of the empirical literature regarding business finance and productivity. Numerous studies analyse the productivity effects of financial development and frictions. The results suggest the following: (1) Financial development likely has favourable effects on productivity growth, (2) financial frictions that impede the efficient flow of finance can mitigate the positive effects through a variety of channels and (3) the magnitudes of productivity costs of financial frictions generally appear modest in financially developed economies but are considerably larger in developing economies. The paper also reviews studies of the influence of specific mechanisms on productivity, such as human capital, corporate finance, financial sector efficiency, equity finance and venture capital. Some policies that hamper productivity growth include inefficient insolvency regimes that impede exit of low‐productivity firms, poorly developed contract monitoring and enforcement systems between banks and firms, collateral constraints that impair resource reallocation and imperfect bank supervisory practices that diminish productive capital reallocation through distorted lending practices.
Paternity Leave and Parental Relationships: Variations by Gender and Mothers' Work Statuses
Authors: Petts Richard J. , Knoester Chris 
Published: November 2018

Objective: This study examines the associations between paternity leave and parents' reports of relationship satisfaction and relationship conflict and whether the associations vary by parent gender and mothers' work statuses.Background: Paternity leave research in the United States has focused on implications for father involvement, but paternity leave may also help to strengthen parental relationships by promoting a more equitable division of domestic labor. Given gender gaps in child care, the association between paternity leave and parental relationship outcomes may also vary by gender and mothers' work statuses.Method: The sample consists of 4,700 couples (i.e., parent dyads) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. Multilevel models are used to assess the associations between paternity leave and both relationship satisfaction and conflict and whether these associations vary by gender and mothers' work statuses.Results: Paternity leave‐taking is positively associated with parents' reports of relationship satisfaction, but length of paternity leave is only positively associated with mothers' reports of relationship satisfaction. Also, among mothers who worked prior to the child's birth, paternity leave‐taking and length of leave are negatively associated with their reports of relationship conflict. In contrast, among ‘mothers who did not work in paid labor prebirth, paternity leave is positively associated with mothers’ reports of relationship conflict.Conclusion: Paternity leave may have implications for parental relationships (and especially mothers' perceptions of their relationships with fathers).
Melatonin and its metabolites as chemical agents capable of directly repairing oxidized DNA
Authors: Pérez‐González Adriana , Castañeda‐Arriaga Romina , Álvarez‐Idaboy Juan Raúl , Reiter Russel J. , Galano Annia 
Published: November 2018

AbstractOxidative stress mediates chemical damage to DNA yielding a wide variety of products. In this work, the potential capability of melatonin and several of its metabolites to repair directly (chemically) oxidative lesions in DNA was explored. It was found that all the investigated molecules are capable of repairing guanine‐centered radical cations by electron transfer at very high rates, that is, diffusion‐limited. They are also capable of repairing C‐centered radicals in the sugar moiety of 2′‐deoxyguanosine (2dG) by hydrogen atom transfer. Although this was identified as a rather slow process, with rate constants ranging from 1.75 to 5.32 × 102 M−1 s−1, it is expected to be fast enough to prevent propagation of the DNA damage. Melatonin metabolites 6‐hydroxymelatonin (6OHM) and 4‐hydroxymelatonin (4OHM) are also predicted to repair OH adducts in the imidazole ring. In particular, the rate constants corresponding to the repair of 8‐OH‐G adducts were found to be in the order of 104 M−1 s−1 and are assisted by a water molecule. The results presented here strongly suggest that the role of melatonin in preventing DNA damage might be mediated by its capability, combined with that of its metabolites, to directly repair oxidized sites in DNA through different chemical routes.
Sleep efficiency and neurophysiological patterns in middle‐aged men are associated with cognitive change over their adult life course
Authors: Waser Markus , Lauritzen Martin J. , Fagerlund Birgitte , Osler Merete , Mortensen Erik L. , Sørensen Helge B. D. , Jennum Poul 
Published: November 2018

SummaryDisrupted sleep is a contributing factor to cognitive ageing, while also being associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Little is known, however, about the relation of sleep and the gradual cognitive changes over the adult life course. Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns are potential markers of the cognitive progress. To test this hypothesis, we assessed sleep architecture and EEG of 167 men born in the Copenhagen Metropolitan Area in 1953, who, based on individual cognitive testing from early (~18 years) to late adulthood (~58 years), were divided into 85 subjects with negative and 82 with positive cognitive change over their adult life. Participants underwent standard polysomnography, including manual sleep scoring at age ~58 years. Features of sleep macrostructure were combined with a number of EEG features to distinguish between the two groups. EEG rhythmicity was assessed by spectral power analysis in frontal, central and occipital sites. Functional connectivity was measured by inter‐hemispheric EEG coherence. Group differences were assessed by analysis of covariance (p < 0.05), including education and severity of depression as potential covariates. Subjects with cognitive decline exhibited lower sleep efficiency, reduced inter‐hemispheric connectivity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and slower EEG rhythms during stage 2 non‐REM sleep. Individually, none of these tendencies remained significant after multiple test correction; however, by combining them in a machine learning approach, the groups were separated with 72% accuracy (75% sensitivity, 67% specificity). Ongoing medical screenings are required to confirm the potential of sleep efficiency and sleep EEG patterns as signs of individual cognitive progress.
Self‐adaptive form generation method for reciprocal grid structures
Authors: Su Yan , Wu Yue , Qiao Gang , Shen Shizhao 
Published: November 2018

AbstractReciprocal grid structure is a structural system consisting of mutually supporting bars. Its geometry should satisfy not only the demands of architectural intents but also the requirements of the lapping relationship of the bars. Thus, form generation is the key problem in its design. Inspired by the physical building process of a reciprocal grid structure, self‐adaptive form generation method is proposed. In this method, an initial plane grid with the topology of required structural configuration is created first. Next, elements are iteratively lapped to realize a self‐adaptive generation of structural form. Two new parameters, bar lapping factor and rotation angle, are proposed to describe reciprocal grid structures quantitatively and make the form generation process easy. The efficiency and accuracy of the method are illustrated by comparisons with other form generation methods. Numerical examples demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method in the complex and realistic reciprocal grid structures.
Incidence and predictors of moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation after dual‐chamber pacemaker implantation
Authors: Cho Min Soo , Kim Jun , Lee Jung‐Bok , Nam Gi‐Byoung , Choi Kee‐Joon , Kim You‐Ho 
Published: November 2018

AbstractIntroductionThe incidence and predictors of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after permanent pacemaker (PM) implantations have not been well evaluated. We attempted to determine TR's natural course and predictors, especially focusing on the influence of atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsData from 530 patients with dual‐chamber PMs were evaluated. The main study outcomes were moderate to severe TR and isolated TR (moderate to severe TR without other structural heart diseases [SHDs]) in follow‐up echocardiography.ResultsOver a median follow‐up period of 7.6 years, moderate to severe TR developed in 14.5% patients. Of those, concomitant SHD was observed in 51.9% of patients, and 48.1% presented with isolated TR. A multivariable analysis identified the independent predictors of moderate to severe TR (diabetes mellitus [DM], chronic lung disease, preexisting mild TR, peripheral artery disease, moderate to severe aortic regurgitation, and persistent AF [PeAF]) and isolated TR (DM, preexisting mild TR, and PeAF). PeAF (n = 67, 12.6%) was an independent predictor of both moderate to severe TR (hazard ratio [HR] 2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–5.51) and isolated TR (HR 4.54, 95% CI: 1.60–12.90). The patients with PeAF exhibited a higher incidence of moderate to severe TR (21.8% vs 12.9% vs 11.6% PeAF, paroxysmal AF, and without AF, respectively) and isolated TR (18.6% vs 6.6% vs 4.2%, respectively) during the follow‐up.ConclusionModerate to severe TR after PM implantations developed with or without the influence of concomitant SHD. Patients with PeAF exhibited a higher risk of moderate to severe TR after PM implantations.
The prevalence and outcome of children with failure to thrive after pediatric kidney transplantation
Authors: Sgambat Kristen , Cheng Y. Iris , Charnaya Olga , Moudgil Asha 
Published: November 2018

AbstractBackgroundPrior to transplantation, effects of advanced CKD contribute to malnutrition and impaired growth. After transplant, children are expected to thrive, however, in a subset of transplant recipients this does not occur. Factors associated with post‐transplant FTT are poorly understood.ObjectiveA retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine factors associated with FTT and association of FTT with infections and hospitalizations.MethodsRecords of 119 children transplanted between 2005 and 2016 were reviewed. FTT was defined by ≥2 of the following post‐transplant criteria: (a) low BMI or deceleration in BMI z‐score, (b) poor growth velocity, and (c) chronic hypoalbuminemia at 1 or 3 years post‐transplant. Association of FTT with deceased donor transplant, de novo DSA, intolerance to MMF, anemia, vitamin D deficiency, and CIC was investigated by logistic regression. Poisson regression was used to identify outcomes associated with FTT.ResultsLow pre‐transplant BMI and post‐transplant CIC dependence were independently associated with FTT after transplant. Odds of FTT at 1 year post‐transplant decreased by 0.5 for each 1 unit increase in pre‐transplant BMI z‐score. Requirement for CIC conferred 3.8 and 7.8 higher odds of FTT at 1 and 3 years. Patients with FTT had 2.7 and 2.6 times infections and hospitalizations during the first year, and 4.2 and 4.3 times infections and hospitalizations over 3 years post‐transplant.ConclusionsChildren with low BMI prior to transplant and those requiring CIC after transplant are at increased risk for post‐transplant FTT. FTT is associated with adverse outcomes, evidenced by increased infections and hospitalizations.
Certifying a state forestry agency in Quebec: Complementarity and conflict around government responsibilities, indigenous rights, and certification of the state as forest manager
Authors: Wyatt Stephen , Teitelbaum Sara 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAs voluntary third‐party certification systems become an increasingly accepted part of international frameworks for forest governance, some state forestry agencies are following the private sector in seeking certification of their forest management activities. We ask how the roles and responsibilities of state forest management agencies interact with the processes and mechanisms established by certification systems. To answer this question, we review existing research to propose a conceptual framework composed of eight issues of particular relevance to states: regulation, transnationalism, sovereignty disputes, partnerships and competition, mainstreaming, effectiveness, equity, and legitimacy and trust. We then use this framework to analyze experience in Quebec, Canada, where the state agency initially sought certification and then abandoned this plan after facing difficulties meeting the requirements pertaining to indigenous rights. Our framework helps to understand possible complementarities between state and non‐state systems, but also highlights challenges for reconciling state roles and responsibilities under certification.
‘The right hybrid for every acre’: Assembling the social worlds of corn and soy seed‐selling in conventional agricultural techniques
Authors: Comi Matt 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThis article looks to better understand seed‐selling assemblages between top‐10 agricultural companies and conventional farmers in the US Midwest by looking to the often ignored participants connecting these groups. Data for this research are drawn from 12 qualitative, on‐site interviews with participants identifying as seed dealers or agronomists who live and work in Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, an agricultural region dominated by the soybean and corn agriculture that has also become ubiquitous in European and global contexts over the last half‐century. This project arises out of assemblage‐thinking approaches to re‐see the social relations between agronomists and agricultural seed. This research suggests that the convergence between genetically engineering hybrid seed stock and the discursive act of marketing that seed stock together coproduces a flexible materiality which is far from discreet or static. Because of this, transitional actors, the seed dealers and agronomists who buy and sell such seeds have unexpectedly outsized clout when considering the agentic capacity of members in conventional agriculture assemblages. By engaging with community members and farmer‐clients, seed dealers co‐produce the worlds and meanings of hybrid seeds and conventional agriculture. This paper explores these relations and considers their implications for imagining more environmentally sustainable futures.
Update on Racial Disparities in Access to Healthcare: An Application of Nonlinear Decomposition Techniques*
Authors: Oguz Tunay 
Published: November 2018

ObjectiveAccess to care disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics continue to persist; updating the literature is essential to finding solutions.MethodsUsed the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2009–2011, Area Health Resource File, and 2010 Census to update the literature using nonlinear decomposition techniques.ResultsFindings confirm previous studies: health insurance is essential in reducing racial disparities in healthcare. The impact of language has grown to 25 percent. Findings also suggest that acquiring public health insurance and gaining citizenship offset the access to care disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics, especially for women. Heterogeneity exists between Hispanic women and men, some of which comes from differences between their attitudes and beliefs regarding healthcare. However, these disparities cannot be explained with observed characteristics.ConclusionDisparities in access to care have changed and observed characteristics explain all disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics. Hispanic men suffer disproportionately from access to care disparities compared to Hispanic women.
A definitive method for distinguishing cultivated onion from its weedy mimic, Asphodelus fistulosus, at multiple developmental stages
Authors: Ughade B R , Khilare V C , Sangale D M , Korhale G A , Ingle P , Tathe A E , Patil R , Khedkar G D 
Published: November 2018

SummaryThe onion, Allium cepa, is an important vegetable crop around the world. Globally, India ranks second in onion production, but yields are often much lower than in many other onion producing countries. This study reports on one major contributing factor to low onion yields in India: the presence of a weedy mimic that is morphologically similar to onion until the onset of flowering. We used morphological and molecular methods to identify this mimic as Asphodelus fistulosus, an exotic weed not previously reported in India. Our study indicated that molecular markers derived from the rbcL and/or matK chloroplast genes in a DNA barcoding approach allow accurate identification of this weed using any tissue and even at early developmental stages. Our results also showed that visual examination of seed lots coupled with DNA barcoding analysis of samples of 5–10 individual seeds can be used to confirm identification. The ability to easily identify contaminating material before and during cultivation can allow farmers to minimise production losses and prevent further spreading of this weed.
A robust vector autoregressive model for forecasting economic growth in Malaysia
Authors: Khamis Azme , Abdul Razak Nur Azreen , Abdullah Mohd Asrul Affendi 
Published: November 2018

Economic indicator measures how solid or strong an economy of a country is. Basically, economic growth can be measured by using the economic indicators as they give an account of the quality or shortcoming of an economy. Vector Auto-regressive (VAR) method is commonly useful in forecasting the economic growth involving a bounteous of economic indicators. However, problems arise when its parameters are estimated using least square method which is very sensitive to the outliers existence. Thus, the aim of this study is to propose the best method in dealing with the outliers data so that the forecasting result is not biased. Data used in this study are the economic indicators monthly basis starting from January 1998 to January 2016. Two methods are considered, which are filtering technique via least median square (LMS), least trimmed square (LTS), least quartile difference (LQD) and imputation technique via mean and median. Using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) as the forecasting performance measure, this study concludes that Robust VAR with LQD filtering is a more appropriate model compare to others model.
A preliminary study of identification halal gelatin using Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor
Authors: Pradini Diwasasri , Juwono Hendro , Madurani Kartika Anoraga , Kurniawan Fredy 
Published: November 2018

Gelatin has been widely used as an additive in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industry. The similar physical appearance between bovine and porcine gelatin causes an issue for some communities like a Muslim due to awareness of halal food. A Muslim community consider porcine gelatin is non-halal material which must be avoided. So there is a demand to distinguish and labeling the origin source of the gelatin in any products. In turn, it lead to development of a method to identify the source of gelatin. In this study, performance of a modified Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor to identify halal gelatin has been investigated. A QCM sensor was modified by depositing polyaniline/nickel compound on the surface of gold electrode QCM carried out by Layer by Layer (LbL) deposition technique. Bovine and porcine gelatin were measured in demineralized water at pH 9. This modified QCM sensor shows good frequency response to distinguish bovine and porcine gelatin. The measurements gave a negative frequency shifts for bovine gelatin and a positive frequency shifts for porcine gelatin. The modified QCM sensor also worked well in the real sample. This indicates that a modified QCM sensor is very useful and effective technique to distinguish bovine gelatin (halal) from porcine gelatin (non-halal).