bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical and pathological features of sarcopenia‐related indices in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Seko Yuya , Mizuno Naoki , Okishio Shinya , Takahashi Aya , Kataoka Seita , Okuda Keiichiroh , Furuta Mitsuhiro , Takemura Masashi , Taketani Hiroyoshi , Umemura Atsushi , Nishikawa Taichiro , Yamaguchi Kanji , Moriguchi Michihisa , Itoh Yoshito 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundSarcopenia is diagnosed with the skeletal muscle index (SMI) or the sarcopenia index (SI). We previously reported that the ratio of skeletal muscle mass to body fat mass (SF ratio) was a novel index of sarcopenia in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate sarcopenia with these indices in patients with NAFLD.MethodsOne hundred and fifty‐six consecutive patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >40 IU/L were enrolled. Liver function and body composition were evaluated in 121 patients after 12 months. We evaluated the relationship between histological findings, changes in liver function, and the SMI, SI, and SF ratio.ResultsOf the 156 patients enrolled, 13.5% and 26.3% were diagnosed with sarcopenia with the SMI and SI. In patients with hepatic fibrosis stage <2, the SI and the SF ratio were significantly greater than in patients with fibrosis stage ≥2. There was no difference in SMI between groups. In the cohort assessed at baseline and 12 months later, transaminase activity and SMI decreased significantly, and the SF ratio increased over time. A multivariate analysis revealed the presence of the PNPLA3 G allele and an increase in SF ratio (odds ratio, 7.406) as predictive factors of ALT reduction >30% from baseline.ConclusionsDue to the high prevalence of obesity, we should consider both skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass in the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD. The SF ratio could be a useful index in sarcopenic NAFLD.
Electron microscopy and tomography reveal that sodium 2‐naphthalene sulfonate incorporated into perming solutions swells and tilts trichocyte intermediate filaments causing straightening of curly Japanese human hair
Authors: Bryson W. G. , Harland D. P. , Caldwell J. P. , Vernon J. A. , Walls R. J. , Woods J. L. , Nagase S. , Itou T. , Koike K. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractObjectiveA new hair‐care process has been specifically developed for the straightening of curved Japanese woman's hair . The process included sodium 2‐naphthalene sulfonate (SNS) in the reduction and oxidation steps of a conventional perming process. Our objective was to develop an understanding of how this process caused hair straightening by measuring the changes to morphology and ultrastructure between untreated, conventionally permed and SNS permed hair. Untreated and SNS permed Merino wool fibres were used to confirm structural changes.MethodsJapanese hair samples were measured for single‐fibre curvature before and after perming treatments. A silver staining method was developed to stain hair fibres without changing fibre curvature so that transmission electron microscopy could be used to measure changes in the lateral dimensions of all structural components from the cellular to protein filament level. Electron tomography determined intermediate filament slopes and slope changes after SNS perming relative to the central longitudinal axis of the fibre.ResultsSNS perming was found to cause greater lateral swelling than conventional perming of: the paracortical cells of wool; the cuticle, the cuticular cell membrane complex and the macrofibrillar centre‐to‐centre distance of hair; and of the intermediate filaments in wool and hair. In curved hair, SNS perming caused the intermediate filaments of the helical macrofibrils to simultaneously swell and to tilt further, resulting in the slight longitudinal contraction of the macrofibrils. The overall swelling and tilting was greatest in the helical macrofibrils of Type B cortical cells predominately located in the convex fibre half. The presence of a higher percentage of helical macrofibrils in the convex fibre half than in the concave fibre half caused a contraction differential between the two halves leading to straighten of the curved fibre. A mechanical model was proposed to explain how SNS perming straightened curly hair.ConclusionThe effects of conventional and SNS perming on the morphological and ultrastructural components of curved Japanese hair and high‐curl Merino wool fibres have given clear insights into understanding the mechanism of fibre curvature change.
Antimicrobial action of photodynamic therapy in root canals using LED curing light, curcumin and carbopol gel
Authors: Oda D. F. , Duarte M. A. H. , Andrade F. B. , Moriyama L. T. , Bagnato V. S. , de Moraes I. G. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAimTo evaluate the capacity of carbopol gel to maintain the intensity of a LED curing light (blueLED) along the length of prepared root canals in bovine teeth, and to assess the antimicrobial capacity of curcumin photoactivated by a LED curing light in the presence of carbopol gel.MethodologyExperiment 1: Eight straight roots of bovine incisors were standardized to a length of 15 mm, and the root canals instrumented up to a size 120 K‐file. The LED curing light was irradiated inside the root canals using an aluminium collimator (1.5 mm in diameter) placed at the orifice (n = 8). Initially, the irradiation was performed in empty root canals and then repeated with the root canals filled with carbopol gel. Simple standardized photographs of the roots were taken with a digital camera in the mesial perspective during the irradiation procedure and the images analysed in OriginLab software to verify the light intensity along the length of the root. Experiment 2: Twenty dentine blocks were obtained from the cervical third of bovine incisors using a trephine bur. Biofilms were induced for 21 days on the blocks using Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 4083) at 109 cells mL−1. The blocks were treated according to the groups (n = 5): positive control; standard PDT (methylene blue + diode Laser); curcumin; LED curing light; and curcumin + LED curing light. After the treatment, the samples were dyed with Live/Dead BacLight Bacterial Viability solution and fluorescence images were obtained by Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM). Experiment 3: Thirty‐two roots of bovine incisors were prepared as described in experiment 1. Their dentinal tubules were contaminated and the root canals treated according to the groups (n = 8): positive control; standard PDT; curcumin + LED curing light; curcumin + carbopol gel + LED curing light. The specimens were sectioned longitudinally and the split roots were treated with the Live/Dead dye to obtain fluorescence images by CSLM. All images were processed using BioImageL software to measure the percentage of viable bacteria and the data analysed statistically using the nonparametric Kruskal‐Wallis test (α < 0.05).ResultsIn Experiment 1, carbopol gel did not improve the intensity of LED light transmission along the root canal. In Experiment 2, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in bacterial viability occurred in the following order: positive control < only LED curing light < only curcumin < curcumin + LED curing light = standard PDT; and in Experiment 3 positive control = curcumin + LED curing light ≤ curcumin + gel + LED curing light ≤ standard PDT.ConclusionSimilar disinfection effectiveness was obtained using curcumin + LED curing light and methylene blue + 660 nm LASER (standard PDT). The use of carbopol gel did not favour a greater transmission of LED light along the root canal and also resulted in less bacterial killing when used in endodontic PDT.
Genome‐wide dissection of sex determination genes in the highly invasive whitefly species Bemisia tabaci Q/MED
Authors: Liu Y. , Xie W. , Guo L. , Yang X. , Yang J. , Wang S. , Wu Q. , Zhou X. , Zhang Y. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSex determination genes are important regulators of reproduction as well as of the development of both behavioural and morphological sex characteristics. The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is an emerging insect pest worldwide. The recent release of the genome sequence of the highly invasive B. tabaciQ/MED allows us to investigate the mechanisms and genes involved in sex determination. The combined genome and transcriptome‐wide analyses identified 26 genes putatively associated with sex determination in B. tabaciQ/MED. The temporal profiles of these genes exhibited a consistent expression pattern at all B. tabaci developmental stages: the highest transcript levels were detected in eggs (21 genes, 80.8%) and the lowest in adults (24 genes, 92.3%). The expression pattern was further validated by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription PCR analysis. Alternative splicing analysis found that (1) da and mle have sex‐specific isoforms in B. tabaci adults, whereas Imp does not, and (2) exon skipping is a common splicing mechanism involved in B. tabaci sex determination. This research provides a comprehensive list of genes involved in B. tabaci sex determination and provides an opportunity to further understand the mechanisms underlying sex determination in a globally invasive insect pest that reproduces both sexually and asexually.
Expected inflation and the sacrifice ratio
Authors: Daniels Joseph P. , Mazumder Sandeep , VanHoose David D. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUsing inflation forecasts from the OECD Economic Outlook as proxy measures of inflation expectations, we examine the impact of inflation expectations on the sacrifice ratio for 20 OECD countries. The regression analysis considers four different empirical models of the determinants of the sacrifice ratio typically found in the existing literature. The impact of the level of inflation expectations is negative and significant, implying that a higher level of expected inflation is associated with lower sacrifice ratios. This result is consistent with the theoretical role of nominal wage and price rigidities in that reductions in wage and price stickiness diminish the tradeoffs between disinflations and output losses. Interaction effects indicate that higher levels of expected inflation allow policymakers to pursue ‘cold turkey’ inflation reductions even more aggressively. The effect of the change in inflation expectations is negative and significant, implying that faster adjusting inflation expectations are associated with lower sacrifice ratios.
New Directions in EU Foreign Policy Governance: Cross‐loading, Leadership and Informal Groupings
Authors: Aggestam Lisbeth , Bicchi Federica 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis article explores new patterns of interaction in foreign affairs among European Union (EU) Member States post‐Lisbon, which have increased reliance on horizontal and informal practices. It argues that cross‐loading among Member States outside EU institutions has moved centre stage and contributed to smaller groups of like‐minded Member States working together. This shift challenges much of our understanding of Europeanization, which is based on vertical forms of uploading and downloading. We illustrate these dynamics using the case of Sweden's recognition of Palestine in October 2014. While this seemed to break away from the established EU consensus, Sweden's decision aimed at leading the way and imparting momentum, especially within the like‐minded group of EU countries. Rather than being an example of de‐Europeanization, this case shows how Member States can seek new ways of exerting influence in the post‐Lisbon environment.
Liberty: Security dilemmas and party cohesion in the European Parliament
Authors: Chiru Mihail , Stoian Valentin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe European Parliament is an increasingly central actor in attempts to regulate surveillance and find the balance between safeguarding personal freedoms and ensuring EU citizens’ security. However, virtually nothing is known about what drives the positions of MEPs on this issue, or about how the cohesion of European parties is affected by these attempts. We explore this subject and propose a novel theoretical framework focusing on the interplay between the characteristics of the two principals of the MEPs – European party groups and national parties. We tested the model by analysing the votes held on the two most salient directives adopted in this field. The findings indicate that national parties’ ideological positions, and the differences between them and the European parties in the salience assigned to human rights and law and order, predict to a great extent both MEP votes on the directives and dissent from the European party line.
Cutaneous microangiopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes: Impaired vascular endothelial growth factor expression and its correlation with neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy
Authors: Sugimoto Kazuhiro , Murakami Hiroshi , Deguchi Takahisa , Arimura Aiko , Daimon Makoto , Suzuki Susumu , Shimbo Takuro , Yagihashi Soroku 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAims/IntroductionTo examine the three‐dimensional morphology and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression of skin microvasculature in patients with type 2 diabetes in relation to neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy.Materials and MethodsThe present study enrolled 17 individuals with type 2 diabetes and 16 without. Skin sections were double‐immunostained for type IV collagen and VEGF‐A or protein gene product 9.5. Projected images from confocal microscopy served to quantify the occupancy rate of subepidermal type IV collagen‐immunoreactive microvascular basement membrane area (OR‐T4MBM), subepidermal VEGF‐A‐immunoreactive area and the VEGF/T4MBM ratio, as well as the protein gene product 9.5‐immunoreactive intraepidermal nerve fiber density. Reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber density was applied for the diagnosis of neuropathy, fundic ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography for retinopathy, and microalbuminuria or persistent proteinuria for nephropathy.ResultsA total of 12 patients with diabetes had neuropathy, 10 had retinopathy and eight had nephropathy. Regardless of the presence or absence of neuropathy, retinopathy or nephropathy, OR‐T4MBM was significantly increased in patients with diabetes compared with individuals without diabetes. In contrast, VEGF/T4MBM ratio was significantly decreased in those with neuropathy and retinopathy, as well as in those with and without nephropathy, whereas a trend toward a decreased VEGF/T4MBM ratio was seen in patients without retinopathy, as compared with individuals without diabetes.ConclusionsThe present study is the first report to show that cutaneous microangiopathy, as indicated by subepidermal microvascular proliferation and impaired VEGF expression, appears to occur before the development of overt clinical neuropathy, retinopathy or nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Impact of body mass index on the efficacy and safety of ipragliflozin in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A subgroup analysis of 3‐month interim results from the Specified Drug Use Results Survey of Ipragliflozin Treatment in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Long‐term Use study
Authors: Tobe Kazuyuki , Maegawa Hiroshi , Tabuchi Hiromi , Nakamura Ichiro , Uno Satoshi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAims/IntroductionSpecified Drug Use Results Survey of Ipragliflozin Treatment in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Long‐term Use is an ongoing postmarketing study of ipragliflozin for long‐term use in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A subgroup analysis of data from the study was carried out to investigate the impact of obesity on the efficacy and safety of ipragliflozin in this population.Materials and MethodsPatients were divided into the following subgroups according to their body mass index (BMI): <22.0, 22.0 to <25.0, 25.0 to <30.0 and ≥30.0 kg/m2. Changes in bodyweight and glycemic parameters up to 3 months were evaluated, as well as adverse drug reactions (ADRs) that occurred during ipragliflozin treatment.ResultsIn the efficacy analysis set (8,633 patients), glycemic control and bodyweight statistically significantly improved from baseline to 3 months in all BMI subgroups (all P < 0.05). No strong correlations were identified between changes in bodyweight and changes in hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference or BMI in any of the subgroups. The incidence of adverse drug reactions was 6.29, 8.44, 11.18 and 11.74% in the <22.0, 22.0 to <25.0, 25.0 to <30.0 and ≥30.0 kg/m2 groups, respectively (P = 0.001), in the safety analysis set (n = 11,053 patients).ConclusionsIn Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, ipragliflozin improved glycemic control and reduced bodyweight, regardless of BMI. Adverse drug reactions were more common in patients with higher BMI than in those with lower BMI.
GheOP3S tool and START/STOPP criteria version 2 for screening of potentially inappropriate medications and omissions in nursing home residents
Authors: Stojanović Marko , Vuković Milica , Jovanović Milan , Dimitrijević Srđan , Radenković Miroslav 
Published: February 2019

AbstractRationale, aims, and objectiveThere is limited information about the comparative effectiveness of the START/STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Person's Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment) criteria and the Ghent Older People's Prescriptions community Pharmacy Screening tool (GheOP3S tool) for the screening of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in the geriatric population. Considering this, the aim of this study was to compare the ability of the START/STOPP criteria and GheOP3S tool to identify the PIP and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) among elderly patients visiting their primary care physician.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study where a total of 422 subjects were included. The Charlson Co‐morbidity Index (CCI) and the Medicines Co‐morbidity Index (MCI) for older people were used to determine the co‐morbidity status. The user's diagnosis and medications prescribed were analysed with the START/STOPP criteria and GheOP3S tool. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare these criteria. The statistical relationship between the occurrence of PIP and users' age, the number of medication prescribed, the number of diagnoses, CCI, and MCI was determined with one‐tailed bivariate correlation.ResultsThe START/STOPP criteria detected 843 PIPs and 1067 PPOs, while the GheOP3S tool detected 936 PIPs and 202 PPOs. The GheOP3S tool detected significantly more PIPs than did the STOPP criteria (P = 0.003). A significantly higher number of PPOs were detected with the START criterion (P < 0.0001). The results obtained with the START/STOPP criteria positively correlated with mentioned variables. Oppositely, there is a negative correlation between the results obtained with the GheOP3S tool and age. Still, the positive correlation could be found with the rest of the variables.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that both tested tools demonstrated efficiency to detect PIPs and PPOs. The GheOP3S tool detected significantly more PIPs than did the STOPP criteria. On the other hand, the START criteria performed much better for the screening of PPOs.
Cerebrospinal fluid levels of synaptic and neuronal integrity correlate with gray matter volume and amyloid load in the precuneus of cognitively intact older adults
Authors: Schaeverbeke Jolien , Gille Benjamin , Adamczuk Katarzyna , Vanderstichele Hugo , Chassaing Emeric , Bruffaerts Rose , Neyens Veerle , Stoops Erik , Tournoy Jos , Vandenberghe Rik , Poesen Koen 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe main pathophysiological alterations of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include loss of neuronal and synaptic integrity, amyloidogenic processing, and neuroinflammation. Similar alterations can, however, also be observed in cognitively intact older subjects and may prelude the clinical manifestation of AD. The objectives of this prospective cross‐sectional study in a cohort of 38 cognitively intact older adults were twofold: (i) to investigate the latent relationship among cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers reflecting the main pathophysiological processes of AD, and (ii) to assess the correlation between these biomarkers and gray matter volume as well as amyloid load. All subjects underwent extensive neuropsychological examinations, CSF sampling, [18F]‐flutemetamol amyloid positron emission tomography, and T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging. A factor analysis revealed one factor that explained most of the variance in the CSF biomarker dataset clustering t‐tau, α‐synuclein, p‐tau181, neurogranin, BACE1, visinin‐like protein 1, chitinase‐3‐like protein 1 (YKL‐40), Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–38. Higher scores on this factor correlated with lower gray matter volume and with higher amyloid load in the precuneus. At the level of individual CSF biomarkers, levels of visinin‐like protein 1, neurogranin, BACE1, Aβ1–40, Aβ1–38, and YKL‐40 all correlated inversely with gray matter volume of the precuneus. These findings demonstrate that in cognitively intact older subjects, CSF levels of synaptic and neuronal integrity biomarkers, amyloidogenic processing and measures of innate immunity (YKL‐40) display a latent structure of common variance, which is associated with loss of structural integrity of brain regions implicated in the earliest stages of AD.Open Science BadgesThis article has received a badge for *Open Materials* because it provided all relevant information to reproduce the study in the manuscript, and for *Preregistration* because the study was pre‐registered at https://osf.io/7qm9t/. The complete Open Science Disclosure form for this article can be found at the end of the article. More information about the Open Practices badges can be found at https://cos.io/our-services/open-science-badges/.
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Second‐line chemotherapy in biliary tract cancer: Outcome and prognostic factors
Authors: Schweitzer Nora , Kirstein Martha M. , Kratzel Anna‐Maria , Mederacke Young‐Seon , Fischer Mareike , Manns Michael P. , Vogel Arndt 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackground & AimsThe prognosis of biliary tract cancer (BTC) is poor. Standard treatment for advanced BTC is a chemotherapy (CT) with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Phase III evidence for a second‐line (2L) CT is lacking. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of a 2L CT, to estimate the outcome and to identify prognostic markers.MethodsPatients of our institution with advanced BTC between 2000 and 2015 receiving CT were included. Data were analysed in univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsThree‐hundred and fifteen and 144 patients (45.7%) received first‐line (1L) and 2L CT respectively. The OS of patients receiving 2L CT was 16.67 and 9.9 months from the beginning of 1L and 2L CT respectively. The overall response rate and the disease control rate after 3 months were 9.7% and 33.6% respectively. Adverse events of grade 3 or more were observed in 26.1%. One patient died of gemcitabine‐related haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Age of more than 70 years was not associated with a poor outcome. In multivariate analysis, CEA levels of >3 µg/L (P = 0.004, hazard ratio [HR] 1.89, 95% CI 1.22, 2.91), cholinesterase (CHE) levels of <5 kU/L (P = 0.001, HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.34, 3.31) and leukocytosis (P = 0.001, HR 2.90, 95% CI 1.51, 5.56) were associated with poor survival.ConclusionsDespite a relevant toxicity, our data suggest that 2L CT may be feasible in fit BTC patients. CEA elevation, leukocytosis and low CHE levels are unfavourable prognostic markers. Results from prospective randomized trials are urgently awaited.