bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimating the effective number of breeders from single parr samples for conservation monitoring of wild populations of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar
Authors: Bacles C. F. E. , Bouchard C. , Lange F. , Manicki A. , Tentelier C. , Lepais O. 
Published: January 2018

This study assesses whether the effective number of breeders (Nb) can be estimated using a time and cost‐effective protocol using genetic sibship reconstruction from a single sample of young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) for the purposes of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar population monitoring. Nb was estimated for 10 consecutive reproductive seasons for S. salar in the River Nivelle, a small population located at the rear‐edge of the species distribution area in France, chronically under its conservation limit and subjected to anthropogenic and environmental changes. Subsampling of real and simulated data showed that accurate estimates of Nb can be obtained from YOY genotypes, collected at moderate random sampling intensity, achievable using routine juvenile electrofishing protocols. Spatial bias and time elapsed since spawning were found to affect estimates, which must be accounted for in sampling designs. Nb estimated in autumn for S. salar in the River Nivelle was low and variable across years from 23 (95% C.I. 14–41) to 75 (53–101) and was not statistically correlated with the estimated number of returning adults, but it was positively correlated with the estimated number of YOY at age 9 months. Nb was found to be lower for intermediate levels of redd aggregation, suggesting that the strength of the competition between males to access females affects reproductive success variance depending on redd spatial configuration. Thus, environmental factors such as habitat availability and quality for spawning and YOY development predominate over demographic ones (number of returning adults) in driving long‐term population viability for S. salar in the River Nivelle. This study showcases Nb as an integrated parameter, encompassing demographic and ecological information about a reproductive event, relevant to the assessment of both short‐term effects of management practices and long‐term population conservation status.
Watch‐and‐wait policy versus rituximab‐combined chemotherapy in Japanese patients with intestinal follicular lymphoma
Authors: Tari Akira , Kitadai Yasuhiko , Mouri Ritsuo , Takigawa Hidehiko , Asaoku Hideki , Mihara Keiichiro , Takata Katsuyoshi , Fujihara Megumu , Yoshino Tadashi , Koga Tadashi , Fujimori Shunji , Tanaka Shinji , Chayama Kazuaki 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackground and AimFew reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of treatments for intestinal follicular lymphoma (FL) because of the limited number of patients who undergo comprehensive small intestinal examinations. This study compared the efficacy of rituximab‐combined chemotherapy in patients with asymptomatic and low tumor burden (LTB) intestinal FL, according to the criteria of the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires, with that of a “watch and wait” (W&W) approach.MethodsThe endoscopic examination for entire gastrointestinal tracts was performed in 29 Japanese patients with intestinal FL. These patients had CD21‐positive follicular dendritic cells arranged in a duodenal pattern. In a prospective, two‐center, open‐label trial, this study evaluated the efficacy of rituximab‐combined chemotherapy ([cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone] or [cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone]) and prolonged treatment with rituximab (R‐Chemo+prolongedR) in 14 patients and compared their outcomes with those of 15 patients managed with a W&W approach.ResultsFour patients managed with the W&W plan showed worsening macroscopic findings, lesion area enlargement, or clinical stage progression but stayed on this plan because they had LTB and experienced no changes in bowel function. In the R‐Chemo+prolongedR group, all patients achieved complete remission; recurrence occurred in one patient, who was subsequently managed with the W&W plan because of LTB. There were no significant differences in progression‐free survival between the two groups (P = 0.1045). Overall survival was 100% in both groups.ConclusionsThe prognoses of patients with asymptomatic intestinal FL and LTB who were managed with a W&W strategy were comparable with those of patients receiving R‐Chemo+prolongedR.
Autosomal recessive congenital cataract in captive‐bred vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops)
Authors: Magwebu Zandisiwe E. , Abdul‐Rasool Sahar , Seier Jürgen V. , Chauke Chesa G. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the study was to evaluate the genetic predisposition of congenital cataract in a colony of captive‐bred vervet monkeys.MethodsFour congenital cataract genes: glucosaminyl (N‐acetyl) transferase 2 (GCNT2), heat shock transcription factor 4 (HSF4), crystallin alpha A (CRYAA) and lens intrinsic membrane protein‐2 (LIM2) were screened, sequenced and analysed for possible genetic variants in 36 monkeys. Gene expression was also evaluated in these genes.ResultsFifteen sequence variants were identified in the coding regions of three genes (GCNT2, HSF4 and CRYAA). Of these variations, only three were missense mutations (M258V, V16I and S24N) and identified in the GCNT2 transcripts A, B and C, respectively, which resulted in a downregulated gene expression.ConclusionAlthough the three missense mutations in GCNT2 have a benign effect, a possibility exists that the candidate genes (GCNT2, HSF4 and CRYAA) might harbour mutations that are responsible for total congenital cataract.
Subsequent Unintended Pregnancy Among US Women Who Receive or Are Denied a Wanted Abortion
Authors: Aztlan Evelyn Angel , Foster Diana Greene , Upadhyay Ushma 
Published: January 2018

IntroductionSeventeen percent of women in the United States experience more than one unintended pregnancy in their lifetimes. However, few studies examine how the resolution of unintended pregnancy, whether in birth or abortion, affects the likelihood of a subsequent unintended pregnancy. Our objective was to determine whether receiving or being denied a wanted abortion is associated with subsequent unintended pregnancy.MethodsThe Turnaway Study, a 5‐year, prospective cohort study, followed women who sought an abortion at one of 30 abortion facilities across the United States between 2008 and 2010. Secondary analysis of the Turnaway data analyzed the effects of various factors on time to subsequent unintended pregnancy.ResultsBy 5 years, the rate of unintended pregnancy was 42 per 100 women with no difference between those who received and those who were denied a wanted abortion. Women aged 35 to 46 years (vs those aged 20‐24 years), women with a college degree (vs women who had completed high school or obtained a general education diploma), and foreign‐born (vs native‐born) women had a reduced rate of a subsequent unplanned pregnancy (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16‐0.57; AHR, 0.54, 95% CI, 0.30‐0.97; AHR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25‐0.77, respectively). Higher parity and a history of depression were positively associated with a higher rate of subsequent unintended pregnancy. There was no difference in the outcomes of these unintended pregnancies by study group; approximately one‐sixth ended in miscarriage and one‐quarter of subsequent unintended pregnancies ended in abortion.DiscussionNeither receiving nor being denied abortion is associated with subsequent unintended pregnancy risk. Other factors such as nativity, parity, age, and mental health history are associated with multiple unintended pregnancies. Ensuring access to abortion services will not increase the likelihood that women will experience subsequent unintended pregnancies.
Purinergic signaling in oligodendrocyte development and function
Authors: Welsh Taylor G. , Kucenas Sarah 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMyelin, an insulating membrane that enables rapid action potential propagation, is an essential component of an efficient, functional vertebrate nervous system. Oligodendrocytes, the myelinating glia of the central nervous system (CNS), produce myelin throughout the CNS, which requires continuous proliferation, migration, and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Because myelination is essential for efficient neurotransmission, researchers hypothesize that neuronal signals may regulate the cascade of events necessary for this process. The ability of oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to detect and respond to neuronal activity is becoming increasingly appreciated, although the specific signals involved are still a matter of debate. Recent evidence from multiple studies points to purinergic signaling as a potential regulator of oligodendrocyte development and differentiation. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its derivatives are potent signaling ligands with receptors expressed on many populations of cells in the nervous system, including cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage. Release of ATP into the extracellular space can initiate a multitude of signaling events, and these downstream signals are specific to the particular purinergic receptor (or receptors) expressed, and whether enzymes are present to hydrolyze ATP to its derivatives adenosine diphosphate and adenosine, each of which can activate their own unique downstream signaling cascades. This review will introduce purinergic signaling in the CNS and discuss evidence for its effects on oligodendrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and myelination. We will review sources of extracellular purines in the nervous system and how changes in purinergic receptor expression may be coupled to oligodendrocyte differentiation. We will also briefly discuss purinergic signaling in injury and diseases of the CNS.
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Echocardiographic Evaluation of the Right Atrial Area Index in Dogs with Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Vezzosi T. , Domenech O. , Iacona M. , Marchesotti F. , Zini E. , Venco L. , Tognetti R. 
Published: January 2018

BackgroundRight atrial area (RAA) is a prognostic factor in human patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Reference intervals for RAA have been described in healthy dogs.ObjectivesTo evaluate RAA indexed to the body surface area in dogs with PAH as an indicator of right atrial size, PAH severity and right‐sided congestive heart failure (R‐CHF).AnimalsA total of 119 client‐owned dogs, 48 dogs with PAH and 71 control dogs.MethodsProspective observational study. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was classified according to the tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) as mild (36–50 mmHg), moderate (51–75 mmHg), or severe (>75 mmHg). The RAA index was calculated as the RAA divided by body surface area.ResultsThe RAA index was higher in dogs with moderate PAH (13.3 cm2/m2; range, 3.4–24.7 cm2/m2) and severe PAH (12.1 cm2/m2; range, 5.4–21.8 cm2/m2) than in those with mild PAH (6.7 cm2/m2; range, 4.8–10.7 cm2/m2) or in controls (7.3 cm2/m2; range, 4.2–10.2 cm2/m2; P < 0.001). The RAA index was higher (P < 0.0001) in dogs with R‐CHF (17.5 cm2/m2; range, 12.7–24.7 cm2/m2) compared to those without R‐CHF (7.6 cm2/m2; range, 4.4–19.4 cm2/m2). The most accurate cutoff value of the RAA index to identify R‐CHF was >12.3 cm2/m2 (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 89.5%). In dogs with PAH, severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) was the only independent predictor of RAA index based on multivariate analysis (P < 0.02).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe RAA index can be used to evaluate right atrial size in dogs and may be more effective than TRPG in predicting R‐CHF in dogs with PAH. The severity of TR is the main determinant of the RAA index in dogs with PAH.
Improvement of hepatic fibrosis and patient‐reported outcomes in non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis treated with selonsertib
Authors: Younossi Zobair M. , Stepanova Maria , Lawitz Eric , Charlton Michael , Loomba Rohit , Myers Robert P. , Subramanian Mani , McHutchison John G. , Goodman Zachary 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundPatient‐reported outcomes (PROs) represent patients’ perspective about their well‐being.AimTo assess PRO changes in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) after treatment with selonsertib (SEL) and to associate them with different biomarkers.MethodsPatients with NASH and stage 2‐3 fibrosis received SEL 6 mg or 18 mg orally QD alone or in combination with simtuzumab (SIM, 125 mg SC weekly) or SIM alone for 24 weeks. Biopsies were obtained at baseline and at treatment week 24. PROs were assessed using SF‐36, CLDQ and WPAI:SHP.ResultsSeventy‐two patients with NASH were included (54 ± 10 years, 31% male, 65% stage 3, 71% diabetes). Baseline physical health‐related PRO scores were significantly lower than population norms (P < .05). During treatment, there were no consistent differences in treatment‐emergent PRO changes between different regimens (P > .05). However, NASH subjects who experienced ≥2 decrease in NAFLD Activity Score or ≥1‐stage reduction in fibrosis showed significant improvements in their PROs (up to +15.5% of a PRO range size, P < .05). Additionally, improvements in PROs (up to +21.5%, P < .05) were noted in patients with at least 50% relative reduction in collagen, while NASH subjects with >17% increase in their collagen experienced PRO worsening (up to −13.9%, P < .05). Baseline serum CK‐18, IL‐6 and CRP significantly correlated with PROs (rho from −0.24 to −0.38, P < .05).ConclusionsA decrease in hepatic collagen is the most prominently associated with improvement of PROs in NASH patients with F2‐F3 treated with SEL. Furthermore, serum cytokines are associated with baseline PROs and with treatment‐emergent changes in PROs in patients with NASH.
Ribavirin dose management in HCV patients receiving ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir with ribavirin
Authors: Feld Jordan J. , Bernstein David E. , Younes Ziad , Vlierberghe Hans Van , Larsen Lois , Tatsch Fernando , Ferenci Peter 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackground & AimsSome individuals with hepatitis C virus infection treated with direct‐acting antivirals require ribavirin to maximize sustained virological response rates. We describe the clinical management of ribavirin dosing in hepatitis C virus‐infected patients receiving ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir with ribavirin.MethodsWe performed a post hoc analysis of patients receiving ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir with ribavirin for 12 or 24 weeks in six phase 3 trials. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression models assessed predictors associated with ribavirin dose adjustments and with developing anaemia.ResultsOf 1548 patients, 100 (6.5%) modified ribavirin dose due to haemoglobin declines, of which 99% achieved sustained virological response at 12 weeks post‐treatment. Median time to first ribavirin dose reduction was 37 days. Low baseline haemoglobin was significantly associated with an increased risk of requiring ribavirin dose modification (odds ratio: 0.618 [0.518, 0.738]; P < .001) and developing anaemia (odds ratio: 0.379 [0.243, 0.593]; P < .001).ConclusionsRibavirin dose reductions were infrequent, occurred early in treatment, and did not impact sustained virological response at 12 weeks post‐treatment. Patients with low baseline haemoglobin should be monitored for on‐treatment anaemia.
The semantics ofmany, much, few, andlittle
Authors: Rett Jessica 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe wordsmany, much, few,andlittle(and their cross‐linguistic counterparts) are quite unusual semantically. They have traditionally been characterized as quantifiers (likeevery) or adjectives (liketall); however, these analyses can only account for instances of these terms in which they encode information about an individual or a set of individuals, as they do when they occur prenominally (in e.g.,much traffic). Recent degree‐semantic analyses instead characterize the meaning of these words in terms of intervals or sets of degrees; this accounts for their canonical uses and uses in which they don't appear to be ranging over individuals (as in their differential use, e.g.,much taller).
The Data Hustle: How Beneficiaries Benefit from Continual Data Collection and Humanitarian Aid Research in the Somali Region of Ethiopia
Authors: Carruth Lauren 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBased on ethnographic and policy research in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, this article examines how contemporary trends in the humanitarian relief industry to mandate continual data collection, “accountability,” and the “localization” of aid have increased demands for participatory and intensive research methodologies in crisis‐affected communities. International humanitarian relief agencies hustle to hire local staffs and recruit enough participants for their repeated research projects, while at the same time, the so‐called beneficiaries of aid also hustle to participate in data collection as paid informants and temporary employees. Research is an important side gig for many beneficiaries, and beneficiaries’ regular participation is vital to reforming humanitarian practice. Beneficiaries are not therefore passive recipients of charity, but actively help produce the representations of crisis and suffering that, in turn, potentially qualify them for aid. Their indispensability and activity within contemporary humanitarian “audit cultures” therefore present emergent but limited forms of counter‐hegemonic power.
Salvinorin A ameliorates cerebral vasospasm through activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Sun Juan , Zhang Yan , Lu Jianfei , Zhang Weiguang , Yan Junhao , Yang Lei , Zhou Changman , Liu Renyu , Chen Chunhua 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to demonstrate the potential of salvinorin A (SA) for cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and investigate mechanisms of therapeutic effect using rat SAH model.MethodsSalvinorin A was injected intraperitoneally, and the neurobehavioral changes were observed at 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after SAH. Basilar artery was observed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The inner diameter and thickness of basilar artery were measured. The morphological changes and the apoptosis in CA1 area of hippocampus were detected. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were detected by ELISA kit. The protein expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and aquaporin‐4 (AQP‐4) was determined by Western blot for potential mechanism exploration.ResultsSalvinorin A administration could relieve neurological deficits, decrease the neuronal apoptosis, and alleviate the morphological changes in CA1 area of hippocampus. SA alleviated CVS by increasing diameter and decreasing thickness of basilar artery, and such changes were accompanied by the decreased concentration of ET‐1 and increased level of NO. Meanwhile, SA increased the expression of eNOS and decreased the expression of AQP‐4 protein in the basilar artery and hippocampus.ConclusionsSalvinorin A attenuated CVS and alleviated brain injury after SAH via increasing expression of eNOS and NO content, and decreasing ET‐1 concentration and AQP‐4 protein expression.
Determination of Near‐Optimal Restoration Programs for Transportation Networks Following Natural Hazard Events Using Simulated Annealing
Authors: Hackl Jürgen , Adey Bryan T. , Lethanh Nam 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDisruptive events, such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, may disrupt the service provided by transportation networks on a vast scale, as their occurrence is likely to cause multiple objects to fail simultaneously. The restoration program following a disruptive event should restore service as much, and as fast, as possible. The estimation of risk due to natural hazards must take into consideration the resilience of the network, which requires estimating the restoration program as accurately as possible. In this article, a restoration model using simulated annealing is formulated to determine near‐optimal restoration programs following the occurrence of hazard events. The objective function of the model is to minimize the costs, taking into consideration the direct costs of executing the physical interventions, and the indirect costs that are being incurred due to the inadequate service being provided by the network. The constraints of the model are annual and total budget constraints, annual and total resource constraints, and the specification of the number and type of interventions to be executed within a given time period. The restoration model is demonstrated by using it to determine the near‐optimal restoration program for an example road network in Switzerland following the occurrence of an extreme flood event. The strengths and weaknesses of the restoration model are discussed, and an outlook for future work is given.
Nitrergic signaling via interstitial cells of Cajal and smooth muscle cells influences circular smooth muscle contractility in murine colon
Authors: Beck K. , Friebe A. , Voussen B. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundRegulation of gastrointestinal motility involves excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Nitric oxide (NO), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, acts via its receptor NO‐sensitive guanylyl cyclase (NO‐GC). In the GI tract, NO‐GC is expressed in several cell types such as smooth muscle cells (SMC) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). Using cell‐specific knockout mice, we have previously shown that NO‐GC modulates spontaneous contractions in colonic longitudinal smooth muscle. However, its detailed role in the colonic circular smooth muscle is still unclear.MethodsMyography was performed to evaluate spontaneous contractions in rings of proximal colon (2.5 mm) from global (GCKO) and cell‐specific knockout mice for NO‐GC. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were used to specify NO‐GC expression.Key resultsColonic circular smooth muscle showed three different contraction patterns: high‐frequency ripples, slow phasic contractions, and large contractions. Ripples formed independently of NO‐GC. Slow phasic contractions occurred intermittently in WT, SMC‐GCKO, and ICC‐GCKO tissue, whereas they were more prominent and prolonged in GCKO and SMC/ICC‐GCKO tissue. Tetrodotoxin and the NO‐GC inhibitor ODQ transformed slow phasic contractions of WT and single cell‐specific knockout into GCKO‐like contractions. ODQ increased the frequency of large contractions in WT and ICC‐GCKO colon but not in GCKO, SMC‐GCKO, and SMC/ICC‐GCKO preparations. Tetrodotoxin and hexamethonium abolished large contractions.Conclusions and InferencesWe conclude that short rings of murine colon can be effectively used to record spontaneous contractions. Although NO‐GC in SMC determines smooth muscle tone, concerted action of NO‐GC in both SMC and ICC modulates slow phasic contractions and large contractions.
Updates on obesity pharmacotherapy
Authors: Velazquez Amanda , Apovian Caroline M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that necessitates a multidisciplinary approach to management. Behavioral changes are the foundation to management, but adjunctive therapy is often warranted, including pharmacologic therapies and/or bariatric surgery. Until recently, treatment options included only short‐term therapy (≤12 weeks), and paths beyond that schedule were challenging, as knowledge of the biology of obesity was lacking. With increased recognition of obesity as a chronic, complex medical disease, newer agents have been approved as long‐term therapy, and the cornerstone of treatment is chronic behavior and lifestyle change. In the last decade, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several new weight loss medications for the chronic management of obesity. In this review paper, we provide the latest updates on obesity pharmacotherapy. The main areas we will cover include (1) pharmacological management of obesity, (2) a review of FDA‐approved weight loss medications, (3) comanagement of obesity and its metabolic sequelae (type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia), and (4) obesity‐centric prescribing for mental illness, neurological disorders, and contraceptive planning.