bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dulaglutide 1.5 mg as an add‐on option for patients uncontrolled on insulin: Subgroup analysis by age, duration of diabetes and baseline glycated haemoglobin concentration
Authors: Pantalone Kevin M. , Patel Hiren , Yu Maria , Fernández Landó Laura 
Published: February 2018

AimsTo assess efficacy and safety of dulaglutide 1.5 mg combined with insulin, categorized by subgroups of baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; ≤9% and >9% [≤74.9 and >74.9 mmol/mol]), age (<65 and ≥65 years), and duration of diabetes (<10 and ≥10 years) at 6 months in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).Materials and methodsThis pooled analysis was conducted in a population of patients with T2D with similar baseline characteristics who were included in the AWARD‐4 and AWARD‐9 clinical trials and randomized to dulaglutide 1.5 mg (pooled mean baseline age 59 years, duration of diabetes 13 years, HbA1c 8.4% [68.3 mmol/mol]). Weight and hypoglycaemia were analysed by individual trial. In AWARD‐4, dulaglutide plus lispro three times daily was assessed against glargine plus lispro three times daily. In AWARD‐9, dulaglutide added to glargine was assessed against placebo added to glargine. Insulins were titrated to target in both trials.ResultsA total of 445 patients were included in this analysis (73% with HbA1c ≤9%, 27% [≤74.9 mmol/mol] with HbA1c >9% [>74.9 mmol/mol]; 70% aged <65 years, 30% aged ≥65 years; 36% with duration of diabetes <10 years, 64% with duration of diabetes ≥10 years). At 6 months, dulaglutide 1.5 mg significantly reduced HbA1c in all subgroups (P < .001), with the highest reduction observed in patients with baseline HbA1c >9% (>74.9 mmol/mol) (range − 1.3% to −2.5% [−14.2 to −27.3 mmol/mol]). The incidence rates of documented symptomatic and severe hypoglycaemia were similar in all subgroups in both trials. The most common adverse events observed in each trial were gastrointestinal in nature.ConclusionDulaglutide 1.5 mg combined with basal or prandial insulin is efficacious for patients with T2D irrespective of age, duration of diabetes or baseline HbA1c.
Direct medical costs of diabetes mellitus in the year of mortality and year preceding the year of mortality
Authors: Wong Carlos K. H. , Jiao Fangfang , Tang Eric H. M. , Tong Thaison , Thokala Praveen , Lam Cindy L. K. 
Published: February 2018

AimTo report the health resource use and estimate the direct medical costs among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the year of mortality and the year preceding the year of mortality.Materials and methodsWe analysed data from a population‐based, retrospective cohort study including all adults with a DM diagnosis in Hong Kong between 2009 and 2013, and who died between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013. The annual direct medical costs in the year of mortality and the year preceding the year of mortality were determined by summing the costs of health services utilized within the respective year. The costs were analysed by gender, the presence of comorbidities, diabetic complications and primary cause of death.ResultsA total of 10 649 patients met the eligibility criteria for analysis. On average, the direct medical costs in the year of death were 1.947 times higher than those in the year before death. Men and women with DM incurred similar costs in the year preceding the year of mortality and in the mortality year. Patients with any diabetic complications incurred greater costs in the year of mortality and the year before mortality than those without.ConclusionsThis analysis provides new evidence on incorporating additional direct medical costs in the mortality year, and refining the structure of total cost estimates for use in costing and cost‐effectiveness analyses of interventions for DM.
Competition between the native and the introduced hornets Vespa crabro and Vespa velutina: a comparison of potentially relevant life‐history traits
Authors: CINI ALESSANDRO , CAPPA FEDERICO , PETROCELLI IACOPO , PEPICIELLO IRENE , BORTOLOTTI LAURA , CERVO RITA 
Published: February 2018

1. Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity. In addition to predation and parasitism, native species might suffer from competition when invasive alien species occupy a similar ecological niche.2. This study focused on the potential interspecific interaction between two hornets: the Asian yellow‐legged hornet, Vespa velutina, a high‐concern invasive alien species recently arrived in Europe; and the native European hornet, Vespa crabro. The two species share a similar ecological niche and V. velutina is rapidly expanding across Europe, which suggests that V. crabro might suffer from competition.3. Under laboratory‐controlled conditions, two life‐history traits that might cause the two species to compete were investigated: (i) the ability of workers to find food sources and their flexibility in exploiting them (through individual food item choice tests and exploration assays); and (ii) the worker resistance to pathogens (through immune challenge tests).4. The results show that trophic preference of both species highly overlaps, with a marked dietary preference for honeybees compared with other insect prey and non‐prey protein items. No differences were observed in the exploratory behaviour of both species. Finally, constitutive antibacterial activity was greater in workers of the native species than in workers of the invasive hornet.5. This laboratory study provides a first assessment under controlled conditions of the factors affecting competition between workers of two hornet species and proposes a framework to assess, in wild contexts, the magnitude of the competition and the impact of the introduced V. velutina on the native V. crabro.
UK shocks and Irish business cycles, 1922–79
Authors: Stuart Rebecca 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThis article examines the transmission of UK and global shocks to the Irish economy over the period 1922–79, using annual data for consumer prices and real GDP in a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model. UK aggregate demand and supply shocks have large and significant effects on Irish CPI, but smaller effects on Irish real GDP. A historical decomposition indicates that UK aggregate supply and demand shocks played a more important role than domestic shocks in the evolution of Irish CPI. In contrast, the evolution of Irish real GDP is driven more by idiosyncratic domestic shocks than by UK shocks.
Saccade frequency response to visual cues during gait in Parkinson's disease: the selective role of attention
Authors: Stuart Samuel , Lord Sue , Galna Brook , Rochester Lynn 
Published: February 2018

AbstractGait impairment is a core feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) with implications for falls risk. Visual cues improve gait in PD, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Evidence suggests that attention and vision play an important role; however, the relative contribution from each is unclear. Measurement of visual exploration (specifically saccade frequency) during gait allows for real‐time measurement of attention and vision. Understanding how visual cues influence visual exploration may allow inferences of the underlying mechanisms to response which could help to develop effective therapeutics. This study aimed to examine saccade frequency during gait in response to a visual cue in PD and older adults and investigate the roles of attention and vision in visual cue response in PD. A mobile eye‐tracker measured saccade frequency during gait in 55 people with PD and 32 age‐matched controls. Participants walked in a straight line with and without a visual cue (50 cm transverse lines) presented under single task and dual‐task (concurrent digit span recall). Saccade frequency was reduced when walking in PD compared to controls; however, visual cues ameliorated saccadic deficit. Visual cues significantly increased saccade frequency in both PD and controls under both single task and dual‐task. Attention rather than visual function was central to saccade frequency and gait response to visual cues in PD. In conclusion, this study highlights the impact of visual cues on visual exploration when walking and the important role of attention in PD. Understanding these complex features will help inform intervention development.
Impact of anemia on in‐hospital complications after ischemic stroke
Authors: Wei C.‐C. , Zhang S.‐T. , Tan G. , Zhang S.‐H. , Liu M. 
Published: February 2018

Background and purposeIn‐hospital complications after stroke represent barriers to optimal recovery and are even potentially life‐threatening. Anemia is common in stroke patients and is related to poor outcome after stroke. Less is known, however, of the association of anemia with complications. We aimed to investigate the impact of anemia on a series of in‐hospital complications after ischemic stroke.MethodsConsecutive patients with ischemic stroke within 7 days were included. Anemia on admission and its severity were defined according to World Health Organization criteria. Eight pre‐specified complications, such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and hemorrhagic transformation, were recorded during hospitalization.ResultsA total of 2647 patients were included. Anemia was present in 648 patients (24.5%), and 883 patients (33.4%) experienced at least one complication. Patients with anemia were more likely to experience one or more complications, pneumonia, GIB and thromboembolism (all P < 0.001) than patients without anemia. After adjustment for the confounders, patients with anemia had an adjusted odds ratio for at least one complication of 1.539 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.232–1.923], for pneumonia of 1.707 (95% CI, 1.345–2.167), for GIB of 2.245 (95% CI, 1.215–4.148) and for thromboembolism of 3.443 (95% CI, 1.668–7.108). The risk of at least one complication, pneumonia, GIB and thromboembolism increased with anemia severity (all P < 0.05). There was no significant association between anemia and urinary tract infection, hemorrhagic transformation, seizures and brain herniation.ConclusionAnemia is an independent predictor of in‐hospital complications following stroke, especially for pneumonia, GIB and thromboembolism. It remains to be studied whether prophylaxis and treatment of anemia would prevent in‐hospital complications.
Influence of intergenotypic competition on multigenerational persistence of abiotic stress resistance transgenes in populations of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Bigelow Patrick J. , Loescher Wayne , Hancock James F. , Grumet Rebecca 
Published: February 2018

AbstractReducing crop losses due to abiotic stresses is a major target of agricultural biotechnology that will increase with climate change and global population growth. Concerns, however, have been raised about potential ecological impacts if transgenes become established in wild populations and cause increased competitiveness of weedy or invasive species. Potential risks will be a function of transgene movement, population sizes, and fitness effects on the recipient population. While key components influencing gene flow have been extensively investigated, there have been few studies on factors subsequent to transgene movement that can influence persistence and competitiveness. Here, we performed multiyear, multigenerational, assessment to examine fitness effects and persistence of three mechanistically different abiotic stress tolerance genes: C‐repeat binding factor 3/drought responsive element binding factor 1a (CBF3/DREB1a); Salt overly sensitive 1 (SOS1); and Mannose‐6‐phosphate reductase (M6PR). Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing these genes were grown in pure populations and in competition with wild‐type (WT) parents for six generations spanning a range of field environment conditions. Growth, development, biomass, seed production, and transgene frequency were measured at each generation. Seed planted for each generation was obtained from the previous generation as would occur during establishment of a new genotype in the environment. The three transgenes exhibited different fitness effects and followed different establishment trajectories. In comparison with pure populations, CBF3 lines exhibited reduced dry weight, seed yield, and viable seed yield, relative to WT background. In contrast, overexpression of SOS1 and M6PR did not significantly impact productivity measures in pure populations. In competition with WT, negative fitness effects were magnified. Transgene frequencies were significantly reduced for CBF3 and SOS1 while frequencies of M6PR appeared to be subject to genetic drift. These studies demonstrate the importance of fitness effects and intergenotype competition in influencing persistence of transgenes conferring complex traits.
Colonizing Islands of water on dry land—on the passive dispersal of fish eggs by birds
Authors: Hirsch Philipp Emanuel , N'Guyen Anouk , Muller Roxane , Adrian‐Kalchhauser Irene , Burkhardt‐Holm Patricia 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe vast majority of global freshwater ecosystems are small lakes with less than 100 m2 surface area. These lakes are often unconnected to other water bodies but frequently host fish populations. Existing explanations for how fish colonize such remote habitats often involve birds as vectors transporting fish eggs as propagules. In this study, we aim to quantify the prevalence of these explanations among relevant societal groups as well as their scientific knowledge basis. We analyzed entries in online blogs and forums and surveyed the opinions of local stakeholders and decision makers using a questionnaire. To collect published scientific knowledge, we conducted a structured literature review. Our results reveal a discrepancy between commonly found beliefs and the empirical knowledge supporting those beliefs: Dispersal of fish eggs by water birds was overall the most frequent explanation online and in the questionnaire. In the scientific literature, however, we found hardly any empirical research on passive fish egg dispersal. We propose research directions for how to close this gap of knowledge and suggest that future empirical studies on passive fish egg dispersal may be inspired by existing work on passive dispersal in aquatic invertebrates. Mitigating the belief‐evidence discrepancy on fish dispersal will be essential to better understand the patterns of fish biodiversity across landscapes, to counteract its losses, and inform management strategies for invasive fish species.
Economic, ecological and genetic impacts of marine stock enhancement and sea ranching: A systematic review
Authors: Kitada Shuichi 
Published: February 2018

AbstractHatchery release is one of the most popular management tools in fisheries, forestry and wild life management, while its negative impacts on wild populations are a global concern. Research and monitoring of its impacts are generally lacking, and the usefulness of hatchery release for fisheries and conservation objectives is unclear. Here, I evaluated positive and negative impacts of worldwide marine stock enhancement and sea ranching programmes in a systematic review associated with meta‐analyses with the goal of reducing bias of the review. Vast numbers of individuals of more than 180 species are released into the wild each year, but most studies are at experimental stages to assess its potential, and empirical studies are sparse for evaluating the impact on fishery production. Most cases are economically unprofitable except for a few successful cases or unevaluated. The effects of releasing juveniles can be dwarfed by the magnitude of natural recruitment when the spawning stock produces much larger recruitment than released juveniles. Density‐dependent growth caused by competition of food can be substantial, and growth rates of hatchery and wild fish and other competitive species can simultaneously be reduced when stocking exceeded the carrying capacity. Relative reproductive success can vary depending on the species, seed quality and environmental factors. Empirical studies show evidence of substantial gene flow from hatcheries, but fitness reduction in stocked populations has not been reported. The results represent the current state of worldwide marine stock enhancement and sea ranching activity and provide key information for growing fields of artificial propagation and conservation.
Individual movements, home ranges and habitat use by native rheophilic cyprinids and non‐native catfish in a large regulated river
Authors: Capra H. , Pella H. , Ovidio M. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe mobility patterns of two native species, barbel, Barbus barbus (L.) and chub, Squalius cephalus (L.), and of one non‐native fish species, the catfish Silurus glanis (L.), were assessed on a 35.5‐km reach of the Upper Rhône River, a strong flowing river with notable thermal regime alterations. An active acoustic tracking technique adapted to large rivers allowed (1) the identification of longitudinal home ranges, movements and preferred habitat at large scale, and (2) the analysis of the influence of discharge and water temperature on the movement patterns of the fish. The active fish‐tracking system recorded 1,572 fish localisations over 7 months on a weekly basis for 80% of the tagged fish (37 barbel, 23 chub and 13 catfish). Compared with the catfish, barbel and chub showed wider longitudinal home ranges, more movements >1 km and higher interindividual variability. The catfish preferred artificially heated habitats with less morphological diversity. The three species were more often localised in river sections with high density of woody debris. The results suggest that habitat degradation is more damaging for cyprinids in large modified rivers, while the catfish seemed less, impacted.
Quantifying and predicting the benefits of environmental flows: Combining large‐scale monitoring data and expert knowledge within hierarchical Bayesian models
Authors: Webb J. Angus , de Little Siobhan C. , Miller Kimberly A. , Stewardson Michael J. 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Despite large investments of public funds into environmental flows programs, we have little ability to make quantitative predictions of the ecological benefits of restored flow regimes. Rather, ecological predictions in environmental flow assessments typically have been qualitative and based largely upon expert opinion. Widely applicable, quantitative models would help to justify existing flow programs and to inform future planning.

Here, we used a hierarchical Bayesian analysis of monitoring data coupled with expert‐derived prior distributions, to develop such a model. We quantified the relationship between the duration and frequency of inundation, and encroachment of terrestrial vegetation into regulated river channels. The analysis was informed by data from 27 sites on seven rivers.

We found that longer inundation durations reduce terrestrial vegetation encroachment. For example, a 50‐day continuous inundation during winter reduced predicted vegetation cover to a median of 11% (95% CI: 7%–35%) of cover predicted under non‐inundated conditions. This effect varied among sites and rivers, and was moderated by the frequency of inundation events.

The hierarchical structure improved precision of model predictions relative to simpler analysis structures. Informative prior distributions also improved precision relative to minimally informative priors.

The hierarchical Bayesian analysis allows us to make quantitative predictions of ecological response under the full range of flow conditions, allowing us to assess the benefits of planned or delivered environmental flows. It can be used to make estimates of ecological effects at sites that have not been sampled, and also to scale up site‐level results to catchment and regional scales. Quantitative predictions of ecological effects provide a more objective risk‐based approach, allowing improved planning of environmental flows and building public confidence in these major investments of public funds.
Crayfish invasion facilitates dispersal of plants and invertebrates by gulls
Authors: Lovas‐Kiss Ádám , Sánchez Marta I. , Molnár V. Attila , Valls Luis , Armengol Xavier , Mesquita‐Joanes Francesc , Green Andy J. 
Published: February 2018

Abstract

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), originally from North America, is one of the world's worst aquatic invaders. It is a favoured prey item for waterbirds, but the influence of this novel predator–prey relationship on dispersal of other organisms has not previously been considered. We investigated the potential for dispersal of plants and invertebrates by migratory waterbirds feeding on alien P. clarkii in European ricefields at harvest time.

In November–December of 2014–2015, we collected propagules from the outside of 13 crayfish captured as they moved out of ricefields during harvest in Doñana, south‐west Spain. We also collected excreta (N = 76 faeces, 14 pellets) of lesser‐black backed gull (Larus fuscus).

We recorded diaspores from at least 11 plant species (161 seeds from 10 angiosperm taxa, and 14 charophyte oogonia) on the outside of crayfish, together with 54 eggs from eight aquatic invertebrate taxa. Adults and juveniles of at least nine microcrustaceans, including the alien ostracods Hemicypris reticulata and Ankylocythere sinuosa, were also recovered from crayfish. No intact propagules were present in the digestive system of the crayfish.

Contents of regurgitated pellets confirmed P. clarkii as the main food item for gulls. Diaspores from at least 12 plant species (154 seeds from 11 angiosperm taxa, and 17 charophyte oogonia) were recovered from gull excreta, together with 129 eggs of 12 aquatic invertebrate taxa. A statoblast of the alien bryozoan Plumatella vaihiriae was found in gull faeces. Seven of the plant species are important agricultural weeds, and two are alien to Spain. Diaspores from six plant taxa were germinated, confirming viability. These propagules were from a similar set of plants and invertebrates to those found on the outside of crayfish, suggesting that propagules in gull excreta were ingested inadvertently with their crayfish prey.

Ricefields constitute a major artificial aquatic habitat covering an increasing proportion of the world's land surface and typically support native or alien crayfish. Crayfish invasion can lead to novel secondary dispersal pathways for plants and invertebrates through interactions with their predators, promoting the expansion of alien and native species (including weeds) through long‐distance dispersal via migratory waterbirds and increasing connectivity of organisms between artificial and natural ecosystems. This represents a previously overlooked impact of crayfish invasion on ecosystem services.