bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Statin Use is Associated with Decreased Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence in Liver Transplant Patients
Authors: Cho Yongin , Kim Myoung Soo , Nam Chung Mo , Kang Eun Seok 
Published: February 2019

AbstractStatins have been reported to prevent the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined whether statin therapy is associated with decreased HCC recurrence in patients who underwent liver transplantation for HCC. Three hundred forty-seven patients ≥ 20 years old who underwent liver transplantation for HCC from 2006 to 2016 were enrolled in this study. Statin therapy was defined as the administration of statins for more than 30 days after liver transplantation. One hundred twelve (32.3%) patients treated with statins over 30 days were defined as the statin group, and the remaining 235 (67.7%) were defined as the non-statin group. Several risk factors reported to be associated with HCC recurrence, such as proportion of underlying liver disease, above Milan criteria, differentiation of HCC, vascular invasion, and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level were not different between the two groups. Time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed that statin treatment was associated with significantly lower recurrence risk of HCC after adjusting for other risk factors (hazard ratio = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.11–0.89).
Elevated serum levels of bone sialoprotein (BSP) predict long-term mortality in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Loosen Sven H. , Hoening Pia , Puethe Niklas , Luedde Mark , Spehlmann Martina , Ulmer Tom F. , Cardenas David V. , Roy Sanchari , Tacke Frank , Trautwein Christian , Neumann Ulf P. , Luedde Tom , Roderburg Christoph 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPatients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) still face a very limited prognosis. At early stage, surgical tumor resection might offer long-term survival but disease recurrence is common and the existing stratification algorithms are often unsuitable to identify patients who particularly benefit from surgery. Here, we investigated the potential role of bone sialoprotein (BSP) as a circulating marker in patients undergoing resection of PDAC. We used ELISA to determine serum concentrations of BSP in a cohort of 132 PDAC patients as well as 39 healthy controls. Circulating BSP levels were significantly higher in PDAC patients compared to healthy controls. Notably, elevated preoperative BSP levels above the ideal cut-off value of 4743 pg/ml turned out as a significant predictor for an impaired postoperative survival. The potential of preoperative BSP levels as a prognostic marker was further underlined by uni- and multivariate Cox-regression analyses including various tumour- and patient-specific. Finally, high tumoral BSP expression was also associated with a significantly impaired long-term survival. In conclusion, we identified a novel role of circulating BSP as a biomarker in PDAC patients undergoing tumor resection. Such data might help to establish new preoperative stratification strategies to better identify patients who particularly benefit from tumor resection.
Traditional risk factors for essential hypertension: analysis of their specific combinations in the EPIC-Potsdam cohort
Authors: Andriolo Violetta , Dietrich Stefan , Knüppel Sven , Bernigau Wolfgang , Boeing Heiner 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAppropriate interventions might improve the prevention of essential hypertension. This requires a comprehensive view of modifiable lifestyle factors (MLFs) distribution and effect. To determine how six MLFs (general adiposity, abdominal adiposity, alcohol consumption, smoking, diet, physical inactivity) for risk of hypertension are distributed and how their combinations affect the risk, a prospective study cohort of 11,923 healthy participants from the population-based European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)–Potsdam Study was used. Of these, 1,635 developed hypertension during a mean follow-up of 10.3 years. Mutually exclusive combinations, clustering and interactions of MLFs were then investigated stratifying by sex, Hazard Ratios (HRs) and Population Attributable Risks (PARs%) were calculated. General adiposity alone was sufficient to increase the risk of hypertension (HR = 1.86, PAR% 3.36), and in this cohort it played a major role in enhancing the risk of hypertension, together with smoking and physical inactivity. MLFs had a different impact and a different modulation of risk in women and men, and they showed a remarkable tendency to occur in specific patterns with higher prevalence than expected. This indication can help to promote a holistic approach through multifactorial preventive strategies addressing more than a factor at a time. For prevention of hypertension addressing adiposity together with smoking, promoting at the same time physical activity should be the first choice.
Categories of Auditory Performance and Speech Intelligibility Ratings in Prelingually Deaf Children With Bilateral Implantation
Authors: Albalawi Yasser , Nidami Mohamad , Almohawas Fida , Hagr Abdulrahman , Garadat Soha N. 
Published: February 2019

Purpose
The aim of the current study was to review all pediatric cases with congenital deafness who underwent bilateral implantation in our center. Specifically, auditory performance and speech intelligibility ratings were compared across children based on their mode of bilateral stimulation (simultaneous or sequential implantation).

Method

A retrospective chart review design was used in this study. A total of 46 congenitally deaf children were included. Children ranged in age between 2 and 8 years, with a mean of 3 years 7 months. Participants were divided into 2 groups: those who received their bilateral implant simultaneously and those who received them sequentially. Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP;
Archbold, Lutman, & Marshall, 1995
) scores and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR;
M. C. Allen, Nikolopoulos, & O'Donoghue, 1998
) scores were used to measure their performance.

Results
Children scored an average of 4.1 (±1.6) on the CAP Scale and 1.6 (±1) on the SIR Scale. Results showed that children who received their implants simultaneously scored relatively higher on the CAP Scale than those with sequential implants. However, there were no differences between the 2 groups in SIR scores. These 2 outcome measures were not correlated with age at implantation.

Conclusion
The current study demonstrated that simultaneous implantation could potentially improve audiologic outcome.
Sentence Context Facilitation for Children's and Adults' Recognition of Native- and Nonnative-Accented Speech
Authors: Bent Tessa , Holt Rachael Frush , Miller Katherine , Libersky Emma 
Published: February 2019

Purpose
Supportive semantic and syntactic information can increase children's and adults' word recognition accuracy in adverse listening conditions. However, there are inconsistent findings regarding how a talker's accent or dialect modulates these context effects. Here, we compare children's and adults' abilities to capitalize on sentence context to overcome misleading acoustic–phonetic cues in nonnative-accented speech.

Method

Monolingual American English–speaking 5- to 7-year-old children (
n
= 90) and 18- to 35-year-old adults (
n
= 30) were presented with full sentences or the excised final word from each of the sentences and repeated what they heard. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions: native-accented (Midland American English) or nonnative-accented (Spanish- and Japanese-accented English) speech. Participants also completed the NIH Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Test.

Results
Children and adults benefited from sentence context for both native- and nonnative-accent talkers, but the benefit was greater for nonnative than native talkers. Furthermore, adults showed a greater context benefit than children for nonnative talkers, but the 2 age groups showed a similar benefit for native talkers. Children's age and vocabulary scores both correlated with context benefit.

Conclusions
The cognitive–linguistic development that occurs between the early school-age years and adulthood may increase listeners' abilities to capitalize on top-down cues for lexical identification with nonnative-accented speech. These results have implications for the perception of speech with source degradation, including speech sound disorders, hearing loss, or signal processing that does not faithfully represent the original signal.
Pflegeforschung mit Kindern
Authors: Knecht Christiane 
Published: February 2019

ZusammenfassungDieser Schwerpunktbeitrag gibt für Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerinnen
sowie für weitere Angehörige in Gesundheitsprofessionen einen ersten Einblick,
mit welchen unterschiedlichen Zielgruppen die Pflegeforschung mit Kindern
konfrontiert ist, welchen Herausforderungen sie sich stellen muss und welche
Konsequenzen daraus für die Erhebung der Daten in qualitativen Interviews
resultieren. Er zeigt am Ende die forschungspraktische Anwendung am Beispiel
einer Studie zu gesunden Geschwistern von Kindern mit chronischer Krankheit.
Wenn Kinder Schmerzen haben
Authors: Zang Stefanie 
Published: February 2019

ZusammenfassungSchmerzen bei Kindern können die unterschiedlichsten Ursachen haben. Ihnen auf
den Grund zu gehen ist oft schwierig, aber immens wichtig, denn die Folgen von
unbehandelten Schmerzen können die gesamte kindliche Entwicklung bedrohen. Zwei
Expertenstandards dienen als Grundlage für ein professionelles
Schmerzmanagement.
Role of Platelet Size Revisited—Function and Protein Composition of Large and Small Platelets
Authors: Handtke Stefan , Steil Leif , Palankar Raghavendra , Conrad Jane , Cauhan Simran , Kraus Luise , Ferrara Myriam , Dhople Vishnu , Wesche Jan , Völker Uwe , Greinacher Andreas , Thiele Thomas 
Published: February 2019

AbstractEpidemiological studies found an association between increased platelet size and the risk for thrombotic complications, but functional differences of large and small platelets remain poorly understood due to a lack of standardized protocols separating platelets with different size. We designed a protocol to separate large and small platelets from 15 mL whole blood. Separated large and small platelet fractions differed in mean platelet volume: 12.1 fl (10.3–13.8 fl) versus 7.7 fl (6.8–9.5 fl, p < 0.01), and forward scatter mean fluorescence intensity: 24.75 (19.9–30.9) versus 16.85 (11.3–20.6; p < 0.01). Similar fold differences were observed in cell diameter and plateletcrit. Large platelets express 30 to 50% more glycoprotein (GP) Ia, GPIb, GPIIIa, GPVI and P2Y12 on their membranes compared with small ones. Single large platelets covered a 50% larger area on a collagen surface. Adhesion to collagen was faster in large platelets compared with small ones indicating enhanced outside-in signal transduction in large platelets via collagen receptors. In contrast, integrin activation was more pronounced in small platelets after ADP stimulation. Proteome analysis revealed that 80 of the 894 proteins quantified differed in abundance: ADP-ribosylation factor 1/3, guanosine triphosphate-binding protein SAR1a, Voltage-dependent anion-selective channel protein 3 and guanylate cyclase soluble sub-unit α-3 were higher abundant in large, whereas immunoglobulins, haptoglobin, hemopexin, α-1-antitrypsin, serotransferrin and vitronectin were more abundant in small platelets. We conclude that some functions and the protein composition of large and small platelets differ, which cannot only be explained by the size difference. Our data suggest different functional roles of large and small platelets.
Social meaning in the perception of neutral tone variation inPutonghua
Authors: Zhao Hui 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study investigates the perception of the variation of neutral tone, a phonetic feature in China’s official language,Putonghua. Specifically, I explore whether native listeners perceive social meanings such as standardness, regional-ness, status and/or solidarity presumably associated with the low-use, standard use, and high-use of neutral tone, and how gender influences the perception of these meanings. Based on the results of a matched-guise test, I argue that the high use of neutral tone, through its link with Beijing dialect, is possibly competing with the standard, though the latter maintains a higher level of positive meanings. I also note that the low use of neutral tone – associated with Southern China and non-Mandarin varieties – carries more negative meanings. The overall gender differences show that gender prejudice towards women still exists in China. This study enriches our understanding of sociolinguistics in China and calls for more research on language variation in China.
Modeling cell proliferation in human acute myeloid leukemia xenografts
Authors: Nobile Marco S , Vlachou Thalia , Spolaor Simone , Bossi Daniela , Cazzaniga Paolo , Lanfrancone Luisa , Mauri Giancarlo , Pelicci Pier Giuseppe , Besozzi Daniela 
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Motivation
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common hematological malignancies, characterized by high relapse and mortality rates. The inherent intra-tumor heterogeneity in AML is thought to play an important role in disease recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. Although experimental protocols for cell proliferation studies are well established and widespread, they are not easily applicable to in vivo contexts, and the analysis of related time-series data is often complex to achieve. To overcome these limitations, model-driven approaches can be exploited to investigate different aspects of cell population dynamics.

Results
In this work, we present ProCell, a novel modeling and simulation framework to investigate cell proliferation dynamics that, differently from other approaches, takes into account the inherent stochasticity of cell division events. We apply ProCell to compare different models of cell proliferation in AML, notably leveraging experimental data derived from human xenografts in mice. ProCell is coupled with Fuzzy Self-Tuning Particle Swarm Optimization, a swarm-intelligence settings-free algorithm used to automatically infer the models parameterizations. Our results provide new insights on the intricate organization of AML cells with highly heterogeneous proliferative potential, highlighting the important role played by quiescent cells and proliferating cells characterized by different rates of division in the progression and evolution of the disease, thus hinting at the necessity to further characterize tumor cell subpopulations.

Availability and implementation
The source code of ProCell and the experimental data used in this work are available under the GPL 2.0 license on GITHUB at the following URL: https://github.com/aresio/ProCell.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The impact of morphological characteristics on late outcomes in patients born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome†
Authors: Newland David P , Poh Chin L , Zannino Diana , Elias Patrick , Brizard Christian P , Finucane Kirsten , Winlaw David S , d’Udekem Yves 
Published: February 2019

AbstractOBJECTIVESPatients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome are at high risk of late adverse events after Fontan completion, but it is unclear whether their morphological characteristics influence these outcomes.METHODSRetrospective review of the data from the Australian and New Zealand Fontan Registry identified 185 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who survived to hospital discharge after Fontan completion. Their outcomes were reviewed to identify predictors of adverse events with a particular focus on the impact of morphological characteristics. All available echocardiographic parameters were collected, and the hypoplasia of the left ventricle was subjectively considered to be mild, moderate or severe.RESULTSThe mean follow-up after the Fontan procedure was 6.4 ± 4.7 years. The median age at Fontan procedure was 4.41 years, 95% (176/185) of patients underwent an extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure and 71% (132/185) of those were fenestrated. At 15 years after Fontan, freedom from death and cardiac transplantation was 90% [95% confidence interval (CI) 85–97], freedom from Fontan failure was 78% (95% CI 70–87) and freedom from adverse events was 32% (95% CI 22–46). Morphological parameters did not influence transplant-free survival or Fontan failure. Independent risk factors predicting higher incidence of adverse events included aortic atresia (P = 0.003).CONCLUSIONSThe long-term survival of Fontan survivors with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is excellent and appears comparable to that of the general Fontan population. However, intrinsic morphological characteristics may continue to burden patients with late morbidity.
Are futures prices good price forecasts? Underestimation of price reversion in the soybean complex
Authors: Huang Joshua , Serra Teresa , Garcia Philip 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUsing quantile regression, we evaluate the forecasting performance of futures prices in the soybean complex. The procedure provides a more complete picture of the distribution of forecasts than mainstream methods that only focus on central tendency measures. Forecast performance differs by location in the futures price distribution. Futures forecast perform well in the centre of the distribution. However, futures prices tend to over-forecast when futures prices are high and under-forecast when futures prices are low, suggesting that futures prices tend to under-estimate price reversion towards the centre of the distribution. Forecast errors are larger when futures prices are high. The findings are related to theories in the literature used to explain pricing bias, and their implications for market participants are discussed.
A Mixed-Mode and Incentive Experiment Using Administrative Data
Authors: Bucks Brian , Couper Mick P , Fulford Scott L 
Published: February 2019

Abstract
This research note compares sequential and concurrent web-mail mixed-mode approaches and incentives for a survey on US consumers’ use of financial products, especially when their finances are tight. The sample (n = 2,000) was drawn from credit bureau data. We examine the effects on response rates, survey costs, and possible nonresponse bias in an experiment varying two factors in a 2x2 design: (1) using concurrent or sequential web and then mail survey modes, and (2) different incentive amounts given to initial survey nonrespondents ($5 versus $10). The sequential (web-first) design had a significantly lower response rate (3.9 percent) at week five—before the paper questionnaire was mailed—than the concurrent group (11.0 percent). This difference was nearly fully eliminated by the end of the field period. The higher incentive brought in slightly more respondents in the concurrent arm and slightly fewer respondents in the sequential arm, but neither difference is statistically significant. Compared with the sample frame, respondents in both groups were generally older and had many of the characteristics that come from being older: higher credit scores, more open credit cards, lower credit card utilization, greater likelihood of having a mortgage, and lower likelihood of being delinquent on credit card payments. Given the lower initial response rate and the need for more follow-up mailing, the sequential mixed-mode approach resulted in a higher cost per complete survey.
Demystifying Biclonal Gammopathy: A Pathologist’s Perspective
Authors: Sharma Sudha , Gupta Parikshaa , Aggarwal Ritu , Malhotra Pankaj , Minz Ranjana Walker , Bansal Frainey 
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Background
The production of 2 monoclonal proteins characterizes biclonal gammopathic manifestations (BGMs). The available medical literature from India is chiefly restricted to case reports.

Objective
To study the incidence of BGMs in a tertiary care center in Chandigarh, India, during a 4-year period. We evaluated these cases further for their laboratory characteristics.

Methods
We scrutinized the contents of a database containing information from the studied 4-year period. Cases reported as BGMs on serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and confirmed by serum immunofixation electrophoresis (SIFE) were included.

Results
A total of 15 cases, from a cohort of 914 cases of monoclonal gammopathic manifestations (MGMs), were available. On SPEP, 2 M bands were observed in 12 cases. On SIFE, 4 cases were reported as being of true BGMs. The most common heavy-chain combination observed was immunoglobulin (Ig)A-IgG. Follow-up was available in 2 patients.

Conclusion
Identification of BGMs increases diagnostic precision, despite that the treatment is similar to that for monoclonal gammopathic manifestations (MGMs). BGMs can be transitory and may be observed at presentation or during the disease course.
Serum Free Light Chain Assay in Monoclonal Gammopathic Manifestations
Authors: Lee Won S , Singh Gurmukh 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundSerum free light chain assay is used in the diagnosis and monitoring of monoclonal gammopathic manifestations. For the kappa (κ)/lambda (λ) ratio, there is a 36% false-positive rate in patients without monoclonal gammopathic manifestations and a 30% false-negative rate in patients with monoclonal gammopathic manifestations. This study was undertaken to address the higher false-negative rate in λ chain–associated monoclonal lesions.MethodsResults of serum protein electrophoresis, serum immunofixation electrophoresis, and serum free light chain assays were reviewed retrospectively. The results for serum free light chains in cases of intact immunoglobulin monoclonal gammopathic manifestations only were analyzed.ResultsConcentrations of involved serum free light chains were significantly higher in κ chain–associated lesions than in λ chain–associated lesions. The concentration of uninvolved light chains was significantly higher in λ chain–associated lesions.Conclusionsκ light chains are present in significantly greater abundance than are λ chains in their respective monoclonal lesions. Moreover, κ and λ light-chain levels are not comparable for similar quantitative levels of monoclonal immunoglobulins. The findings warrant a reconsideration of the role of serum free light chain concentrations and involved to uninvolved serum free light chain ratio in designation of myeloma-defining conditions and other diagnostic criteria based on serum free light chain assay.
How Transparency Affects Survey Responses
Authors: Connors Elizabeth C , Krupnikov Yanna , Ryan John Barry 
Published: February 2019

Abstract
Following a shift toward greater transparency, many academic journals across a variety of disciplines now require authors to post their data. At the same time, many university Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have followed recent US federal guidelines and now require researchers to be more transparent with survey participants regarding what will happen to the collected data. In this paper, we take the first steps toward considering the interaction between these two survey research developments. Using a nationally representative panel, we show that informing survey participants that their de-identified data will be publicly shared by a researcher can affect how these participants answer certain questions. In some cases, public posting notifications can increase data quality (e.g., knowledge measures), but in other cases informing participants of the data’s future use can exacerbate social desirability issues (e.g., turnout). Our results suggest conditional costs and benefits to the intersection between two critical ethical norms underlying survey research: data-sharing and informed consent.