bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterization, conservation and loss of dignity at the end‐of‐ life in the emergency department. A qualitative protocol
Authors: Fernández‐Sola Cayetano , Granero‐Molina José , Díaz‐Cortés María del Mar , Jiménez‐López Francisca Rosa , Roman‐López Pablo , Saez‐Molina Encarnación , Aranda‐Torres Cayetano José , Muñoz‐Terrón José María , García‐Caro María Paz , Hernández‐Padilla José Manuel 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAimsTo explore and understand the experiences of terminally ill patients and their relatives regarding dignity during end‐of‐life care in the emergency department.BackgroundThe respect given to the concept of dignity is significantly modifying the clinical relationship and the care framework involving the end‐of‐life patient in palliative care units, critical care units, hospices and their own homes. This situation is applicable to in‐hospital emergency departments, where there is a lack of research which takes the experiences of end‐of‐life patients and their relatives into account.DesignA phenomenological qualitative study.MethodsThe protocol was approved in December 2016 and will be carried out from December 2016–December 2020. The Gadamer's philosophical underpinnings will be used in the design and development of the study. The data collection will include participant observation techniques in the emergency department, in‐depth interviews with terminally ill patients and focus groups with their relatives. For the data analysis, the field notes and verbatim transcriptions will be read and codified using ATLAS.ti software to search for emerging themes.DiscussionEmerging themes that contribute to comprehending the phenomenon of dignity in end‐of‐life care in the emergency department are expected to be found. This study's results could have important implications in the implementation of new interventions in emergency departments. These interventions would be focused on improving: the social acceptance of death, environmental conditions, promotion of autonomy and accompaniment and assumption (takeover) of dignified actions and attitudes (respect for human rights).
SIRT1/FoxO3 axis alteration leads to aberrant immune responses in bronchial epithelial cells
Authors: Di Vincenzo Serena , Heijink Irene H. , Noordhoek Jacobien A. , Cipollina Chiara , Siena Liboria , Bruno Andreina , Ferraro Maria , Postma Dirkje S. , Gjomarkaj Mark , Pace Elisabetta 
Published: February 2018

AbstractInflammation and ageing are intertwined in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The histone deacetylase SIRT1 and the related activation of FoxO3 protect from ageing and regulate inflammation. The role of SIRT1/FoxO3 in COPD is largely unknown. This study evaluated whether cigarette smoke, by modulating the SIRT1/FoxO3 axis, affects airway epithelial pro‐inflammatory responses. Human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) and primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) from COPD patients and controls were treated with/without cigarette smoke extract (CSE), Sirtinol or FoxO3 siRNA. SIRT1, FoxO3 and NF‐κB nuclear accumulation, SIRT1 deacetylase activity, IL‐8 and CCL20 expression/release and the release of 12 cytokines, neutrophil and lymphocyte chemotaxis were assessed. In PBECs, the constitutive FoxO3 expression was lower in patients with COPD than in controls. Furthermore, CSE reduced FoxO3 expression only in PBECs from controls. In 16HBE, CSE decreased SIRT1 activity and nuclear expression, enhanced NF‐κB binding to the IL‐8 gene promoter thus increasing IL‐8 expression, decreased CCL20 expression, increased the neutrophil chemotaxis and decreased lymphocyte chemotaxis. Similarly, SIRT1 inhibition reduced FoxO3 expression and increased nuclear NF‐κB. FoxO3 siRNA treatment increased IL‐8 and decreased CCL20 expression in 16HBE. In conclusion, CSE impairs the function of SIRT1/FoxO3 axis in bronchial epithelium, dysregulating NF‐κB activity and inducing pro‐inflammatory responses.
Determination of peripheral neuropathy in high‐fat diet fed low‐dose streptozotocin‐treated female C57Bl/6J mice and Sprague–Dawley rats
Authors: Coppey Lawrence J , Shevalye Hanna , Obrosov Alexander , Davidson Eric P , Yorek Mark A 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAims/IntroductionPeripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes and also occurs in 30% of human obese individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Even though peripheral neuropathy affects both sexes, most pre‐clinical studies have been carried out using male rodents. The aim of the present study was to create diet‐induced obesity and type 2 diabetes in female rats and mice in order to examine the development of peripheral neuropathy.Materials and MethodsAt 12 weeks‐of‐age, rats and mice were separated into three groups. Two groups or rats and mice were fed a 60‐kcal% high‐fat diet for 12 weeks (rats) or 8 weeks (mice). To induce type 2 diabetes, one group of high‐fat diet‐fed rats and mice were treated with a low dose of streptozotocin. Analyses of multiple neural end‐points were carried out 12 weeks later.ResultsGlucose utilization was impaired in diet‐induced obese female rats and mice, as was a number of neurological end‐points including nerve conduction velocity, intraepidermal and subepithelial corneal nerve fiber densities, and thermal and mechanical sensitivity. When female diet‐induced obese rats or mice were made hyperglycemic, glucose utilization and sensory nerve density of the skin and cornea, as well as thermal and mechanical sensitivity, were more significantly impaired compared with diet‐induced obese female rodents.ConclusionsThese studies show that diet‐induced obese and type 2 diabetic female rodents develop peripheral neuropathy that is similar to that occurring in male rodents. However, for female rats, more aggressive treatment is required to induce dietary obesity.
Effectiveness of the polysaccharide hemostatic powder in non‐variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Using propensity score matching
Authors: Park Jun Chul , Kim Yeong Jin , Kim Eun Hye , Lee Jinae , Yang Hyun Su , Kim Eun Hwa , Hahn Kyu Yeon , Shin Sung Kwan , Lee Sang Kil , Lee Yong Chan 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground and AimRecently, the application of hemostatic powder to the bleeding site has been used to treat active upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the polysaccharide hemostatic powder (PHP) in patients with non‐variceal UGIB.MethodsWe reviewed prospectively collected 40 patients with UGIB treated with PHP therapy between April 2016 and January 2017 (PHP group) and 303 patients with UGIB treated with conventional therapy between April 2012 and October 2014 (conventional therapy group). We compared the rate of successful hemostasis and the rebleeding between the two groups after as well as before propensity score matching using the Glasgow–Blatchford score and Forrest classification.ResultsThirty patients treated with the PHP and 60 patients treated with conventional therapy were included in the matched groups. Baseline patient characteristics including comorbidities, vital signs, and bleeding scores were similar in the matched groups. The rate of immediate hemostasis and 7‐day and 30‐day rebleeding were also similar in the two groups before and after matching. In the subgroup analysis, no significant differences in immediate hemostasis or rebleeding rate were noted between PHP in monotherapy and PHP combined with a conventional hemostatic method. At 30 days after the therapy, there were no significant PHP‐related complications or mortality.ConclusionsGiven its safety, the PHP proved feasible for endoscopic treatment of UGIB, having similar effectiveness as that of conventional therapy. The PHP may become a promising hemostatic method for non‐variceal UGIB.
Lumbopelvic Pain and Threats to Walking Ability in Well‐Functioning Older Adults: Findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Authors: Simonsick Eleanor M. , Aronson Benjamin , Schrack Jennifer A. , Hicks Gregory E. , Jerome Gerald J. , Patel Kushang V. , Studenski Stephanie A. , Ferrucci Luigi 
Published: February 2018

ObjectivesTo examine the potential contribution of severity of lumbopelvic pain (LPP) in well‐functioning older adults to poorer walking efficiency, lack of endurance, slower gait speed, and decline in these mobility parameters over 1 to 5 years.DesignLongitudinal analysis of Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging data.SettingNational Institute on Aging, Clinical Research Unit, Baltimore, Maryland.ParticipantsWell‐functioning men and women aged 60 to 89 (N=878).MeasurementsAn interviewer‐administered questionnaire was used to ascertain reported presence and severity of back and hip pain in the preceding 12 months and reported walking ability, including ease of walking a mile. Certified examiners assessed usual gait speed, the energetic cost of walking (oxygen consumption, mL per kg/m), and time taken to walk 400 m as quickly as possible. Covariates included sex, age, age‐squared, race, height, weight, exercise, and smoking.ResultsOverall, 31.4% had mild LPP, and 15.7% had moderate to severe LPP. In adjusted analyses, reported walking ability (p<.001), endurance walk performance (p=.007), and energetic cost of walking (p=.049) were worse with increasing LPP severity. Usual gait speed did not vary according to LPP (p=.31). Longitudinally, over an average 2.3 years, persons with new or sustained LPP had worse follow‐up level, greater mean decline, and higher likelihood of meaningful decline in reported walking ability than persons free of LPP or whose LPP resolved. Walking performance did not differ according to LPP follow‐up status.ConclusionLPP was common in well‐functioning older adults and was associated with greater energetic cost of walking and poorer perceived and observed walking endurance. The longitudinal effect of LPP is unclear, but worsening perception of walking ability and its contribution to future mobility loss warrants further attention.
Amoebicidal activity of curcumin on Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites
Authors: Rangel-Castañeda Itzia Azucena , Hernández-Hernández José Manuel , Pérez-Rangel Armando , González-Pozos Sirenia , Carranza-Rosales Pilar , Charles-Niño Claudia Lisette , Tapia-Pastrana Gabriela , Ramírez-Herrera Mario Alberto , Castillo-Romero Araceli 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Objectives
This study was undertaken to investigate the amoebicidal potential of curcumin on Entamoeba histolytica, as well as its synergistic effect with metronidazole.

Methods
Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites were exposed to 100, 200 and 300 μm of curcumin, for 6, 12 and 24 h. Consequently, the viability of cells was determined by trypan blue exclusion test. All specimens were further analysed by scanning electron microscopy. For drug combination experiment, the Chou-Talalay method was used.

Key findings
Curcumin affected the growth and cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The higher inhibitory effects were observed with 300 μm at 24 h; 65.5% of growth inhibition and only 28.8% of trophozoites were viable. Additionally, curcumin also altered adhesion and the morphology of the trophozoites. Scanning electron microscopy revealed treated trophozoites with damages on the membrane, size alterations and parasites with loss of cellular integrity. In addition, the combination of curcumin + metronidazole exhibited a synergistic effect; the activity of both drugs was improved.

Conclusions
This is the first report evaluating the effectiveness of curcumin against E. histolytica. Our results suggest that CUR could be considered for evaluation in future pharmacological studies as a promising amoebicidal agent or as complementary therapy.
Comprehensive bile acid profiling in hereditary intrahepatic cholestasis: Genetic and clinical correlations
Authors: Liu Teng , Wang Ren‐Xue , Han Jun , Hao Chen‐Zhi , Qiu Yi‐Ling , Yan Yan‐Yan , Li Li‐Ting , Wang Neng‐Li , Gong Jing‐Yu , Lu Yi , Zhang Mei‐Hong , Xie Xin‐Bao , Yang Jun‐Cong , You Yi‐Jie , Li Jia‐qi , Knisely A. S. , Borchers Christoph H. , Ling Victor , Wang Jian‐She 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground & AimsGenetic defects causing dysfunction in bile salt export pump (BSEP/ABCB11) lead to liver diseases. ABCB11 mutations alter the bile acid metabolome. We asked whether profiling plasma bile acids could reveal compensatory mechanisms and track genetic and clinical status.MethodsWe compared plasma bile acids in 17 ABCB11‐mutated patients, 35 healthy controls and 12 genetically undiagnosed cholestasis patients by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/multiple‐reaction monitoring‐mass spectrometry (UPLC/MRM‐MS). We developed an index to rank bile acid hydrophobicity, and thus toxicity, based on LC retention times. We recruited 42 genetically diagnosed hereditary cholestasis patients, of whom 12 were presumed to have impaired BSEP function but carried mutations in genes other than ABCB11, and 8 healthy controls, for further verification.ResultsThe overall hydrophobicity indices of total bile acids in both the ABCB11‐mutated group (11.89 ± 1.07 min) and the undiagnosed cholestasis group (11.46 ± 1.07 min) were lower than those of healthy controls (13.69 ± 0.77 min) (both p < 0.005). This was owing to increased bile acid modifications. Secondary bile acids were detected in patients without BSEP expression, suggesting biliary bile acid secretion through alternative routes. A diagnostic panel comprising lithocholic acid (LCA), tauro‐LCA, glyco‐LCA and hyocholic acid was identified that could differentiate the ABCB11‐mutated cohort from healthy controls and undiagnosed cholestasis patients (AUC=0.946, p < 0.0001) and, in non‐ABCB11‐mutated cholestasis patients, could distinguish BSEP dysfunction from normal BSEP function (9/12 vs 0/38, p < 0.0000001).ConclusionsProfiling of plasma bile acids has provided insights into cholestasis alleviation and may be useful for the clinical management of cholestatic diseases.
Trends of child undernutrition in rural Ecuadorian communities with differential access to roads, 2004–2013
Authors: Lopez Velma K. , Dombecki Carolyn , Trostle James , Mogrovejo Patricia , Castro Morillo Nancy , Cevallos William , Goldstick Jason , Jones Andrew D. , Eisenberg Joseph N. S. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractRoad access can influence protective and risk factors associated with nutrition by affecting various social and biological processes. In northern coastal Ecuador, the construction of new roads created a remoteness gradient among villages, providing a unique opportunity to examine the impact of roads on child nutritional outcomes 10 years after the road was built. Anthropometric and haemoglobin measurements were collected from 2,350 children <5 years in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, from 2004 to 2013 across 28 villages with differing road access. Logistic generalized estimating equation models assessed the longitudinal association between village remoteness and prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight, obesity, and anaemia. We examined the influence of socio‐economic characteristics on the pathway between remoteness and nutrition by comparing model results with and without household‐level socio‐economic covariates. Remoteness was associated with stunting (OR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.30, 0.63]) and anaemia (OR = 0.56, 95% CI [0.44, 0.70]). Over time, the prevalence of stunting was generally decreasing but remained higher in villages closer to the road compared to those farther away. Obesity increased (0.5% to 3%) over time; wasting was high (6%) but stable during the study period. Wealth and education partially explained the better nutritional outcomes in remote vs. road villages more than a decade after some communities gained road access. Establishing the extent to which these patterns persist requires additional years of observation.
Gene expression profiling across ontogenetic stages in the wood white (Leptidea sinapis) reveals pathways linked to butterfly diapause regulation
Authors: Leal Luis , Talla Venkat , Källman Thomas , Friberg Magne , Wiklund Christer , Dincă Vlad , Vila Roger , Backström Niclas 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIn temperate latitudes, many insects enter diapause (dormancy) during the cold season, a period during which developmental processes come to a standstill. The wood white (Leptidea sinapis) is a butterfly species distributed across western Eurasia that shows photoperiod‐induced diapause with variation in critical day‐length across populations at different latitudes. We assembled transcriptomes and estimated gene expression levels at different developmental stages in experimentally induced directly developing and diapausing cohorts of a single Swedish population of L. sinapis to investigate the regulatory mechanisms underpinning diapause initiation. Different day lengths resulted in expression changes of developmental genes and affected the rate of accumulation of signal molecules, suggesting that diapause induction might be controlled by increased activity of monoamine neurotransmitters in larvae reared under short‐day light conditions. Expression differences between light treatment groups of two monoamine regulator genes (DDC and ST) were observed already in instar III larvae. Once developmental pathways were irreversibly set at instar V, a handful of genes related to dopamine production were differentially expressed leading to a significant decrease in expression of global metabolic genes and increase in expression of genes related to fatty acid synthesis and sequestration. This is in line with a time‐dependent (hour‐glass) model of diapause regulation where a gradual shift in the concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites during development of larvae under short‐day conditions leads to increased storage of fat, decreased energy expenditures, and ultimately developmental stasis at the pupal stage.
Transcriptomics reveal transgenerational effects in purple sea urchin embryos: Adult acclimation to upwelling conditions alters the response of their progeny to differential pCO2 levels
Authors: Wong Juliet M. , Johnson Kevin M. , Kelly Morgan W. , Hofmann Gretchen E. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms with which organisms can respond to a rapidly changing ocean is an important research priority in marine sciences, especially in the light of recent predictions regarding the pace of ocean change in the coming decades. Transgenerational effects, in which the experience of the parental generation can shape the phenotype of their offspring, may serve as such a mechanism. In this study, adult purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, were conditioned to regionally and ecologically relevant pCO2 levels and temperatures representative of upwelling (colder temperature and high pCO2) and nonupwelling (average temperature and low pCO2) conditions typical of coastal upwelling regions in the California Current System. Following 4.5 months of conditioning, adults were spawned and offspring were raised under either high or low pCO2 levels, to examine the role of maternal effects. Using RNA‐seq and comparative transcriptomics, our results indicate that differential conditioning of the adults had an effect on the gene expression patterns of the progeny during the gastrula stage of early development. For example, maternal conditioning under upwelling conditions intensified the transcriptomic response of the progeny when they were raised under high versus low pCO2 conditions. Additionally, mothers that experienced upwelling conditions produced larger progeny. The overall findings of this study are complex, but do suggest that transgenerational plasticity in situ could act as an important mechanism by which populations might keep pace with rapid environmental change.
Host‐associated bacterial community succession during amphibian development
Authors: Prest Tiffany L. , Kimball Abigail K. , Kueneman Jordan G. , McKenzie Valerie J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAmphibians undergo significant developmental changes during their life cycle, as they typically move from a primarily aquatic environment to a more terrestrial one. Amphibian skin is a mucosal tissue that assembles communities of symbiotic microbiota. However, it is currently not well understood as to where amphibians acquire their skin symbionts, and whether the sources of microbial symbionts change throughout development. In this study, we utilized data collected from four wild boreal toad populations (Anaxyrus boreas); specifically, we sampled the skin bacterial communities during toad development, including eggs, tadpoles, subadults and adults as well as environmental sources of bacteria (water, aquatic sediment and soil). Using 16S rRNA marker gene profiling coupled with SourceTracker, we show that while primary environmental sources remained constant throughout the life cycle, secondary sources of boreal toad symbionts significantly changed with development. We found that toad skin communities changed predictably across development and that two developmental disturbance events (egg hatching and metamorphosis) dictated major changes. Toad skin communities assembled to alternative stable states following each of these developmental disturbances. Using the predicted average rRNA operon copy number of the communities at each life stage, we showed how the skin bacterial communities undergo a successional pattern whereby “fast‐growing” (copiotroph) generalist bacteria dominate first before “slow‐growing” (oligotroph) specialized bacteria take over. Our study highlights how host‐associated bacterial community assembly is tightly coupled to host development and that host‐associated communities demonstrate successional patterns akin to those observed in free‐living bacteria as well as macrofaunal communities.
Functional connectivity in replicated urban landscapes in the land snail (Cornu aspersum)
Authors: Balbi Manon , Ernoult Aude , Poli Pedro , Madec Luc , Guiller Annie , Martin Marie‐Claire , Nabucet Jean , Beaujouan Véronique , Petit Eric J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUrban areas are highly fragmented and thereby exert strong constraints on individual dispersal. Despite this, some species manage to persist in urban areas, such as the garden snail, Cornu aspersum, which is common in cityscapes despite its low mobility. Using landscape genetic approaches, we combined study area replication and multiscale analysis to determine how landscape composition, configuration and connectivity influence snail dispersal across urban areas. At the overall landscape scale, areas with a high percentage of roads decreased genetic differentiation between populations. At the population scale, genetic differentiation was positively linked with building surface, the proportion of borders where wooded patches and roads appeared side by side and the proportion of borders combining wooded patches and other impervious areas. Analyses based on pairwise genetic distances validated the isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐resistance models for this land snail, with an equal fit to least‐cost paths and circuit‐theory‐based models. Each of the 12 landscapes analysed separately yielded specific relations to environmental features, whereas analyses integrating all replicates highlighted general common effects. Our results suggest that urban transport infrastructures facilitate passive snail dispersal. At a local scale, corresponding to active dispersal, unfavourable habitats (wooded and impervious areas) isolate populations. This work upholds the use of replicated landscapes to increase the generalizability of landscape genetics results and shows how multiscale analyses provide insight into scale‐dependent processes.