bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The clinical significance of premature atrial contractions: How frequent should they become predictive of new‐onset atrial fibrillation
Authors: Durmaz Eser , Ikitimur Baris , Kilickiran Avci Burcak , Atıcı Adem , Yurtseven Ece , Tokdil Hasan , Ebren Cansu , Polat Fuat , Karaca Orhan , Karadag Bilgehan , Ongen Zeki 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundAlthough previous studies reported frequent premature atrial contractions(fPACs) increased the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, especially atrial fibrillation(AF), there is a substantial inconsistency between reports concerning the definition of fPAC. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between fPAC and cardiovascular outcomes, especially AF. We further searched for a cutoff value of fPAC for prediction of AF.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the ambulatory 24‐hr Holter monitoring records and 392 patients included. Frequent PAC was defined as more than 720 PAC/24 hr as used for frequent ventricular premature beats. Patients’ baseline characteristics, echocardiographic variables and medical history were recorded.ResultsThere were 189 patients with fPAC and 203 patients without fPAC. Patients with fPAC had more comorbidities in terms of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. CHA2DS2‐VaSc was higher in patients with fPAC. Mean follow‐up duration was 31 months, and the number of patients with new‐onset AF during follow‐up was significantly higher in fPAC group (22% vs. 5%, p < .001). fPAC was significantly and independently associated with new‐onset AF and predicted AF with a cutoff value of 3,459 PAC/24 hr, and the risk of AF was 11‐fold higher than those with <3,000 PAC/24 hr. In addition, an increased CHA2DS2‐VaSc score was also associated with new‐onset atrial fibrillation.ConclusionIn our study, we have demonstrated that fPAC is significantly associated with new‐onset AF, and this association is the strongest among those patients who have more than 3,000 PAC in 24 hr.
Isolated single umbilical artery and the risk of adverse perinatal outcome and third stage of labor complications: A population‐based study
Authors: Ebbing Cathrine , Kessler Jörg , Moster Dag , Rasmussen Svein 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIntroductionIsolated single umbilical artery (iSUA) refers to single umbilical artery cords with no other fetal malformations. The association of iSUA to adverse outcome of pregnancy has not been consistently reported, and whether iSUA carries increased risk of third stage of labor complications has not been studied. We aimed to investigate the risk of adverse perinatal outcome, third stage of labor complications, and associated placental and cord characteristics in pregnancies with iSUA. A further aim was to assess the risk of recurrence of iSUA and anomalous cord or placenta characteristics in Norway.Material and methodsThis was a population‐based study of all singleton pregnancies with gestational age >16 weeks at birth using data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway from 1999 to 2014 (n = 918 933). Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for adverse perinatal outcome (preterm birth, perinatal and intrauterine death, low Apgar score, transferral to neonatal intensive care ward, placental and cord characteristics [placental weight, cord length and knots, anomalous cord insertion, placental abruption and previa]), and third stage of labor complications (postpartum hemorrhage and the need for manual placental removal or curettage) in pregnancies with iSUA, and recurrence of iSUA using generalized estimating equations and logistic regression.ResultsPregnancies with iSUA carried increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome (OR 5.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.26‐6.02) and perinatal and intrauterine death (OR 5.62, 95% CI 4.69‐6.73), and a 73% and 55% increased risk of preterm birth and small‐for‐gestational‐age neonate, respectively. The presence of iSUA also carried increased risk of a small placenta, placenta previa and abruption, anomalous cord insertion, long cord, cord knot and third stage of labor complications. Women with iSUA, long cord or anomalous cord insertion in one pregnancy carried increased risk of iSUA in the subsequent pregnancy.ConclusionsThe presence of ISUA was associated with a more than five times increased risk of intrauterine and perinatal death and with placental and cord complications. The high associated risk of adverse outcome justifies follow up with assessment of fetal wellbeing in the third trimester, intrapartum surveillance and preparedness for third stage of labor complications.
Association between body positioning and gastroesophageal reflux in paediatric age
Authors: Quitadamo Paolo , Tambucci Renato , Alessandrella Annalisa , Andreozzi Marialuisa , Malamisura Monica , Isoldi Sara , Caldaro Tamara , Zenzeri Letizia , Verrotti Alberto , De Angelis Paola , Siani Paolo , Staiano Annamaria 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAimPostural measures are frequently recommended for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms, despite limited evidence. This was the first study to assess the impact of upright and recumbent body positions on GER episodes in children and adolescents, not just infants.MethodsWe retrospectively assessed the pH‐impedance parameters of paediatric patients referred for possible GER‐related symptoms to two hospitals in Naples and Rome, Italy, from September 2016 to September 2018. Data were separately obtained for the time that the patients spent in upright and recumbent positions.ResultsData from 187 patients under the age of 18 were collected, at a mean age of just over seven years. We found that the acid exposure time was stable irrespective of changes in body position (P > .05). The mean number of reflux episodes per hour was 2.99 during the upright position and 1.21 during the recumbent position (P < .05), and the mean oesophageal acid clearance time was 44.4 and 93.4 seconds, respectively (P < .05).ConclusionMost paediatric patients experienced reflux in the upright rather than recumbent position, probably as a result of frequent transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations while they were awake. In particular, our findings provide new insights into postural measures for reflux in children and adolescents.
Genetic parameters for litter traits at different parities in purebred Landrace and Yorkshire pigs
Authors: Lopez Bryan I. M. , Seo Kangseok 
Published: October 2019

AbstractComparison of the multi‐trait animal model and the traditional repeatability model was carried out using data obtained from 6,424 Landrace and 20,835 Yorkshire sows farrowed from January 2000 to April 2018 in order to estimate genetic parameters for litter traits at different parities. Specifically, records of the total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), total number of mortality (MORT), number of stillborn (NSB) and number of mummified pigs (MUM) were used. Although results showed the heterogeneity of heritability for litter traits at different parities, the mean heritability estimates from the multi‐trait model were found to be higher than those of the repeatability model for all traits in both pig breeds. In terms of genetic correlation between parities, a slight difference in genetic control in the first parity was noted for TNB and NBA in Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. The correlation between the first parity and later parities ranged from 0.48 to 0.74 for TNB and NBA in both breeds. Moreover, genetic correlation between parities for MORT and NSB was observed to be high for parities higher than 2 in Yorkshire pigs. For MUM, genetic correlation between the first and other parities was generally low in both breeds, indicating that culling pigs on the basis of MUM at the first parity could probably be unreasonable. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the multi‐trait approach for litter size traits is useful for the accurate estimation of genetic parameters.
Deciphering molecular heterogeneity of Indian families with hereditary spherocytosis using targeted next‐generation sequencing: First South Asian study
Authors: Aggarwal Anu , Jamwal Manu , Sharma Prashant , Sachdeva Man Updesh Singh , Bansal Deepak , Malhotra Pankaj , Das Reena 
Published: October 2019

SummaryDefects in various erythrocyte membrane proteins genes (ankyrin, band‐3, β‐ and α‐spectrin and protein 4·2) can cause hereditary spherocytosis (HS). This molecular heterogeneity of HS, together with co‐inherited genetic modifiers, results in marked phenotypic variability among patients. We studied the molecular spectrum and genotype‐phenotype correlations in 73 families (with 113 patients) with HS. Deleterious variants including nonsense (42%), deletions (18%), splice site (20%), missense (10%) and duplication/insertion (10%) were found in 47 patients. The variants detected included sporadic and dominantly‐inherited defects in ANK1 (53·2%), SPTB (36·2%) and SLC4A1 (4·2%). Compound heterozygous variants in SPTA1 (6·4%) showed autosomal recessive inheritance. Alpha‐spectrin variants were associated with severe anaemia and splenectomy alleviated symptoms. Co‐inherited glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was found in 15%. G6PD variants (n = 5) led to greater transfusion requirements (1‐8 times) in males with HS. Homozygosity (41%) for the promoter variant of UGT1A1 (Gilbert syndrome) led to a significantly higher mean bilirubin level (126·54 µmol/l) with a higher frequency of cholelithiasis (30%) (P < 0·001). This first‐ever south Asian study on the molecular spectrum of HS found ANK1 and SPTB genes variants to be the commonest with inheritance being sporadic/dominant. Next‐generation sequencing provided a relatively sensitive and rapid tool for molecular diagnosis with a diagnostic yield of 64·4%.
Twitter and academic Urology in the United States and Canada: a comprehensive assessment of the Twitterverse in 2019
Authors: Chandrasekar Thenappan , Goldberg Hanan , Klaassen Zachary , Wallis Christopher J.D. , Leong Joon Yau , Liem Spencer , Teplitsky Seth , Noorani Rodrigo , Loeb Stacy 
Published: October 2019

ObjectiveTo provide the first comprehensive analysis of the Twitterverse amongst academic urologists and programmes in North America.MethodsUsing national accreditation and individual programme websites, all active urology residency programmes (USA and Canada) and academic Urology faculty at these programmes were identified. Demographic data for each programme American Urological Association [AUA] section, resident class size) and physician (title, fellowship training, Scopus Hirsch index [H‐index] and citations) were documented. Twitter metrics (Twitter handle, date joined, # tweets, # followers, # following, likes) for programmes and physicians were catalogued (data capture: March–April 2019). Descriptive analyses and temporal trends in Twitter utilisation amongst programmes and physicians were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of Twitter use.ResultsIn all, 156 academic programmes (143 USA, 13 Canada) and 2214 academic faculty (2015 USA, 199 Canada) were identified. Twitter utilisation is currently 49.3% and 34.1% amongst programmes and physicians, respectively, and continues to increase. On multivariable analysis, programmes with 3–5 residents/year and programmes with a higher percentage of faculty Twitter engagement were more likely to have Twitter accounts. From a physician perspective, those with fellowship training, lower academic rank (Clinical Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor vs Professor) and higher H‐indices were more likely to have individual Twitter accounts.ConclusionThere is a steady increase in Twitter engagement amongst Urology programmes and academic physicians. Faculty Twitter utilisation is an important driver of programme Twitter engagement. Twitter social media activity is strongly associated with academic productivity, and may in fact drive academic metrics. Within Urology, social media presence appears to be proportional to academic activity.
Bird extirpations and community dynamics in an Andean cloud forest over 100 years of land‐use change
Authors: Palacio Ruben D. , Kattan Gustavo H. , Pimm Stuart L. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractLong‐term studies to understand biodiversity changes remain scarce—especially so for tropical mountains. We examined changes from 1911 to 2016 in the bird community of the cloud forest of San Antonio, a mountain ridge in the Colombian Andes. We evaluated the effects of past land‐use change and assessed species vulnerability to climate disruption. Forest cover decreased from 95% to 50% by 1959, and 33 forest species were extirpated. From 1959 to 1990, forest cover remained stable, and an additional 15 species were lost—a total of 29% of the forest bird community. Thereafter, forest cover increased by 26% and 17 species recolonized the area. The main cause of extirpations was the loss of connections to adjacent forests. Of the 31 (19%) extirpated birds, 25 have ranges peripheral to San Antonio, mostly in the lowlands. Most still occurred regionally, but broken forest connections limited their recolonization. Other causes of extirpation were hunting, wildlife trade, and water diversion. Bird community changes included a shift from predominantly common species to rare species; forest generalists replaced forest specialists that require old growth, and functional groups, such as large‐body frugivores and nectarivores, declined disproportionally. All water‐dependent birds were extirpated. Of the remaining 122 forest species, 19 are vulnerable to climate disruption, 10 have declined in abundance, and 4 are threatened. Our results show unequivocal species losses and changes in community structure and abundance at the local scale. We found species were extirpated after habitat loss and fragmentation, but forest recovery stopped extirpations and helped species repopulate. Land‐use changes increased species vulnerability to climate change, and we suggest reversing landscape transformation may restore biodiversity and improve resistance to future threats.
The Faulty Magnitude Detector: Why SNARC‐Like Tasks Cannot Support a Generalized Magnitude System
Authors: Casasanto Daniel , Pitt Benjamin 
Published: October 2019

AbstractDo people represent space, time, number, and other conceptual domains using a generalized magnitude system (GMS)? To answer this question, numerous studies have used the spatial‐numerical association of response codes (SNARC) task and its variants. Yet, for a combination of reasons, SNARC‐like effects cannot provide evidence for a GMS, even in principle. Rather, these effects support a broader theory of how people use space metaphorically to scaffold their understanding of myriad non‐spatial domains, whether or not these domains exhibit variation in magnitude.
Generating Relations Elicits a Relational Mindset in Children
Authors: Simms Nina K. , Richland Lindsey E. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractRelational reasoning is a hallmark of human higher cognition and creativity, yet it is notoriously difficult to encourage in abstract tasks, even in adults. Generally, young children initially focus more on objects, but with age become more focused on relations. While prerequisite knowledge and cognitive resource maturation partially explains this pattern, here we propose a new facet important for children's relational reasoning development: a general orientation to relational information, or a relational mindset. We demonstrate that a relational mindset can be elicited, even in 4‐year‐old children, yielding greater than expected spontaneous attention to relations. Children either generated or listened to an experimenter state the relationships between objects in a set of formal analogy problems, and then in a second task, selected object or relational matches according to their preference. Children tended to make object mappings, but those who generated relations on the first task selected relational matches more often on the second task, signaling that relational attention is malleable even in young children.
Children's implicit attitude acquisition: Evaluative statements succeed, repeated pairings fail
Authors: Charlesworth Tessa E. S. , Kurdi Benedek , Banaji Mahzarin R. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractFrom the earliest ages tested, children and adults show similar overall magnitudes of implicit attitudes toward various social groups. However, such consistency in attitude magnitude may obscure meaningful age‐related change in the ways that children (vs. adults) acquire implicit attitudes. This experiment investigated children's implicit attitude acquisition by comparing the separate and joint effects of two learning interventions, previously shown to form implicit attitudes in adults. Children (N = 280, ages 7–11 years) were taught about novel social groups through either evaluative statements (ES; auditorily presented verbal statements such as ‘Longfaces are bad, Squarefaces are good’), repeated evaluative pairings (REP; visual pairings of Longface/Squareface group members with valenced images such as a puppy or snake), or a combination of ES+REP. Results showed that children acquired implicit attitudes following ES and ES+REP, with REP providing no additional learning beyond ES alone. Moreover, children did not acquire implicit attitudes in four variations of REP, each designed to facilitate learning by systematically increasing verbal scaffolding to specify (a) the learning goal, (b) the valence of the unconditioned stimuli, and (c) the group categories of the conditioned stimuli. These findings underscore the early‐emerging role of verbal statements in children's implicit attitude acquisition, as well as a possible age‐related limit in children's acquisition of novel implicit attitudes from repeated pairings.
Building a policy space via mainstreaming ICT in European education: The European Digital Education Area (re)visited
Authors: Salajan Florin D. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis article examines the ideational construction and definition of the European Digital Education Area (EDEA) as a policy space and mechanism for the mainstreaming of digital technologies in Europe's education and training systems. It revisits the foundational pillars on which it is premised, proposed in a previous iteration of the concept: formal legislation, mainstreaming of digital education actions and interlinked networks of practice. Employing a mixed methods approach, involving discourse analysis of key policy documents enacted over the past two decades, an online survey of ICT project coordinators under the Lifelong Learning Programme, and interviews with policy officers at the European Commission, the study reinforces the structure and utility of the EDEA for ICT diffusion in education. It argues for its formal acknowledgment as a political priority and key policy area enforceable through instruments similar to those existing under the Bologna Process for a coherent, concerted and strategic approach to digital education at EU level.
DNA hypermethylation is associated with invasive phenotype of malignant melanoma
Authors: Koroknai Viktória , Szász István , Hernandez‐Vargas Hector , Fernandez‐Jimenez Nora , Cuenin Cyrille , Herceg Zdenko , Vízkeleti Laura , Ádány Róza , Ecsedi Szilvia , Balázs Margit 
Published: October 2019

AbstractTumor cell invasion is one of the key processes during cancer progression, leading to life‐threatening metastatic lesions in melanoma. As methylation of cancer‐related genes plays a fundamental role during tumorigenesis and may lead to cellular plasticity which promotes invasion, our aim was to identify novel epigenetic markers on selected invasive melanoma cells. Using Illumina BeadChip assays and Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 microarrays, we explored the DNA methylation landscape of selected invasive melanoma cells and examined the impact of DNA methylation on gene expression patterns. Our data revealed predominantly hypermethylated genes in the invasive cells affecting the neural crest differentiation pathway and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Integrative analysis of the methylation and gene expression profiles resulted in a cohort of hypermethylated genes (IL12RB2, LYPD6B, CHL1, SLC9A3, BAALC, FAM213A, SORCS1, GPR158, FBN1 and ADORA2B) with decreased expression. On the other hand, hypermethylation in the gene body of the EGFR and RBP4 genes was positively correlated with overexpression of the genes. We identified several methylation changes that can have role during melanoma progression, including hypermethylation of the promoter regions of the ARHGAP22 and NAV2 genes that are commonly altered in locally invasive primary melanomas as well as during metastasis. Interestingly, the down‐regulation of the methylcytosine dioxygenase TET2 gene, which regulates DNA methylation, was associated with hypermethylated promoter region of the gene. This can probably lead to the observed global hypermethylation pattern of invasive cells and might be one of the key changes during the development of malignant melanoma cells.
Expression and ultrastructural localization of plasmin(ogen) in the terminally differentiated layers of normal human epidermis
Authors: Voegeli R. , Rawlings A.V. , Haftek M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractObjectivePlasmin, a relatively unspecific trypsin‐like serine protease, is involved in many physiological and pathological conditions, particularly in dermatoses with barrier impairment. It is secreted as the inactive zymogen plasminogen and is activated to plasmin by plasminogen activators, such as urokinase. There still exists a paucity of data on the precise localization of epidermal plasmin(ogen) within the epidermis and the stratum corneum. The aim of the present study was to get information about its origin and ultrastructural localization within normal human epidermis.MethodWe performed immunoelectron transmission electron microscopy immunogold labelling in normal abdominal human skin.ResultPlasmin was only observed in the terminally differentiated cell layers of the epidermis and was largely associated with the corneocyte envelopes and to some extent with the intercellular lipid matrix in the stratum corneum.ConclusionOur results indicate that in normal human skin, plasmin(ogen) is synthesized by differentiated epidermal keratinocytes of the stratum granulosum and is not serum‐born.
Preparation of B4C composites toughened by MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC interlocking structure via reactive hot pressing
Authors: Wang Shuai , Li Lamei , Xing Pengfei , Yan Shu , Wu Qi , Gao Shuaibo , Nie Dan 
Published: October 2019

AbstractB4C composites toughened by MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC interlocking structure were prepared via reactive hot pressing with B4C and MoSi2 as raw materials. The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the fabricated B4C composites were studied. The crack propagation and fracture surface were observed, and the toughening mechanism was analyzed. The results indicate that the interlocking structure of MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC is formed in the obtained B4C composites. The relative density, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of the B4C composites reach 99.3%, 480 MPa, and 5.2 MPa·m1/2, respectively, when the MoSi2 content is 30 wt%. The hardness is 33 GPa when the MoSi2 content is 20 wt%. The special laminar fracture of the interlocking structure of MoB2/Mo2B5‐SiC elongates the crack extending path and thus consumes more energy of crack extension. The phenomena of crack bridging and branching and the special laminar fracture of the interlocking structure have a synergistic effect on promoting the overall fracture toughness.