bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus recovery from dairy manure wastewater by fungal biomass treatment
Authors: He Qiyang , Rajendran Aravindan , Gan Jing , Lin Hongjian , Felt Craig A. , Hu Bo 
Published: October 2018

AbstractPolyphosphate accumulating fungi was cultured to remove and recover the excessive phosphorus from dairy manure wastewater (DMW). The microbial treatment removed 83.9% of phosphorus in 20‐fold diluted DMW by the fungal biomass in 12 h. At the meantime, 33.6% of chemical oxygen demand, 46.5% of total nitrogen, and 89.4% of total ammonia nitrogen were removed as well. At seventh reuse batch, the cells could still remove 50.4% of phosphorus from the diluted wastewater. The average phosphorus removal efficiency in seven reuse batches was calculated as 62.1%, the nitrogen‐to‐phosphorus ratio in DMW increased from 3.6 : 1 to 6.3 : 1. With the treatment, DMW will be more suitable for farmland irrigation, with the better nutritional ratio to support crop growth, and it will help mitigate phosphorus pollution to water bodies caused by over‐applied phosphorus in the farmland.
Proteome Analysis Reveals the Conidial Surface Protein CcpA Essential for Virulence of the Pathogenic FungusAspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Voltersen Vera , Blango Matthew G. , Herrmann Sahra , Schmidt Franziska , Heinekamp Thorsten , Strassburger Maria , Krüger Thomas , Bacher Petra , Lother Jasmin , Weiss Esther , Hünniger Kerstin , Liu Hong , Hortschansky Peter , Scheffold Alexander , Löffler Jürgen , Krappmann Sven , Nietzsche Sandor , Kurzai Oliver , Einsele Hermann , Kniemeyer Olaf , Filler Scott G. , Reichard Utz , Brakhage Axel A. 
Published: October 2018

The mammalian immune system relies on recognition of pathogen surface antigens for targeting and clearance. In the absence of immune evasion strategies, pathogen clearance is rapid. In the case ofAspergillus fumigatus, the successful fungus must avoid phagocytosis in the lung to establish invasive infection. In healthy individuals, fungal spores are cleared by immune cells; however, in immunocompromised patients, clearance mechanisms are impaired. Here, using proteome analyses, we identified CcpA as an important fungal spore protein involved in pathogenesis.A. fumigatuslacking CcpA was more susceptible to immune recognition and prompt eradication and, consequently, exhibited drastically attenuated virulence. In infection studies, CcpA was required for virulence in infected immunocompromised mice, suggesting that it could be used as a possible immunotherapeutic or diagnostic target in the future. In summary, our report adds a protein to the list of those known to be critical to the complex fungal spore surface environment and, more importantly, identifies a protein important for conidial immunogenicity during infection.
DRESS syndrome due to vemurafenib treatment: switching BRAF inhibitor to solve a big problem
Authors: Ros Javier , Muñoz-Couselo Eva 
Published: October 2018

We present a case report of an early-onset drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS syndrome) induced by vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor) in a middle-age man affected by a metastatic, BRAF mutant melanoma who was started on first-line metastatic treatment with vemurafenib and cobimetinib.After initiating the treatment, the patient presented an extensive cutaneous rash with eosinophilia and renal impairment. Due the constellation of signs and symptoms, a diagnosis of DRESS syndrome was made which strongly contraindicated the reintroduction of vemurafenib due to its hypersensibility reaction. Thus, vemurafenib was stopped immediately, and we started corticoid treatment with clinical improvement.Due to the contraindication to start vemurafenib again, after multidisciplinary view of the case and having balanced the risks and benefits, we successfully performed a switch to another BRAF inhibitor in a progressively ascending pattern, without any skin toxicity and with a good response of the metastatic melanoma.
Is palliative care cost-effective in low-income and middle-income countries? A mixed-methods systematic review
Authors: Reid Eleanor Anderson , Kovalerchik Olga , Jubanyik Karen , Brown Stuart , Hersey Denise , Grant Liz 
Published: October 2018

IntroductionOf the 40 million people globally in need of palliative care (PC), just 14% receive it, predominantly in high-income countries. Within fragile health systems that lack PC, incurable illness is often marked by pain and suffering, as well as burdensome costs. In high-income settings, PC decreases healthcare utilisation, thus enhancing value. Similar cost-effectiveness models are lacking in low-income and middle-income countries and with them, the impetus and funding to expand PC delivery.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of seven databases to gather evidence of the cost-effectiveness of PC in low-income and middle-income countries. We extracted and synthesised palliative outcomes and economic data from original research studies occurring in low-income and middle-income countries. This review adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and includes a quality appraisal.ResultsOur search identified 10 eligible papers that included palliative and economic outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries. Four provided true cost-effectiveness analyses in comparing the costs of PC versus alternative care, with PC offering cost savings, favourable palliative outcomes and positive patient-reported and family-reported outcomes.ConclusionsDespite the small number of included studies, wide variety of study types and lack of high-quality studies, several patterns emerged: (1) low-cost PC delivery in low-income and middle-income countries is possible, (2) patient-reported outcomes are favourable and (3) PC is less costly than the alternative. This review highlights the extraordinary need for robust cost-effectiveness analysis of PC in low-income and middle-income countries in order to develop health economic models for the delivery of PC, direct resource allocation and guide healthcare policy for PC delivery in low-income and middle-income countries.
A real-world, comparative study of FDA-approved diagnostic assays PD-L1 IHC 28-8 and 22C3 in lung cancer and other malignancies
Authors: Batenchuk Cory , Albitar Maher , Zerba Kim , Sudarsanam Sucha , Chizhevsky Vladislav , Jin Chelsea , Burns Virginia 
Published: October 2018

AimsAt the time of analysis, two widely used, drug-specific, tumour-cell programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) assays were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for anti-PD-1 therapies: the Dako PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) 28-8 pharmDx assay and the Dako PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay. Given that the majority of current PD-L1 testing in US clinical practice is performed at commercial reference laboratories, we aimed to evaluate the concordance of the 28-8 and 22C3 assays in a real-world setting.MethodsMatched PD-L1 IHC 28-8 and 22C3 results from routine assessment were obtained from 1930 patients, including 412 confirmed to have lung cancer, submitted from hospitals in over 38 US states/territories. Biopsies were stained, reviewed and scored by trained/certified pathologists at a single cancer reference laboratory between 2015 and 2017. Rate of concordance between assay findings was assessed by Bland-Altman analysis; overall per cent agreement (OPA), positive per cent agreement and negative per cent agreement; and Cohen’s kappa.ResultsPD-L1 IHC 28-8 and 22C3 displayed strong correlation across all samples and in samples with a confirmed lung cancer diagnosis irrespective of biopsy site. The OPA was 97%–98% for all samples, depending on the expression level defining PD-L1 positivity. In the Bland-Altman analysis, the mean difference in percentage of tumour cells positively stained for PD-L1 between the paired assay findings was –0.80% for all samples and –0.93% in samples with a confirmed lung cancer diagnosis.ConclusionsThese data, in conjunction with recent findings, support the analytical concordance of the PD-L1 IHC 28-8 and 22C3 assays for assessing per cent tumour-cell membrane PD-L1 expression.
Aspergillus and progression of lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Harun Sabariah Noor , Wainwright Claire E , Grimwood Keith , Hennig Stefanie 
Published: October 2018

BackgroundThe impact of Aspergillus on lung disease in young children with cystic fibrosis is uncertain.AimsTo determine if positive respiratory cultures of Aspergillus species are associated with: (1) increased structural lung injury at age 5 years; (2) accelerated lung function decline between ages 5 years and 14 years and (3) to identify explanatory variables.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of association between Aspergillus positive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cultures and chest high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan findings at age 5 years in subjects from the Australasian Cystic Fibrosis Bronchoalveolar Lavage (ACFBAL) study was performed. A non-linear mixed-effects disease progression model was developed using FEV1% predicted measurements at age 5 years from the ACFBAL study and at ages 6–14 years for these subjects from the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Data Registry.ResultsPositive Aspergillus BAL cultures at age 5 years were significantly associated with increased HRCT scores for air trapping (OR 5.53, 95% CI 2.35 to 10.82). However, positive Aspergillus cultures were not associated with either FEV1% predicted at age 5 years or FEV1% predicted by age following adjustment for body mass index z-score and hospitalisation secondary to pulmonary exacerbations. Lung function demonstrated a non-linear decline in this population.ConclusionIn children with cystic fibrosis, positive Aspergillus BAL cultures at age 5 years were associated contemporaneously with air trapping but not bronchiectasis. However, no association was observed between positive Aspergillus BAL cultures on FEV1% predicted at age 5 years or with lung function decline between ages 5 years and 14 years.
Association between tobacco prices and smoking onset: evidence from the TCP India Survey
Authors: Shang Ce , Chaloupka Frank J , Gupta Prakash C , Pednekar Mangesh S , Fong Geoffrey T 
Published: October 2018

BackgroundTobacco use is prevalent among youth and adults in India. However, direct evidence on how increasing taxes or prices affect tobacco use onset is scarce.ObjectiveTo analyse the associations between cigarette and bidi prices and smoking onset in India, and how these associations differ by socioeconomic status.MethodologyThe Wave 1 of the Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation India Survey by the International Tobacco Control Project contains information on the age at smoking onset for cigarettes and bidis. Using this information, data were expanded to a yearly pseudo-panel dataset that tracked respondents at risk of smoking onset from 1998 to 2011. The associations between bidi prices and bidi smoking onset, between cigarette prices and cigarette smoking onset, and between bidi and cigarette prices and any smoking onset were examined using a discrete-time hazard model with a logit link function. Stratified analyses were conducted to examine the difference in these associations by rural versus urban division.ResultsWe found that higher bidi prices were significantly associated with a lowered hazard of bidi smoking onset (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.51). Higher cigarette prices were significantly (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.92) associated with a lowered hazard of cigarette smoking onset among urban residents, but this association was non-significant when SEs were clustered at the state level. In addition, the association between increasing bidis prices and lowered hazards of bidi smoking onset was greater for urban residents than for rural ones (p<0.01).ConclusionsUnder the new regime of a central goods and service system, policymakers may need to raise the prices of tobacco products sufficiently to curb smoking onset.
Modelling the impact of a new tobacco product: review of Philip Morris International’s Population Health Impact Model as applied to the IQOS heated tobacco product
Authors: Max Wendy B , Sung Hai-Yen , Lightwood James , Wang Yingning , Yao Tingting 
Published: October 2018

ObjectivesWe review the Population Health Impact Model (PHIM) developed by Philip Morris International and used in its application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its heated tobacco product (HTP), IQOS, as a modified-risk tobacco product (MRTP). We assess the model against FDA guidelines for MRTP applications and consider more general criteria for evaluating reduced-risk tobacco products.MethodsIn assessing the PHIM against FDA guidelines, we consider two key components of the model: the assumptions implicit in the model (outcomes included, relative harm of the new product vs cigarettes, tobacco-related diseases considered, whether dual or polyuse of the new product is modelled, and what other tobacco products are included) and data used to estimate and validate model parameters (transition rates between non-smoking, cigarette-only smoking, dual use of cigarettes and MRTP, and MRTP-only use; and starting tobacco use prevalence).ResultsThe PHIM is a dynamic state transition model which models the impact of cigarette and MRTP use on mortality from four tobacco-attributable diseases. The PHIM excludes morbidity, underestimates mortality, excludes tobacco products other than cigarettes, does not include FDA-recommended impacts on non-users and underestimates the impact on other population groups.ConclusionThe PHIM underestimates the health impact of HTP products and cannot be used to justify an MRTP claim. An assessment of the impact of a potential MRTP on population health should include a comprehensive measure of health impacts, consideration of all groups impacted, and documented and justifiable assumptions regarding model parameters.
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada)
Authors: Pelletier Maude , Allard Michel , Levesque Esther 
Published: October 2018

Permafrost thaw, tundra shrubification, and changes in snow cover properties are documented impacts of climate warming, particularly in subarctic regions where discontinuous permafrost is disappearing. To obtain some insight into those changes, permafrost, active layer thickness, vegetation, snow cover, ground temperature, soil profiles, and carbon content were surveyed in an integrated approach in six field plots along a chronosequence of permafrost thaw on an ice-rich silty soil. Historical air photographs and dendrochronology provided the chronological context. Comparison of the plots reveals a positive feedback effect between thaw settlement, increased snow cover thickness, shrub growth, increase in soil temperature, and the process of permafrost decay. By the end of the sequence permafrost was no longer sustainable. Along the estimated 90 year duration of the chronosequence, the originally centimeter-thin pedogenic horizons under mosses and lichens increased to a thickness of nearly 65 cm under shrubs and trees. Snow cover increased from negligible to over 2 m. The thickness of soil organic layers and soil organic matter content increased manyfold, likely a result of the increased productivity in the shrub-dominated landscape. The results of this study strongly suggest that permafrost ecosystems in the subarctic are being replaced under climate warming by shrub and forest ecosystems enriched in carbon on more evolved soils.
Application of IoT-based medical diagnosis and treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome in primary hospitals: A preliminary study
Authors: Wu Yuhua , Zhou Jian , Li Jing , Liu Jie , Li Shanqun , Bai Chunxue 
Published: October 2018

Objective: To conduct a preliminary study of the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) using the Internet of Things (IoT) medical technology and to explore the feasibility of the hierarchical diagnosis, treatment, and management of OSAHS patients using IoT medicine in primary hospitals. Methods: The IoT technology and a remote medical monitoring system were used to observe and compare the respiratory and sleep parameters before and after a three-month intervention in 47 patients with OSAHS who met the diagnostic criteria and were selected in the Kashgar region. All parameters were compared based on the severity (mild, moderate, and severe) of OSAHS. Results: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), and nighttime minimum oxygen saturation (lowest SaO2min) improved in patients with OSAHS from before to after treatment ([Formula: see text]). The improvements were more profound in OSAHS patients with cardiovascular disease such as hypertension. Conclusion: The IoT medical technology can help to hierarchically diagnose, treat, and manage patients with OSAHS. It is feasible for primary hospitals in rural regions to use the IoT technology for the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS patients.
Protective effect of rhubarb against intestinal mucosal barrier injury in rats with obstructive jaundice
Authors: Sun Xian-Jun , Li Qiu-Ying , Liu Yan , Jiang Ting-Hui 
Published: October 2018

Objective: To investigate the effects of raw rhubarb (RR) on the intestinal barrier dysfunction and endotoxemia in rat models with obstructive jaundice (OJ). Methods: Twenty-seven Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allocated to four groups: control ([Formula: see text]), sham operation ([Formula: see text]), model ([Formula: see text]), and treatment ([Formula: see text]). Rat models with OJ were used in the model and treatment groups. In the treatment group, rats were intragastrically administered with RR granular solution. After treatment, serum endotoxin (ET), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TB) levels were determined. The liver tissue, bile duct tissue above the obstruction bile duct site, and parts of the ileum and colon tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and observed by light microscopy, and the histopathological changes in the ileum were observed by electron microscopy. Results: Fourteen days after the rats in the treatment group were intragastrically administered with RR granular solution, the ALT, AST, and TB levels showed no significant difference between the control and sham operation groups ([Formula: see text]). Serum ET level was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the model group ([Formula: see text]). Histopathology of the liver and bile duct revealed that RR might alleviate OJ-associated hepatocyte degeneration/necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and hepatic fibrosis, and reduce the damage to parietal cells and bile duct mucosa. In OJ rats, RR might also have a protective effect against colonic wall edema and necrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Conclusions: RR may improve the structural changes in the intestinal mucosa caused by OJ and decrease serum ET level in OJ rats.
Sexual Inequality in the Cancer Cell
Authors: Arnold Arthur P. , Disteche Christine M. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Investigating sex differences in cancer will improve therapy for both sexes and discover sex-specific protective mechanisms. Two recent analyses by Lopes-Ramos and colleagues and Li and colleagues point to specific gene regulatory networks and genomic alterations associated with sex differences in tumor incidence and progression. Integrating this information with emerging concepts about sex biases in the genome may help focus attention on factors that shift the odds for tumor growth. Cancer Res; 78(19); 5504–5. ©2018 AACR.
See related articles by Li et al., p. 5527, and Lopes-Ramos et al., p. 5538.
The Influence of Prediagnosis Alcohol Consumption and the Polymorphisms of Ethanol-Metabolizing Genes on the Survival of Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Authors: Lee Wei-Ting , Hsiao Jenn-Ren , Ou Chun-Yen , Huang Cheng-Chih , Chang Chan-Chi , Tsai Sen-Tien , Chen Ken-Chung , Huang Jehn-Shyun , Wong Tung-Yiu , Lai Yu-Hsuan , Wu Yuan-Hua , Hsueh Wei-Ting , Wu Shang-Yin , Yen Chia-Jui , Chang Jang-Yang , Lin Chen-Lin , Weng Ya-Ling , Yang Han-Chien , Chen Yu-Shan , Chang Jeffrey S. 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Background:
Although alcohol drinking is an established risk factor of head and neck cancer (HNC), less is known about its role in the prognosis of HNC. The current study investigated the association between pretreatment alcohol consumption and the overall survival (OS) of HNC patients.

Methods:
Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate the association between prediagnosis alcohol drinking and the OS of HNC patients. In addition, the influence of the polymorphisms of two ethanol-metabolizing genes, ADH1B and ALDH2, on this relationship was also evaluated.

Results:
The results showed a significant positive dose–response relationship between prediagnosis alcohol use and worse OS of HNC patients. This association was more significant for oropharyngeal cancer, hypopharyngeal cancer, and laryngeal cancer than for oral cancer. The association between alcohol use and the poorer OS of HNC patients was mainly through its association with a higher stage of HNC at diagnosis. The worst OS associated with alcohol use was observed among HNC patients with the fast ADH1B and the slow/nonfunctional ALDH2 genotype combination.

Conclusions:
Our analysis showed a significant positive dose–response relationship between prediagnosis alcohol use and a worse OS of HNC. This association was mainly due to the higher stage of HNC among alcohol drinkers. In addition, the polymorphisms of the ethanol-metabolizing genes, ADH1B and ALDH2, modified the relationship between prediagnosis alcohol use and the OS of HNC patients.

Impact:
Prediagnosis alcohol use may be a prognostic indicator of HNC.
Proteogenomic Characterization of Patient-Derived Xenografts Highlights the Role of REST in Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Flores-Morales Amilcar , Bergmann Tobias B. , Lavallee Charlotte , Batth Tanveer S. , Lin Dong , Lerdrup Mads , Friis Stine , Bartels Anette , Kristensen Gitte , Krzyzanowska Agnieszka , Xue Hui , Fazli Ladan , Hansen Klaus H. , Røder Martin A. , Brasso Klaus , Moreira José M. , Bjartell Anders , Wang Yuzhuo , Olsen Jesper V. , Collins Colin C. , Iglesias-Gato Diego 
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Purpose:
An increasing number of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) tumors exhibit neuroendocrine (NE) features. NE prostate cancer (NEPC) has poor prognosis, and its development is poorly understood.
Experimental Design: We applied mass spectrometry–based proteomics to a unique set of 17 prostate cancer patient–derived xenografts (PDX) to characterize the effects of castration in vivo, and the proteome differences between NEPC and prostate adenocarcinomas. Genome-wide profiling of REST-occupied regions in prostate cancer cells was correlated to the expression changes in vivo to investigate the role of the transcriptional repressor REST in castration-induced NEPC differentiation.

Results:
An average of 4,881 proteins were identified and quantified from each PDX. Proteins related to neurogenesis, cell-cycle regulation, and DNA repair were found upregulated and elevated in NEPC, while the reduced levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial functions suggested a prevalent glycolytic metabolism of NEPC tumors. Integration of the REST chromatin bound regions with expression changes indicated a direct role of REST in regulating neuronal gene expression in prostate cancer cells. Mechanistically, depletion of REST led to cell-cycle arrest in G1, which could be rescued by p53 knockdown. Finally, the expression of the REST-regulated gene secretagogin (SCGN) correlated with an increased risk of suffering disease relapse after radical prostatectomy.

Conclusions:
This study presents the first deep characterization of the proteome of NEPC and suggests that concomitant inhibition of REST and the p53 pathway would promote NEPC. We also identify SCGN as a novel prognostic marker in prostate cancer.