bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diastolic dysfunction on echocardiography does not predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt in patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Armstrong Matthew J. , Gohar Farhan , Dhaliwal Amritpal , Nightingale Peter , Baker Graham , Greaves Daniel , Mangat Kam , Zia Zergum , Karkhanis Salil , Olliff Simon , Mehrzad Homoyon , Steeds Rick P. , Tripathi Dhiraj 
Published: February 2019

SummaryBackgroundCardiac dysfunction is frequently observed in patients with cirrhosis. There remains a paucity of data from routine clinical practice regarding the role of echocardiography in the pre‐assessment of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt.AimOur study aimed to investigate if echocardiography parameters predict outcomes after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt insertion in cirrhosis.MethodsPatients who underwent echocardiography and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt insertion at the liver unit (Birmingham, UK) between 1999 and 2016 were included. All echocardiography measures (including left ventricle ejection fraction; early maximal ventricular filling/late filling velocity ratio, diastolic dysfunction as per British Society of Echocardiography guidelines) were independently reviewed by a cardiologist. Predictors of 30‐day and overall transplant free‐survival were assessed.ResultsOne Hundred and Seventeen patients with cirrhosis (median age 56 years; 54% alcohol; Child‐Pugh B/C 71/14.5%; Model For End‐Stage Liver Disease 12) underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt for ascites (n = 78) and variceal haemorrhage (n = 39). Thirty‐day and overall transplant‐free survival was 90% (n = 105) and 31% (n = 36), respectively, over a median 663 (IQR 385‐2368) days follow‐up. Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (P < 0.001) and Child‐Pugh Score (P = 0.002) significantly predicted 30‐day and overall transplant‐free survival. Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease ≥15 implied three‐fold risk of death. Six per cent (n = 7) of patients pre‐transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt had a history of ischaemic heart disease and 34% (n = 40) had 1 or more cardiovascular disease risk factors. Fifty per cent (n = 59) had an abnormal echocardiogram and 33% (n = 39) had grade 1‐3 diastolic dysfunction. On univariate analysis none of the echocardiography measures pre‐intervention were related to 30‐day or overall transplant‐free survival post‐transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt.ConclusionsVentricular, in particular diastolic dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis does not predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt insertion. Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease and Child‐Pugh scores remain the best predictors of survival. Further prospective study is required to clarify the role of routine echocardiography prior to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent‐shunt insertion.
Fermentation quality and aerobic stability of mulberry silage prepared with lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid
Authors: Zhang Ying‐Chao , Li Dong‐Xia , Wang Xue‐Kai , Lin Yan‐Li , Zhang Qing , Chen Xiao‐Yang , Yang Fu‐Yu 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe objective of this study was to examine the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of mulberry (Morus alba L.) silage prepared with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and propionic acid (PA). The selected LAB strains Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum LC365281 (L1) and L. brevis LC365282 (L2), and commercial inoculant strains L. plantarum Gaofuji (GF) and L. buchneri Fresh (FR), and PA were used as additives for silage preparation. Silage treatments were designed as control, L1, L2, GF, FR, PA, PA + L1, PA + L2, PA + GF, or PA + FR. After 30 days of ensiling, the fermentation quality of silages treated with PA + L1 was improved, with a lower (p < 0.05) pH and NH3‐N content than those of other treatments. During the aerobic exposure, the PA + LAB‐treated silages displayed an aerobic stability with stable pH value and lactic acid content. The results confirm that L. plantarum L1 and PA were the best additive combination for ensiling mulberry.
Dairy cattle behavior classifications based on decision tree learning using 3‐axis neck‐mounted accelerometers
Authors: Tamura Tomoya , Okubo Yuki , Deguchi Yoshitaka , Koshikawa Shizu , Takahashi Masahiro , Chida Yasushi , Okada Keiji 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDemand has been increasing recently for an automated monitoring system of animal behavior as a tool for the management of livestock animals. This study investigated the association between the behavior of dairy cattle and the acceleration data collected using three‐axis neck‐mounted accelerometers, as well as the feasibility of improving the precision of behavior classifications through machine learning. In total 38 Holstein dairy cows were used, and kept in four different farms. A logger was mounted to each collar to obtain acceleration data for calculating the activity level and variations. At the same time the behavior of the cattle was observed visually. Characteristic acceleration waves were recorded for eating, rumination, and lying, respectively; and the activity level and variations were significantly different among these behaviors (p < 0.01). Decision tree learning was performed on the data set from Farm A and validated its precision; which proved to be 99.2% in cross‐validation, and 100% in test data sets from Farms B to D. This study showed that highly precise classifications for eating, rumination, and lying is possible by using decision tree learning to calculate the activity level and variations of cattle based on the data obtained by three‐axis accelerometers mounted to a collar.
Morphology and microstructure of the tongue of the lesser bamboo rat (Cannomys badius)
Authors: Wannaprasert Thanakul , Phanthuma‐opas Passanun , Jindatip Depicha 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe first detailed morphological description of the tongue and lingual papillae of the lesser bamboo rat, a fossorial rodent distributed in Indochina, is presented. Twelve tongues were examined by light, stereo‐ and scanning electron microscopy. The elongated tongue possessed an intermolar prominence and terminated in a rounded apex with a median sulcus. The dorsal surface of the tongue bore three types of papillae: filiform, fungiform and vallate, the first two of which were also observed on the ventral lingual surface. The filiform papillae varied in form and arrangement depending on the tongue region, although the majority of them were multifurcate, fork‐like papillae. The fungiform papillae were randomly scattered among the filiform papillae, with the highest density and number of taste pores (up to 12) at the ventral lingual apex. On the posterior tongue, two oval vallate papillae with numerous taste buds on their lateral epithelium were surrounded by a circumferential trench into which the serous von Ebner's glands’ ducts opened. The mucosal surface of the lingual radix was uneven without papillae, but contained mucous openings of Weber's glands. The tongue and lingual papillae of the lesser bamboo rat are similar to those of the large bamboo rat and show structural adaptations to the diet and food manipulation.
Somatic alterations of TP53, ERBB2, PIK3CA and CCND1 are associated with chemosensitivity for breast cancers
Authors: Yang Libo , Ye Feng , Bao Longlong , Zhou Xiaoyan , Wang Zhe , Hu Peizhen , Ouyang Nengtai , Li Xiaojuan , Shi Yi , Chen Gang , Xia Peiyi , Chui Meiying , Li Wencai , Jia Ying , Liu Yueping , Liu Junjun , Ye Junyi , Zhang Zhe , Bu Hong 
Published: February 2019

The correlation of genetic alterations with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been fully revealed. In this study, we enrolled 247 breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline‐taxane‐based NAC treatment. A next generation sequencing (NGS) panel containing 36 hotspot breast cancer‐related genes was used in this study. Two different standards for the extent of pathologic complete response (pCR), ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is, were used as indicators for NAC treatment. TP53 mutation (n = 149, 60.3%), PIK3CA mutation (n = 109, 44.1%) and MYC amplification (n = 95, 38.5%) were frequently detected in enrolled cases. TP53 mutation (P = 0.019 for ypT0/isypN0 and P = 0.003 for ypT0/is) and ERBB2 amplification (P < 0.001 for both ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is) were related to higher pCR rates. PIK3CA mutation (P = 0.040 for ypT0/isypN0) and CCND2 amplification (P = 0.042 for ypT0/is) showed reduced sensitivity to NAC. Patients with MAPK pathway alteration had low pCR rates (P = 0.043 for ypT0/is). Patients with TP53 mutation (−) PIK3CA mutation (−) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (−), TP53 mutation (+) PIK3CA mutation (−) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (−) or TP53 mutation (+) PIK3CA mutation (+) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (−)had significantly higher pCR rates (P < 0.05 for ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is) than wild type genotype tumors. Some cancer genetic alterations as well as pathway alterations were associated with chemosensitivity to NAC treatment. Our study may shed light on the molecular characteristics of breast cancer for prediction of NAC expectations when breast cancer is first diagnosed by biopsy.
Isolation, functional characterization, and biological properties of MCh‐AMP1, a novel antifungal peptide from Matricaria chamomilla L.
Authors: Seyedjavadi Sima Sadat , Khani Soghra , Zare‐Zardini Hadi , Halabian Raheleh , Goudarzi Mehdi , Khatami Shohreh , Imani Fooladi Abbas Ali , Amani Jafar , Razzaghi‐Abyaneh Mehdi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe antimicrobial activities of natural products have attracted much attention due to the increasing incidence of pathogens that have become resistant to drugs. Thus, it has been attempted to promisingly manage infectious diseases via a new group of therapeutic agents called antimicrobial peptides. In this study, a novel antifungal peptide, MCh‐AMP1, was purified by reverse phase HPLC and sequenced by de novo sequencing and Edman degradation. The antifungal activity, safety, thermal, and pH stability of MCh‐AMP1 were determined. This peptide demonstrated an antifungal activity against the tested Candida and Aspergillus species with MIC values in the range of 3.33–6.66 μM and 6.66–13.32 μM, respectively. Further, physicochemical properties and molecular modeling of MCh‐AMP1 were evaluated. MCh‐AMP1 demonstrated 3.65% hemolytic activity at the concentration of 13.32 μM on human red blood cells and 10% toxicity after 48 hr at the same concentration on HEK293 cell lines. The antifungal activity of MCh‐AMP1 against Candida albicans was stable at a temperature range of 30–50°C and at the pH level of 7–11. The present study indicates that MCh‐AMP1 may be considered as a new antifungal agent with therapeutic potential against major human pathogenic fungi.
Nasal IgE production in allergic rhinitis: Impact of rhinovirus infection
Authors: Hamed Ahmed , Preston DeVon C , Eschenbacher Will , Khokhar Dilawar , Workman Lisa , Steinke John W , Heymann Peter , Lawrence Monica , Soto‐Quiros Manuel , Platts‐Mills Thomas A. E. , Payne Spencer , Borish Larry 
Published: February 2019

SummaryBackgroundRhinovirus (RV) infections exacerbate asthma in part by enhancing an allergic state, and these exacerbations can be mitigated via administration of anti‐IgE.ObjectiveWe investigated the presence of local IgE production in the nose of allergic and non‐allergic subjects and assessed whether this was enhanced by RV.MethodsLocal production of specific IgE was determined by comparing ratios of specific to total IgE concentrations between nasal and serum samples. Our initial studies were performed in subjects presenting to the emergency department for allergic and non‐allergic respiratory complaints. Subsequently, we investigated influences of experimental RV infection on nasal sIgE production in an allergic cohort.ResultsWe found evidence of local sIgE production to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in 30.3% and to Blomia tropicalis in 14.6% of allergic subjects. None of the non‐allergic subjects demonstrated local IgE. Subjects with active RV infection were more than twice as likely to have local sIgE (45% vs 14%), and subjects with local sIgE being produced were ~3 times more likely to be having an asthma exacerbation. Experimental RV infection was able to induce local sIgE production.ConclusionThese studies confirm local IgE production in a large subset of allergic subjects and demonstrate that allergic asthmatics with local IgE are more likely to develop an asthma exacerbation when infected with RV. Our RV challenge studies demonstrate that at least some allergic asthmatics can be induced to secrete locally generated IgE in their nasal airway after RV infection.
Delayed disease progression in HIV-2: the importance of TRIM5α and the retroviral capsid
Authors: Boswell M T , Rowland-Jones S L 
Published: February 2019

Summary
HIV-2 is thought to have entered the human population in the 1930s through cross-species transmission of SIV from sooty mangabeys in West Africa. Unlike HIV-1, HIV-2 has not led to a global pandemic, and recent data suggest that HIV-2 prevalence is declining in some West African states where it was formerly endemic. Although many early isolates of HIV-2 were derived from patients presenting with AIDS-defining illnesses, it was noted that a much larger proportion of HIV-2-infected subjects behaved as long-term non-progressors (LTNP) than their HIV-1-infected counterparts. Many HIV-2-infected adults are asymptomatic, maintaining an undetectable viral load for over a decade. However, despite lower viral loads, HIV-2 progresses to clinical AIDS without therapeutic intervention in most patients. In addition, successful treatment with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is more challenging than for HIV-1. HIV-2 is significantly more sensitive to restriction by host restriction factor tripartite motif TRIM5α than HIV-1, and this difference in sensitivity is linked to differences in capsid structure. In this review we discuss the determinants of HIV-2 disease progression and focus on the important interactions between TRIM5α and HIV-2 capsid in long-term viral control.
Parvovirus B19‐induced severe anemia in heart transplant recipients: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Pinto Natalia C. , Newman Clarissa , Gomez Carlos A. , Khush Kiran K. , Moayedi Yasbanoo , Lee Roy , Teuteberg Jeffrey J. , Montoya Jose G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe report a case of a 64‐year‐old woman who developed transfusion‐dependent anemia after cardiac transplantation, the etiology of which was unknown after initial comprehensive evaluation. At the suggestion of the Transplant Infectious Diseases consultant, microbial agents with red blood cell tropism pertinent to this patient such as Parvovirus B 19 (B19V) were investigated. The B19V viral load by PCR in peripheral blood was >100 000 000 copies/ml and after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), her anemia resolved. Here, we summarize the clinical and virologic characteristics, treatment, and outcome of fifteen cases of B19V‐induced anemia in heart transplant recipients. Spontaneous recovery from anemia secondary to B19V has also been reported in some heart transplant recipients, possibly due to an absence of their B19V P‐antigen receptor and/or reduction in their immunosuppression. Therefore, in heart transplant patients, B19V should be suspected early as a cause of severe anemia of unknown etiology. The extent that B19V‐induced anemia is underdiagnosed in heart transplant recipients is unknown.
Transplant community perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of alternative quality metrics for regulation
Authors: Van Pilsum Rasmussen Sarah E. , Zhou Sheng , Thomas Alvin G. , Segev Dorry L. , Nicholas Lauren H. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundThere is concern that the metrics currently used to regulate transplant centers, one‐year patient and graft survival, may have adverse consequences including decreasing higher risk donor organ acceptance and transplant volume. This raises questions about whether alternative measures would be more appropriate.MethodsWe surveyed American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) and American Society of Transplantation (AST) members (n = 270) to characterize perceptions of several metrics that are used for regulation, are publicly reported, or have been suggested elsewhere, regarding their effectiveness, amenability to risk adjustment, and predicted effects on volume, mortality, and waitlist size.ResultsRespondents rated one‐year patient and graft survival the most effective measure of quality of care (mean scores = 7.44, 7.31, respectively, out of 10) and most amenable to risk adjustment (mean scores = 6.26, 6.13, respectively). Most respondents believed alternative metrics would not impact their center's volume, waitlist size, or one‐year transplant mortality. However, some did predict unintended consequences; for example, some believed using one‐year waitlist mortality, one‐year mortality of patients listed, or one‐year mortality of patients referred for transplant would decrease the number of transplants performed (48.6%, 46.7%, and 48.3% of respondents, respectively).DiscussionDespite previously published concerns with existing regulatory metrics, most participants did not believe any metrics would outperform one‐year patient and graft survival.
A Type 1 diabetes technology pathway: consensus statement for the use of technology in Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Choudhary P. , Campbell F. , Joule N. , Kar P. ,   on behalf of Diabetes UK
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn both adults and children with diabetes, technologies such as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring can help improve diabetes control, reduce hypoglycaemia and improve quality of life. Access to these technologies in the UK is very variable. Some technologies are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, while others have not been appraised, and new technologies are emerging all the time. Additionally, different guidelines for adults and children further complicate access to diabetes technology in the transition from paediatric to adult care. Against this background, Diabetes UK and NHS England have brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts, including clinicians and people with diabetes, to develop this consensus guideline, combining the different technologies into a common pathway to aid clinical and policy decision‐making. We created a pathway that supports the incremental addition of technology as monotherapy and then dual therapy in the same way that we incrementally add in therapeutic agents to support people with Type 2 diabetes to achieve their personalized glycaemic targets. The pathway emphasizes the importance of structured education, specialist support and appropriate access to psychological therapies, as essential pillars for optimized use of diabetes‐related technology, and recommends the re‐evaluation of its use when the individual is unable either to use the technology appropriately or to achieve the intended outcomes. This pathway is endorsed by UK‐wide clinical and patient associations and we recommend that providers and commissioners use it to ensure the right individual with diabetes has access to the right technology in a timely way to help achieve better outcomes.
Identification of wood‐decay fungi and assessment of damage in log depots of Western Black Sea Region (Turkey)
Authors: Yalçın Mesut , Doğan Hasan Hüseyin , Akçay Çağlar 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine and quantify the wood‐decay fungi found on logs of forest tree species (beech, oak, hornbeam, Scots pine and fir) stored in log depots located in six different provinces in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Additionally, it was aimed to determine the natural durability of some important wood species against the most commonly detected wood‐decay fungi. Eighteen families, 31 genera and 45 species belonging to the division Basidiomycota were detected; Antrodia crassa was identified for the first time in Turkey. The abundance of Panus neostrigosus, Polyporus meridionalis, Trametes hirsuta, T. versicolor and Stereum hirsutumincreased significantly with the holding time of the logs (r = 0.99, 0.87, 0.53, 0.57 and 0.78, respectively, p < 0.05). The majority of the fungal species were detected on logs stored in depots for 4–6 years (66%). The percentage of fungal species found on the logs with a holding time of three years or less was 29%, whereas the percentage for those detected on logs stored for seven or more years was 31%. Among the wood species, the greatest number of fungal species (29) and highest amount of fungi (2,539) occurred on beech wood. Natural durability tests showed that T. versicolor caused the greatest loss of wood mass, with an average of 23%. Field studies and natural durability tests performed in the laboratory showed that beech wood lost the most mass among the timber species studied.
Quantifying local malignant adaptation in tissue‐specific evolutionary trajectories by harnessing cancer’s repeatability at the genetic level
Authors: Tokutomi Natsuki , Moyret‐Lalle Caroline , Puisieux Alain , Sugano Sumio , Martinez Pierre 
Published: February 2019

AbstractCancer is a potentially lethal disease, in which patients with nearly identical genetic backgrounds can develop a similar pathology through distinct combinations of genetic alterations. We aimed to reconstruct the evolutionary process underlying tumour initiation, using the combination of convergence and discrepancies observed across 2,742 cancer genomes from nine tumour types. We developed a framework using the repeatability of cancer development to score the local malignant adaptation (LMA) of genetic clones, as their potential to malignantly progress and invade their environment of origin. Using this framework, we found that premalignant skin and colorectal lesions appeared specifically adapted to their local environment, yet insufficiently for full cancerous transformation. We found that metastatic clones were more adapted to the site of origin than to the invaded tissue, suggesting that genetics may be more important for local progression than for the invasion of distant organs. In addition, we used network analyses to investigate evolutionary properties at the system‐level, highlighting that different dynamics of malignant progression can be modelled by such a framework in tumour‐type‐specific fashion. We find that occurrence‐based methods can be used to specifically recapitulate the process of cancer initiation and progression, as well as to evaluate the adaptation of genetic clones to given environments. The repeatability observed in the evolution of most tumour types could therefore be harnessed to better predict the trajectories likely to be taken by tumours and preneoplastic lesions in the future.
Exploring simple ecological indicators on landings and market trends in the South Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem
Authors: Pincinato Ruth B. M. , Gasalla Maria A. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSimple ecological indicators were applied to landings and market data from the South Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem to investigate pressures on the ecosystem over time to contribute to fisheries and ocean assessments in data‐poor ecosystems. The indicators showed an increase in larger, long‐lived and piscivorous pelagic species landings as well as an increase in offshore fishing over the past few decades. Indicators based on market data showed a decrease of not only the target species but also of some long‐lived and large‐size coastal species, resulting in an increase of previously undesired fish species in the markets. Each of the selected indicators expressed part of the picture, while putting all together resulted in a more comprehensive view of the historical behaviour of this system.