bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Heart rate variability in atrial fibrillation: The balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
Authors: Khan Ahsan A. , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Shantsila Alena 
Published: September 2019

AbstractBackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest abnormal heart rhythm with significant related morbidity and mortality. Several pathophysiologic mechanisms have been advocated to explain the onset of AF. There has been increasing evidence that abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that includes sympathetic, parasympathetic and intrinsic neural network are involved in the pathogenesis of AF. This review will consider the anatomical and pathophysiological concepts of the cardiac neuronal network and discuss how it can be investigated.DesignRelevant articles for this review were selected primarily from Ovid Medline and Embase databases (see appendix). We searched for key terms “atrial fibrillation,” “AF,” “autonomic dysfunction,” “autonomic nervous system,” “heart rate variability” and “HRV” to gather relevant studies. Duplicate papers were excluded.ResultsHeart is richly innervated by autonomic nerves. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic systems interact in developing AF along with cardiac ganglionated plexi (GP). Thus autonomic dysfunction is present in AF. There are methods including selective ablation that reduce autonomic innervation and show to reduce the incidence of spontaneous or induced atrial arrhythmias. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful tool to assess sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on disease states. HRV can be improved following intervention and is thus a useful application in assessing autonomic dysfunction in patients with AF.ConclusionANS plays a crucial role in the development, propagation and complexity of AF. Assessment of the autonomic involvement in the propagation of AF may help in explaining why certain patients with AF do not benefit from cardioversion or ablation.
Consumption, asset wealth, equity premium, term spread, and flight to quality
Authors: Costantini Mauro , Sousa Ricardo M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe link transitory deviations of consumption from its equilibrium relationship with aggregate wealth and labor income to equity returns on the one hand, and to two characteristics of bond investors—the premium demanded to hold long‐term assets, and “flight to quality” behavior—on the other hand. Using a panel of 10 euro area countries over the period 1984Q1–2017Q4, we show that a rise in the consumption–wealth ratio predicts both higher equity returns and the future term spread, while a fall in the consumption–wealth ratio explains a large fraction of the rise in the spread between the “risky” and the “safe‐haven” bond.
Survey on Thoroughbred use, health and owner satisfaction following retirement from racing
Authors: Reed S. K. , Vander Ley B. B. , Bell R. P. , Wilson D. A. , Wilborn E. , Keegan K. G. 
Published: September 2019

SummaryThousands of Thoroughbred horses retire from racing each year and go on to second careers unrelated to racing. Although there are many publications regarding health concerns for Thoroughbreds while racing, evidence‐based information regarding what happens after retirement from racing is scarce. Veterinarians are relegated to use anecdotal information to guide owners and potential owners. The study objective was to collect and evaluate extensive information regarding the use and perceived health of Thoroughbreds retired from racing, as well as owner satisfaction. A 31‐question survey on use, health and behaviour was made available to owners of Thoroughbred horses who had retired from racing. A similar survey was available to owners of non‐Thoroughbred horses for a control population. Racing data were obtained from a publicly available database for Thoroughbreds. Statistical analysis was performed to compare incidence of health and behaviour issues between Thoroughbreds and controls and between different racing experiences for Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds retired from racing were more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal injuries, gastrointestinal, behavioural and foot/hoof issues than controls. Age at first start, age at last start, number of starts and breaks of 6 months or more during racing career did not affect incidence of musculoskeletal disease, behavioural issues, hoof/foot issues, respiratory disease and neurologic disease. Horses with >51 lifetime starts were more likely to experience gastrointestinal disease in the first year after retirement from racing. Thoroughbreds were as likely as controls to have eventual resolution of issues present at acquisition. Veterinarians can use this information to guide pre‐purchase evaluations, provide ongoing care and counsel owners/prospective owners on the possible needs of Thoroughbred horses retired from racing. Knowing the common issues faced by the population will increase the success of transition from racing by creating informed veterinarians and owner expectations.
Platelet‐rich plasma improves the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells by enhancing their secretion of angiogenic factors in a combined radiation and wound injury model
Authors: Myung Hyunwook , Jang Hyosun , Myung Jae Kyung , Lee Changsun , Lee Janet , Kang JiHoon , Jang Won‐Suk , Lee Sun‐Joo , Kim Hyewon , Kim Hwi‐Yool , Park Sunhoo , Shim Sehwan 
Published: September 2019

AbstractDelayed wound healing after radiation exposure can cause serious cutaneous damage, and its treatment is a major clinical challenge. Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic agent in regenerative medicine, they alone do not produce satisfactory effects in a combined radiation and wound injury (CRWI) model. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effect of combined umbilical cord blood‐derived (UCB)‐MSCs and platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) treatment on wound healing in a CRWI mouse model. First, we assessed the release of cytokines from UCB‐MSCs cultured with PRP and observed changes in the expression of angiogenic factors. The angiogenic paracrine factors from UCB‐MSCs cultured with PRP were assessed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). To assess therapeutic efficacy, UCB‐MSCs and PRP were topically implanted into a CRWT mouse model. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a pro‐angiogenic growth factor, urokinase‐type plasminogen activator and contributor to VEGF‐induced signalling were more highly expressed in conditioned media of UCB‐MSCs cultured with PRP than in that of UCB‐MSCs alone. Furthermore, conditioned media of UCB‐MSCs cultured with PRP increased the formation of tube‐like structures in HUVECs. Co‐treatment of UCB‐MSCs and PRP in a CRWI mouse model increased the wound closure rate and angiogenesis compared with an untreated irradiated group. Moreover, increased expression of VEGF and CD31 were observed in the wound tissue of co‐treated mice compared with untreated irradiated mice. PRP stimulates the release of angiogenic factors from UCB‐MSCs, and combined therapy of UCB‐MSCs and PRP improves regeneration efficacy by enhancing angiogenesis in a CRWI model.
The Italian Version of SCORE‐15: Validation and Potential Use
Authors: Paolini Daniele , Schepisi Luigi 
Published: September 2019

SCORE‐15 (Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation) is a 15‐item questionnaire for completion by family members aged 12 years and older to assess outcomes in systemic therapy. This study aimed to investigate (a) the psychometric properties and the internal consistency reliability of the Italian version of SCORE‐15, (b) clinical responsiveness, and (c) normative (Italian) criteria. Furthermore, (d) the study sought to evaluate the participants’ representation of both their family and their problems, analyzing open‐ended questions included in the SCORE‐15. Data were collected from two clinical centers for 208 families (n = 507). Results confirmed the three‐factor structure (i.e., strengths, difficulties, and communication), a good internal consistency reliability, and indicated a cutoff threshold for the Italian version. Furthermore, results showed that SCORE‐15 is a good instrument for clinical responsiveness and that it can be used to explore the way in which family members describe their families and problems. Overall, SCORE‐15 is a brief, psychometrically robust family assessment instrument that may be used for both researchers and practitioners in several domains of clinical and social psychology.
Modelling lake cyanobacterial blooms: Disentangling the climate‐driven impacts of changing mixed depth and water temperature
Authors: Gray Emma , Elliott James A. , Mackay Eleanor B. , Folkard Andrew M. , Keenan Patrick O. , Jones Ian D. 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Climate change is already having profound impacts upon the state and dynamics of lake ecosystems globally. A specific concern is that climate change will continue to promote the growth of phytoplankton, particularly blooms of toxic cyanobacteria, via lake physical processes including warming surface waters and shallowing of the mixed layer. These two mechanisms will have different impacts on lake phytoplankton communities, but their inter‐connectedness has made it difficult to disentangle their independent effects.

We fill this knowledge gap by performing 1666 numerical modelling experiments with the phytoplankton community model, PROTECH, in which we separated the independent effects on lake phytoplankton of temperature change and changes in the depth of the surface mixed layer. Given the large global abundance of small lakes (<1 km2) and the importance of their ecosystems in global processes and budgets, we used a small meso‐eutrophic lake as an example study site for the modelling experiments.

Increasing the lake temperature and positioning the mixed layer at a shallower depth had different ecological impacts, with warming typically resulting in more biomass and a dominance of cyanobacteria.

The response to mixed depth shallowing depended on the original depth where mixing occurred. As anticipated, where the original mixed depth was moderate (4–6 m) and there was a simultaneous increase in water temperature, cyanobacterial biomass increased. However, when the same absolute difference in shallowing and temperature increase were applied to a deeper mixed depth (9–13 m), lower cyanobacterial biomass resulted, owing to poorer conditions for low‐light tolerant cyanobacteria.

Our study shows that the response of cyanobacterial blooms to climate‐induced warming and shallowing of mixed layers in lakes around the world will not be universal, but rather will be system‐specific, depending upon the average mixed layer depth of the lake in question and the light affinity of the dominant cyanobacteria species.
Fire affects the taxonomic and functional composition of soil microbial communities, with cascading effects on grassland ecosystem functioning
Authors: Yang Sihang , Zheng Qiaoshu , Yang Yunfeng , Yuan Mengting , Ma Xingyu , Chiariello Nona R. , Docherty Kathryn M. , Field Christopher B. , Gutknecht Jessica L. M. , Hungate Bruce A. , Niboyet Audrey , Le Roux Xavier , Zhou Jizhong 
Published: September 2019

AbstractFire is a crucial event regulating the structure and functioning of many ecosystems. Yet few studies have focused on how fire affects taxonomic and functional diversities of soil microbial communities, along with changes in plant communities and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Here, we analyze these effects in a grassland ecosystem 9 months after an experimental fire at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment site in California, USA. Fire altered soil microbial communities considerably, with community assembly process analysis showing that environmental selection pressure was higher in burned sites. However, a small subset of highly connected taxa was able to withstand the disturbance. In addition, fire decreased the relative abundances of most functional genes associated with C degradation and N cycling, implicating a slowdown of microbial processes linked to soil C and N dynamics. In contrast, fire stimulated above‐ and belowground plant growth, likely enhancing plant–microbe competition for soil inorganic N, which was reduced by a factor of about 2. To synthesize those findings, we performed structural equation modeling, which showed that plants but not microbial communities were responsible for significantly higher soil respiration rates in burned sites. Together, our results demonstrate that fire ‘reboots’ the grassland ecosystem by differentially regulating plant and soil microbial communities, leading to significant changes in soil C and N dynamics.
Real‐time monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions with tall chambers reveals diurnal N2O variation and increased emissions of CO2and N2O fromMiscanthusfollowing compost addition
Authors: Keane J. Ben , Morrison Ross , McNamara Niall P. , Ineson Phil 
Published: September 2019

AbstractMiscanthus x giganteus's efficacy as an energy crop relies on maintaining low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As demand forMiscanthusis expected to rise to meet bioenergy targets, fertilizers and composts may be employed to increase yields, but will also increase GHG emissions. Manipulation experiments are vital to investigate the consequences of any fertilizer additions, but there is currently no way to measure whole‐plant GHG fluxes from crops taller than 2.5 m, such asMiscanthus, at the experimental plot scale. We employed a unique combination of eddy covariance (EC), soil chambers and an entirely new automated chamber system, SkyBeam, to measure high frequency (ca. hourly) fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from aMiscanthuscrop amended with green compost. Untreated controls were also monitored in a fully replicated experimental design. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2was partitioned into soil respiration (Rs), gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration, and the crop was harvested to determine the effect of compost on crop productivity. Compost increased NEE emissions by 100% (p < .05), which was the result of a 20% increase ofRs(p < .06) and a 32% reduction in GPP (p < .05) and biomass of 37% (p < .06). Methane fluxes were small and unaffected by compost addition. N2O emissions increased 34% under compost during an emission event; otherwise, fluxes were low and often negative, even under dry conditions. Diurnal variation in N2O fluxes, with uptake during the day and emission at night was observed. These fluxes displayed a negative relationship with soil temperature and a hitherto undescribed diurnal temperature hysteresis. We conclude that compost addition negatively affected the productivity and environmental effects ofMiscanthuscultivation during the first year following application.
Mass–length allometry covaries with ecosystem productivity at a global scale
Authors: Ruiz‐Lupión Dolores , Gómez José María , Moya‐Laraño Jordi 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAimIt is still debated whether allometry, the relationship between body size and body parts, entails merely an evolutionary constraint or can itself evolve. Recently, a hypothesis has been proposed that states that static allometry (allometry measured across individuals at the same developmental stage) can evolve from differences in the developmental pathways between pairs of traits under different nutritional environments. A macroecological prediction stemming from this hypothesis is that allometric coefficients (scaling and allometric factors) should covary with ecosystem productivity. Here, we tested this prediction using a worldwide database of mass–length allometric equations.LocationWorldwide, data distributed across the entire globe.Time period1967–2017.Major taxa studiedSoil arthropods.MethodsWe fitted general linear models with the allometric coefficients (the scalingaand allometricbfactors) as the dependent variables. The target independent variable was the normalized difference vegetation index, as a proxy of ecosystem productivity. Longitude, absolute latitude and altitude, as well as mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation were included as both covariates and additional variables of interest. We also included body bauplan (obtained from geometric morphometrics), taxonomic affiliation (a proxy of phylogenetic relationships) and the reciprocal allometric coefficient as covariates in the model.ResultsWe found a strong negative association between both allometric factors and the productivity of the ecosystems, and the effect for the allometric factorbwas stronger at lower trophic levels. We also detected strikingly similar effects of geographic and climatic predictors on both allometric factors, suggesting the occurrence of similar selective regimes.Main conclusionsThe fact that productivity, geography and climate affect the value of mass–length allometric coefficients has important consequences not only to understand the evolution of allometries, but also for how energy is processed in soil ecosystems across the globe.
Identification of ZBTB24 protein domains and motifs for heterochromatin localization and transcriptional activation
Authors: Aktar Sharmin , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Unoki Motoko 
Published: September 2019

AbstractImmunodeficiency, centromeric instability, facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in either DNMT3B, ZBTB24, CDCA7, HELLS or an unknown gene(s). Among the known causative genes, ZBTB24 encodes a member of the BTB‐zinc finger (ZF) transcription factor family. The protein possesses a BTB domain, an AT‐hook and eight C2H2 ZF motifs. All ZBTB24 mutations reported in ICF patients are predicted to disrupt at least one ZF motif. Here, we show that both AT‐hook and distinct ZF motifs, particularly the 6th motif, of human and mouse ZBTB24 proteins are important for their heterochromatin localization. On the other hand, the 6th and 7th ZF motifs, and not the AT‐hook or the BTB domain, of the human and mouse proteins are essential for transcriptional activation of CDCA7, another ICF causative gene and a known target of ZBTB24. By deletion analysis of the human CDCA7 promoter, we show that two motifs for ZBTB24 binding are important for transcriptional activation of this gene. These results reveal the evolutionarily conserved domains and motifs important for the biological function of ZBTB24, which provides a basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ICF syndrome.
Predictive value of soluble suppression of tumourigenicity 2 on myocardial reperfusion
Authors: Bai Shiru , Liu Huiliang , Wu Haibo , Wang Xuechao , Li Ruyi , Li Xiangming , Li Xinning , Zhang Lina , Chen Tianlei , Du Rongpin 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundHigh baseline level of soluble suppression of tumourigenicity 2 (sST2) was an independent predictor of cardiovascular death and heart failure in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).AimsTo investigate the value of serum sST2 baseline levels in predicting myocardial reperfusion in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).MethodsConsecutive STEMI patients who underwent PPCI within 12 h after the onset of chest pain were enrolled, and were divided into Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grading (TMPG) 0/1/2 group and TMPG 3 group based on post‐procedural TMPG. Baseline clinical characteristics, lesions and procedural characteristics were compared. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate linear logistic analysis were performed to identify independent predictors of impaired myocardial reperfusion (TMPG 0/1/2). Receiver‐operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis of sST2 was performed to identify the optimum cut‐off value for predicting the myocardial reperfusion.ResultsA total of 121 patients was enrolled in this study. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that Killip II–III, high levels of sST2 and brain natriuretic peptide were risk factors of TMPG 0/1/2. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that sST2 was an independent predictor of impaired myocardial reperfusion (odds ratio 12.318, 95% confidence interval 4.567–33.220,P< 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve of sST2 was 0.849, and the best cut‐off value was 2.003 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 89.2% and a specificity of 67.9%.ConclusionThe elevated levels of sST2 on admission were associated with impaired myocardial reperfusion in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI.
A critique of 'countryside biogeography' as a guide to research in human‐dominated landscapes
Authors: Driscoll Don A. , Balouch Sara , Burns Thomas J. , Garvey Tim F. , Wevill Tricia , Yokochi Kaori , Doherty Tim S. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractProliferation of redundant terms in ecology and conservation slows progress and creates confusion. ‘Countryside biogeography’ has been promoted as a new framework for conservation in production landscapes, so may offer a replacement for other concepts used by landscape ecologists. We conducted a systematic review to assess whether the 'countryside biogeography' concept provides a distinctive framing for conservation in human‐dominated landscapes relative to existing concepts. We reviewed 147 papers referring to countryside biogeography and 81 papers that did not. These papers were divided into categories representing three levels of use of countryside biogeography concepts (strong, weak, cited only) and two categories that did not use countryside biogeography at all but used similar concepts including fragmentation and matrix. We revealed few distinctions among groups of papers. Countryside biogeography papers made more frequent use of the terms 'ecosystem services', 'intensification' and 'land sparing' compared with non‐countryside biogeography papers. Papers that did not refer to countryside biogeography sampled production areas (e.g. farms) less often, and this related to their focus on habitat specialist species for which patch‐matrix assumptions were reasonable. Countryside biogeography offers a conceptual wrapper rather than a distinctive framework for advancing research in human‐modified landscapes. This and similar wrappers such as ‘conservation biogeography’ and ‘agricultural biogeography’ risk creating confusion among new researchers, and can prevent clear communication about research. To improve communication, we recommend using the suite of well‐established terms already applied to conservation in human‐modified landscapes rather than through an interceding conceptual wrapper.