bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Redefining the Influence of Ethnicity on Simultaneous Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Outcomes
Authors: Young Carlton J. , MacLennan Paul A. , Mannon Elinor C. , Reed Rhiannon D. , Shelton Brittany A. , Hanaway Michael J. , Agarwal Gaurav , Gaston Robert S. , Julian Bruce A. , Kew Clifton E. , Kumar Vineeta , Mannon Roslyn B. , Mehta Shikha , Ong Song C. , Towns Graham C. , Deierhoi Mark H. , Locke Jayme E. 
Published: May 2018

Objective:
To examine the largest single-center experience of simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplantation (SPK) transplantation among African-Americans (AAs).

Background:
Current dogma suggests that AAs have worse survival following SPK than white recipients. We hypothesize that this national trend may not be ubiquitous.

Methods:
From August 30, 1999, through October 1, 2014, 188 SPK transplants were performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and 5523 were performed at other US centers. Using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression, we examined the influence of recipient ethnicity on survival.

Results:
AAs comprised 36.2% of the UAB cohort compared with only 19.1% nationally (P < 0.01); yet, overall, 3-year graft survival was statistically higher among UAB than US cohort (kidney: 91.5% vs 87.9%, P = 0.11; pancreas: 87.4% vs 81.3%; P = 0.04, respectively) and persisted on adjusted analyses [kidney adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.58, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.35–0.97, P = 0.04; pancreas aHR: 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.85, P = 0.01]. Among the UAB cohort, graft survival did not differ between AA and white recipients; in contrast, the US cohort experienced significantly lower graft survival rates among AA than white recipients (kidney 5 years: 76.5% vs 82.3%, P < 0.01; pancreas 5 years: 72.2% vs 76.3%, P = 0.01; respectively).

Conclusion:
Among a single-center cohort of SPK transplants overrepresented by AAs, we demonstrated similar outcomes among AA and white recipients and better outcomes than the US experience. These data suggest that current dogma may be incorrect. Identifying best practices for SPK transplantation is imperative to mitigate racial disparities in outcomes observed at the national level.
Social organization and biting performance inFukomysmole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia)
Authors: Van Daele P.A.A.G. , Desmet N. , Adriaens D. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractA caste system, based on work activity and reproduction, has been proposed in the two African mole-rat species which are generally considered eusocial,Heterocephalusglaber andFukomys damarensis. Social behaviour in otherFukomysspecies is key to understanding evolution of sociality within bathyergids, which display a social continuum among species from solitary to eusocial. Furthermore, insight in the social structure of colonies may be instrumental in understanding the observed, extensive intraspecific morphological variation and ultimately help species delimitation. For the first, time social organisation was studied in a colony of wild-caughtFukomys micklemi(Sekute cytotype) from Zambia. Data were collected on work behaviour and analysed against morphological variables and biting performance. Although there was considerable variation in the amount of work performed by each individual, clearly distinguishable castes were not found. Castes might represent an artificial subdivision, which does not necessarily reflect the dynamic changes within a colony. Variation in work may be the result of an ongoing process of continuous change, whereby a colony undergoes a certain evolution that is reflected in developmental patterns of individuals. Ecological factors will undoubtedly play an important role in colony evolution. Consequently, predictions made according to the Aridity Food Distribution Hypothesis should be tested, taking into account the possibility of a dynamic model as described here. The relation between biting performance and behavioural traits was investigated for the first time. Whereas differences in biting performance were strongly correlated with morphological parameters, relation between work and biting performance remains unclear.
Antibacterial effects of nanoimprinted moth-eye film in practical settings
Authors: Yamada Miho , Minoura Kiyoshi , Mizoguchi Takashi , Nakamatsu Kenichiro , Taguchi Tokio , Kameda Takuya , Sekiguchi Miho , Suzutani Tatsuo , Konno Shinichi 
Published: May 2018

AbstractRecent studies report that surfaces displaying micrometer-or nanometer-sized undulating structures exhibit antibacterial effects. In previous work, we described the use of an advanced nanofabrication technique to generate an artificial biomimetic moth-eye film by coating a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with nanoscale moth-eye protrusions made from a hydrophilic resin. This moth-eye film exhibited enhanced antibacterial effects in in vitro experiments. The aim of the present study was to verify the antibacterial efficacy of the Moth-eye film in practical environments. Three types of films (Moth-eye film, Flat film, and PET film) were used to compare antibacterial effects. Sample films were pasted onto hand-wash sinks at the testing locations. After several hours of elapsed time, bacteria from the surface of sample films were collected using one of three kinds of culture media stampers (to permit identification of bacterial species). The stampers were incubated for 48 hours at 35 °C, and the numbers of colonies were counted.The number of common bacteria including E. coli and S. aureus from the Moth-eye film was significantly lower than that from the PET film (p<0.05) and that from the Flat film at 1 hour (p<0.05). This study found that the Moth-eye film had durability of antibacterial effect and the Moth-eye structure (PET coated with nanoscale cone-shaped pillars) had a physical antibacterial effect from the earlier time points. Therefore, the Moth-eye film might be useful for general-purpose applications in practical environments.
Paired Immunoglobulin-like Type 2 Receptor Alpha G78R variant alters ligand binding and confers protection to Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rathore Nisha , Ramani Sree Ranjani , Pantua Homer , Payandeh Jian , Bhangale Tushar , Wuster Arthur , Kapoor Manav , Sun Yonglian , Kapadia Sharookh , Gonzalez Lino , Zarrin Ali A. , Goate Alison , Hansen David , Behrens Timothy W. , Graham Robert R. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPaired Immunoglobulin-like Type 2 Receptor Alpha (PILRA) is a cell surface inhibitory receptor that recognizes specificO-glycosylated proteins and is expressed on various innate immune cell types including microglia. We show here that a common missense variant (G78R, rs1859788) of PILRA is the likely causal allele for the confirmed Alzheimer’s disease risk locus at 7q21 (rs1476679). The G78R variant alters the interaction of residues essential for sialic acid engagement, resulting in >50% reduced binding for several PILRA ligands including a novel ligand, complement component 4A, and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B. PILRA is an entry receptor for HSV-1 via glycoprotein B, and macrophages derived from R78 homozygous donors showed significantly decreased levels of HSV-1 infection at several multiplicities of infection compared to homozygous G78 macrophages. We propose that PILRA G78R protects individuals from Alzheimer’s disease risk via reduced inhibitory signaling in microglia and reduced microglial infection during HSV-1 recurrence.
Spatio-temporal regulation of Dachsous proteins duringDrosophiladevelopment
Authors: Revilla-Yates Eva , Sierra Javier , Rodriguez Isabel 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTTranscriptional regulation is one of the main mechanisms involved in tissue morphogenesis to give rise to functional organs with characteristic shapes. TheDrosophila dachsous(ds) gene plays a key role in tissue development and tumorigenesis by controlling planar cell polarity (PCP), tissue growth, patterning and mitochondrial activity, among other processes. Disturbance ofdsexpression duringDrosophiladevelopment results in alterations of the function and morphology of a wide range of embryonic and larval tissues. Similarly, in humans, mutations in theDCHS1gene cause severe congenital malformations due to a global impairment affecting the normal formation of many tissues and organs. However, the transcriptional mechanism governing the expression ofdsgene remains poorly understood. Here, we perform transcriptional analysis ofdsexpression and identify novel embryonic Ds proteins not expressed in larvae. The comparative analysis of Ds proteins and the exon expression pattern in/of two regulatory alleles such asdsD36andds38Kfurther suggests the existence of specific transcriptionaldsvariants at different stages. Furthermore, a search for regulatory elements that control the spatial and temporal pattern ofdsrevealed the presence of cis-regulatory elements located in the intronic regions, which regulate the expression of these Ds proteins. Finally, using theDrosophilawing as model to perform a functional analysis, we show that wing growth and PCP are differentially regulated by Ds proteins expressed in different regions of wing disc. The present findings reveal that the complex regulation of thedsgene ensures the expression of specific Ds protein isoforms at different developmental stages in order to activate the cell-specific molecular programs required for tissue morphogenesis.
Sunbeam: an extensible pipeline for analyzing metagenomic sequencing experiments
Authors: Clarke Erik L. , Taylor Louis J. , Zhao Chunyu , Connell Andrew , Lee Jung-Jin , Fett Bryton , Bushman Frederic D. , Bittinger Kyle 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundAnalysis of mixed microbial communities using metagenomic sequencing experiments requires multiple preprocessing and analytical steps to interpret the microbial and genetic composition of samples. Analytical steps include quality control, adapter trimming, host decontamination, metagenomic classification, read assembly, and alignment to reference genomes.ResultsWe present a modular and user-extensible pipeline called Sunbeam that performs these steps in a consistent and reproducible fashion. It can be installed in a single step, does not require administrative access to the host computer system, and can work with most cluster computing frameworks. We also introduce Komplexity, a software tool to eliminate potentially problematic, low-complexity nucleotide sequences from metagenomic data. Unique components of the Sunbeam pipeline include direct analysis of data from NCBI SRA and an easy-to-use extension framework that enables users to add custom processing or analysis steps directly to the workflow. The pipeline and its extension framework are well documented, in routine use, and regularly updated.ConclusionsSunbeam provides a foundation to build more in-depth analyses and to enable comparisons in metagenomic sequencing experiments by removing problematic low complexity reads and standardizing post-processing and analytical steps. Sunbeam is written in Python using the Snakemake workflow management software and is freely available at github.com/sunbeam-labs/sunbeam under the GPLv3.
Remember the Alamo: implementing a campus-wide anti-bullying policy
Authors: Hollis Leah 
Published: May 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this article is to describe how to implement anti-bullying policies in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper informs organizations on the personnel needed for successful implementation.

Findings
Executive leadership is needed for policy development, policy introduction, and continued implementation.

Research limitations/implications
The paper informs organizations on the personnel needed for successful implementation.

Practical implications
It demonstrates the importance of campus-wide leadership to educate the campus.

Social implications
The study highlights how to achieve policy acceptance and how to coach campus community to trust the policy.

Originality/value
The paper informs about the importance of campus-wide support and extensive leadership presence in implementing a controversial campus policy.
Phenological development of natural populations of European field pansy (Viola arvensis) in a semi‐arid Mediterranean environment
Authors: Damalas Christos A. , Koutroubas Spyridon D. , Fotiadis Sideris 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe phenological stages, dry matter allocation and relative growth rate (RGR) of natural populations of European field pansy (Viola arvensis) were studied under field conditions for 3 years. The species exhibited an annual life cycle of 78–100 calendar days, depending on the growing season. The life cycle was initiated in early spring and ended by early summer, with an average accumulation of 1100 growing degree days. The initiation of emergence occurred in early spring at a range of maximum air temperatures between 15 and 20°C, coupled with a range of minimum air temperatures between 5 and 10°C. With increasing temperatures in mid‐spring, there was a rapid transition to the reproductive stage. Time to flowering was shortened considerably in the warm growing season. After flowering, the species appeared to allocate a relatively large proportion of biomass to the reproductive parts than dry matter allocation to the vegetative parts during juvenile stages. The maximum value of RGR was observed in the vegetative stage, whereas RGR values decreased sharply with plant age. Overall, the species showed a short life cycle and a reproductive strategy that directs resources to reproductive rather than vegetative output, thus increasing the likelihood of persistence in systematically disturbed environments that are characterized by limited growth time as a result of major events in the field, such as mechanical cultivation or herbicide application.
SLC40A1 and CP single nucleotide polymorphisms in porphyria cutanea tarda patients of mixed ancestry
Authors: Succi Isabella Brasil , Pôrto Luís Cristóvão , Silva Dayse , Nascimento Adriana , Neto Ronald Costa , Fonseca João Carlos 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPorphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a multifactorial disease; clinical expression depends on both genetic and acquired factors. Few studies have examined the connection between PCT and the regulation of iron metabolism genes other than the HFE gene. We selected five polymorphisms in the CYBRD1, CP, SLC40A1, and HAMP genes to determine whether these polymorphisms can act as genetic modulators in patients with sporadic PCT. None of the 29 patients carried the C282Y mutation.Genomic DNA from 29 PCT patients was isolated. Alleles were discriminated using the ABI StepOnePlus Real‐Time PCR System using TaqMan Assays. The results were compared with 107 healthy individuals matched for genetic ancestry, gender, and age.European ancestry was prevalent among PCT patients (68.3%). The frequency of the TT genotype of rs13015236 in the SLC40A1 gene was higher in PCT patients (44.8%) than in controls (20.6%) (P < 0.02). The C allele was more frequent among healthy individuals (53.3%) compared with patients (34.5%) (P < 0.01). The rs17838832 G allele of the CP gene was more common among PCT patients (14.3%) compared with controls (4.9%) (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference concerning the three remaining polymorphisms.Our data highlight a possible role for the rs17838832 single nucleotide polymorphisms in CP in causing PCT (higher frequency of the G variant in patients). Regarding the rs13015236 single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC40A1, the presence of a C allele could protect against PCT.
Clinical Outcome and Comparison of Three Different Left Ventricular Assist Devices in a High‐Risk Cohort
Authors: Zhigalov Konstantin , Mashhour Ahmed , Szczechowicz Marcin , Mkalaluh Sabreen , Karagezian Sergei , Gogia Irakli , Isaev Maxim , Kadyraliev Bakitbek K. , Easo Jerry , Ennker Juergen , Eichstaedt Harald C. , Weymann Alexander 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe present a comparison between three left ventricular assist devices (LVADs): HeartWare (HVAD) (HeartWare International Inc., Framingham, MA, USA), HeartMate II (HMII) and HeartMate III (HMIII) (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA, USA). To our knowledge, no study to date has aimed at placing these three devices in juxtaposition. Between June 2007 and June 2017, 108 consecutive patients received HMII, n = 77 (71.3%), HVAD, n = 14 (13%), or HM III, n = 17 (15.7%), for end‐stage heart failure. Mean age was 63.8 ± 11.2 years (range 24–84 years), with median INTERMACS profile of 3. Preoperatively, 26 patients (24.1%) were ventilated, 17 patients (15.7%) had an intraaortic balloon pump, and 27 patients (25%) were on extracorporeal life support. Overall survival at 30 days was 70.4%, at 1 year 51.9%, and at 5 years 38% with no significant difference in survival between HMII, HVAD, and HMIII. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 113 min (range 50–371 min). Two patients received a minimally‐invasive procedure. Most common adverse events were revision for bleeding (42.6%), tracheotomy (33.3%), acute kidney failure with new‐onset dialysis (25%), sepsis (17.6%), and gastrointestinal bleeding (10.2%). The average duration of follow‐up was 1.52 ± 2.11 years (range 0–7.95 years). The median number of readmissions was 2 (range 0–23), the median length of hospital stay as readmission was 17 days (range 0–158 days). Strong predictors of overall mortality (P < 0.05) were postoperative sepsis (OR = 5.729, 95%CI = 3.001–10.937), intraoperative/postoperative need for right ventricular mechanical support (OR = 5.232, 95%CI = 3.008–9.102), preoperative extracorporeal life support (OR = 2.980, 95%CI = 1.615–5.500), readmission because of suboptimal INR value (OR = 2.748, 95%CI = 1.045–7.226), need of inotropes over 7 days postoperatively (OR = 2.556, 95%CI = 1.432–4.562), new onset of temporary hemodialysis postoperatively (OR = 1.986, 95%CI = 1.084–3.635), and female gender (OR = 1.955, 95%CI = 1.062–3.598). No significant difference in mortality between HMII, HVAD, and HMIII was observed. The following predictors of overall mortality were identified (P < 0.05): postoperative sepsis, need for perioperative mechanical support, readmission because of suboptimal INR value, new onset of temporary hemodialysis postoperatively and female gender.
Long‐term Schneiderian membrane thickness changes following zygomatic implant placement: A retrospective radiographic analysis using cone beam computed tomography
Authors: Zhao Kai , Lian Meifei , Fan Shengchi , Huang Wei , Wang Feng , Wu Yiqun 
Published: May 2018

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the long‐term changes in the thickness of Schneiderian membranes after zygomatic implant placement using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).Material and methodsTwenty‐five consecutive patients were included in this study. All the patients underwent bilateral zygomatic implant placement. Schneiderian membrane thickness (SMT) in 49 maxillary sinuses (one sinus was not included because of early loss of the zygomatic implants) was measured using CBCT before and at least 1 year after zygomatic implant placement. Ostium patency of each sinus was also evaluated and recorded.ResultsIn total, 84 zygomatic implants and 30 regular implants were placed in included patients. Two unilateral maxillary zygomatic implants in one patient were removed 2 months after implant placement. The SMT increased from 1.03 mm (inter‐quartile range: 1.57 mm) to 1.33 mm (inter‐quartile range: 1.98 mm) after a median follow‐up time of 23.00 months (inter‐quartile range: 14 months), and the difference was statistically significant. Before zygomatic implant insertion, 24.5% (12/49) of sinuses had SMT greater than 2 mm, whereas this value was 28.6% (14/49) after zygomatic implant placement. The percentage of sinuses observed with ostium patency also increased from 2.0% (1/49) to 12.2% (6/49).ConclusionsChronic Schneiderian membrane thickening could result from zygomatic implant insertion. Intensive postoperative care and clinical and radiographic monitoring are recommended after zygomatic implant placement.
Progress and challenges in consolidating the management of Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories
Authors: Gullison Raymond E. , Hardner Jared 
Published: May 2018

AbstractEffective management refers to the ability of a protected area or indigenous territory to meet its objectives, particularly as they relate to the protection of biodiversity and forest cover. Effective management is achieved through a process of consolidation, which among other things requires legally protecting sites, integrating sites into land‐use planning, developing and implementing management and resource‐use plans, and securing long‐term funding to pay for recurrent costs. Effectively managing all protected areas and indigenous territories in the Amazon may be needed to avoid a deforestation tipping point beyond which regional climatic feedbacks and global climate change interact to catalyze irreversible drying and savannization of large areas. At present, protected areas and indigenous territories cover 45.5% (3.55 million km2) of the Amazon, most of the 60–70% forest cover required to maintain hydrologic and climatic function. Three independent evaluations of a long‐term large‐scale philanthropic initiative in the Amazon yielded insights into the challenges and advances toward achieving effective management of protected areas and indigenous territories. Over the life of the initiative, management of sites has improved considerably, particularly with respect to management planning and capacity building, but few sites are effectively managed and many lack sufficient long‐term financing, adequate governance, support of nongovernmental organizations, and the means to withstand economic pressures. The time and money required to complete consolidation is still poorly understood, but it is clear that philanthropic funding is critical so long as essential funding needs are not met by governments and other sources, which could be on the order of decades. Despite challenges, it is encouraging that legal protection has expanded greatly and management of sites is improving steadily. Management of protected areas in other developing countries could be informed by improvements that have occurred in Amazonian countries.