bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study protocol for a single-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial of Tianjiu effects in patients with intradialytic hypotension
Authors: Tsai Ming-Yen , Su Yu-Jen , Ng Hwee-Yeong , Chen Shih-Yu , Huang Yu-Chuen , Wu Chien-Hsing , Chen Yung-Hsiang 
Published: March 2016

IntroductionIntradialytic hypotension (IDH) is the most frequent complication of haemodialysis (HD) and may contribute to cardiovascular events and high mortality. The aetiology of IDH is multifactorial; therefore, it remains a challenging problem in the management of patients with HD. Since the application of Tianjiu at specific points can influence haemodynamics, we hypothesise that Tianjiu therapy at the traditionally used meridian points will reduce the severity of hypotension in patients who undergo HD.Methods/analysisIn this clinical trial, eligible patients with IDH will be divided randomly and equally into a Tianjiu group and a control group for 4 weeks. In the Tianjiu group, the patients will have Tianjiu applied at three points (conception vessel 4, and bilateral kidney 1) during each HD session. In the control group, patients will have clay patches applied in the same way as those in the Tianjiu treatment group. Both groups will be followed up for 2 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the percentage of target ultrafiltration achieved, defined as the actual ultrafiltration volume divided by the target ultrafiltration volume. Secondary outcome measures, including frequency of IDH episodes and number of nursing interventions during HD sessions, predialysis and postdialysis blood pressure (BP), patient's participative assessment of the degree of fatigue after dialysis (scale from 0, not at all, to 10, extremely), and recovery time from fatigue after dialysis will be recorded at the 0th and 4th weeks.Ethics/disseminationThis trial has undergone ethical scrutiny and been approved by the ethics review board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Permission number: 102-4749A3 and 104-3156C). The pre-results of this trial will help to determine whether Tianjiu is an effective and safe treatment for IDH, and, if so, whether it is a therapeutic effect rather than a placebo effect.Trial registration numberNCT02210377; Pre-results.
Does family-centred neonatal discharge planning reduce healthcare usage? A before and after study in South West England
Authors: Ingram Jenny C , Powell Jane E , Blair Peter S , Pontin David , Redshaw Maggie , Manns Sarah , Beasant Lucy , Burden Heather , Johnson Debbie , Rose Claire , Fleming Peter J 
Published: March 2016

ObjectiveTo implement parent-oriented discharge planning (Train-to-Home) for preterm infants in neonatal care.DesignBefore and after study, investigating the effects of the intervention during two 11-month periods before and after implementation.SettingFour local neonatal units (LNUs) in South West England.ParticipantsInfants without major anomalies born at 27–33 weeks’ gestation admitted to participating units, and their parents.Train-to-Home interventionA family-centred discharge package to increase parents’ involvement and understanding of their baby's needs, comprising a train graphic and supporting care pathways to facilitate parents’ understanding of their baby's progress and physiological maturation, combined with improved estimation of the likely discharge date.Main outcome measuresPerceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy (PMP S-E) scores, infant length of stay (LOS) and healthcare utilisation for 8 weeks following discharge.ResultsParents reported that the Train-to-Home improved understanding of their baby's progress and their preparedness for discharge. Despite a lack of change in PMP S-E scores with the intervention, the number of post-discharge visits to emergency departments (EDs) fell from 31 to 20 (p<0.05), with a significant reduction in associated healthcare costs (£3400 to £2200; p<0.05) after discharge. In both study phases, over 50% of infants went home more than 3 weeks before their estimated date of delivery (EDD), though no reduction in LOS occurred.ConclusionsDespite the lack of measurable effect on the parental self-efficacy scores, the reduction in ED attendances and associated costs supports the potential value of this approach.
Ab initio investigation of the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of the perovskite TlMnX3 (X = F, Cl) compounds
Authors: Hamioud Farida , AlGhamdi Ghadah S. , Al-Omari Saleh , Mubarak A. A. 
Published: March 2016

We have performed ab initio investigation of some physical properties of the perovskite TlMnX3 (X = F, Cl) compounds using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is employed as exchange-correlation potential. The calculated lattice constant and bulk modulus agree with previous studies. Both compounds are found to be elastically stable. TlMnF3 and TlMnCl3 are classified as anisotropic and ductile compounds. The calculations of the band structure of the studied compounds showed the semiconductor behavior with the indirect (M–X) energy gap. Both compounds are classified as a ferromagnetic due to the integer value of the total magnetic moment of the compounds. The different optical spectra are calculated from the real and the imaginary parts of the dielectric function and connected to the electronic structure of the compounds. The static refractive index [Formula: see text] is inversely proportional to the energy bandgap of the two compounds. Beneficial optics technology applications are predicted based on the optical spectra.
Kruppel-like Pluripotency Factors as Modulators of Cancer Cell Therapeutic Responses
Authors: Farrugia Mark K. , Vanderbilt Daniel B. , Salkeni Mohamad A. , Ruppert J. Michael 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Tumor cells inherit from their normal precursors an extensive stress response machinery that is critical for survival in response to challenges including oxidative stress, wounding, and shear stress. Kruppel-like transcription factors, including KLF4 and KLF5, are rarely affected by genetic alteration during tumorigenesis, but compose key components of the stress response machinery in normal and tumor cells and interact with critical survival pathways, including RAS, p53, survivin, and the BCL2 family of cell death regulators. Within tumor cells, KLF4 and KLF5 play key roles in tumor cell fate, regulating cell proliferation, cell survival, and the tumor-initiating properties of cancer stem–like cells. These factors can be preferentially expressed in embryonic stem cells or cancer stem–like cells. Indeed, specific KLFs represent key components of a cross-regulating pluripotency network in embryonic stem cells and induce pluripotency when coexpressed in adult cells with other Yamanaka factors. Suggesting analogies between this pluripotency network and the cancer cell adaptive reprogramming that occurs in response to targeted therapy, recent studies link KLF4 and KLF5 to adaptive prosurvival signaling responses induced by HER2-targeted therapy. We review literature supporting KLFs as shared mechanisms in stress adaptation and cellular reprogramming and address the therapeutic implications. Cancer Res; 76(7); 1677–82. ©2016 AACR.
Aftershocks of Pinochet’s Constitution: The Chilean Postearthquake Reconstruction
Authors: Arana Araya Ignacio 
Published: March 2016

The criticism of the reconstruction that followed the cataclysm in Chile in 2010 has centered on contingent factors including the performance of politicians. An examination of the way structural factors conditioned the governmental response to the 8.8 earthquake shows that the constitution created by the military regime shaped the reconstruction through provisions that limited vertical and horizontal accountability in intrastate and state-society relations. The subsidiary state, executive-legislative power relations, the binomial electoral system, and the appointment rather than election of regional authorities favored a recovery effort that has been underinstitutionalized, privatized, characterized by scant participation of victims, and marred by irregularities. An analysis of governmental reports, media outlets, polls, and semistructured interviews conducted with legislators, social leaders, and scholars sheds light on the relation between the constitution and the recovery. La crítica a la reconstrucción que siguió el cataclismo de 2010 en Chile se ha centrado en factores contingentes incluyendo el desempeño de los políticos. Un examen de la manera en la cual los factores estructurales condicionaron la respuesta gubernamental al terremoto de 8.8 puntos demuestra que la Constitución creado por el régimen militar configuró la reconstrucción a través de disposiciones que limitaron la responsabilidad vertical y horizontal en las relaciones intraestatales y de estado-sociedad. El estado subsidiario, las relaciones de poder ejecutivo-legislativo, el sistema electoral binomial, y el nombramiento en lugar de la elección de autoridades regionales favoreció un esfuerzo de recuperación que ha sido subinstitucionalizado, privatizado, caracterizado por escasa participación de las víctimas, y empañado por irregularidades. Un análisis de los informes gubernamentales, medios de comunicación, encuestas, y entrevistas semi-estructuradas con legisladores, líderes sociales, y académicos ilumina la relación entre la Constitución y la recuperación.
Financial viability appraisals for site-specific planning decisions in England
Authors: Crosby Neil , Wyatt Peter 
Published: March 2016

In England, appraisals of the financial viability of development schemes have become an integral part of planning policy-making, initially in determining the amount of planning obligations that might be obtained via legal agreements (known as Section 106 agreements) and latterly as a basis for establishing charging schedules for the Community Infrastructure Levy. Local planning authorities set these policies on an area-wide basis but ultimately development proposals require consent on a site-by-site basis. It is at this site-specific level that issues of viability are hotly contested. This paper examines case documents, proofs of evidence and decisions from a sample of planning disputes in order to address two research issues within development viability; the veracity and extent of the knowledge base underpinning development appraisal modelling and the distribution of the development gain between the developer, landowner and community. The paper finds that development viability appraisal is being practiced within a poorly specified and misunderstood modelling framework that compromises the equitable distribution of development land value. It also finds that the use of either market value or price paid as a basis for determining the allocation of development gain to landowners within the modelling framework allows them to maximise their return at the expense of the community by introducing an element of circularity into viability appraisal.
A proof-of-concept, randomized controlled trial of DAR-0100A, a dopamine-1 receptor agonist, for cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia
Authors: Girgis Ragy R , Van Snellenberg Jared X , Glass Andrew , Kegeles Lawrence S , Thompson Judy L , Wall Melanie , Cho Raymond Y , Carter Cameron S , Slifstein Mark , Abi-Dargham Anissa , Lieberman Jeffrey A 
Published: March 2016

Background: Evidence from preclinical and human studies indicates the presence of reduced dopamine-1 receptor (D1R) signaling in the cortex, where D1Rs predominate, in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), which may contribute to their cognitive deficits. Furthermore, studies in nonhuman primates (NHP) have suggested that intermittent administration of low doses of D1R agonists produce long-lasting reversals in cognitive deficits. The purpose of this trial was to test whether a similar design, involving subacute intermittent administration of low doses of a full, selective agonist at D1Rs, DAR-0100A, would improve cognitive deficits in SCZ. Methods: We randomized 49 clinically stable individuals with SCZ to three weeks of intermittent treatment with 0.5 mg or 15 mg of DAR-0100A, or placebo (normal saline). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) BOLD was used to evaluate the effects of drug administration on brain activity during a working memory (WM) task. Effects on cognition were also assessed using the MATRICS and the N-back task as primary endpoints. The CogState battery was used as a secondary endpoint. Results: There were no observed treatment effects on either the BOLD fMRI signal during WM tasks or the WM domains of the MATRICS. Moderate improvement was detected on the CogState battery and on the attention domain of the MATRICS. Conclusion: These results suggest that low doses of D1 agonists that do not result in measureable occupancy of the D1R do not reliably improve cognition in SCZ, unlike the observations in NHP. As this drug is limited by its pharmacokinetic profile, better D1R agonists that can achieve adequate levels of D1R occupancy are needed to test the efficacy of this mechanism for cognitive enhancement in SCZ.
Validity and reliability of the Japanese Interest Checklist for the Elderly
Authors: Nakamura-Thomas Hiromi , Kyougoku Makoto , Taylor Renee 
Published: March 2016

Introduction The validity and reliability of the Japanese Interest Checklist for the Elderly were examined. Method 687 participants responded, using the new scale system: ‘currently participate based on interest,’ ‘participate less because of health status’ or ‘no interest.’ The convergent and discriminant validity of the factorial structure were examined using two-stage Confirmatory Factor Analysis approaches. The discriminant validity and reliability of the scale system were examined using two-stage Item Response Theory approaches. Results The first Confirmatory Factor Analysis stage indicated values representing good (factor loadings: 0.99–0.75; Comparative Fit Index: 0.99; Tucker-Lewis Index: 0.98) to adequate (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation: 0.054) fit levels. Both the discriminant validity and convergent validity were identified to be high. The second Confirmatory Factor Analysis stage with a Path analysis and consideration of age and gender indicated values representing a good fit (factor loadings: 0.99–0.78; Comparative Fit Index: 0.99; Tucker-Lewis Index: 0.98; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation: 0.048). The first Item Response Theory stage indicated the values for the discriminant validity in the expected ranges; however, it displayed lower reliability in some activities. The second Item Response Theory state with the latent-class model-based multi-group Item Response Theory confirmed the pattern of invariance. Conclusion The factorial structure was valid across different groups of people. The scale system has to be improved.
Possible risk factors associated with greater damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: an Egyptian multicenter study
Authors: Hammad M , Eissa M , Fathi S 
Published: March 2016

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic multisystem autoimmune disorder. The total damage in a patient with SLE may result from SLE itself or from any other pathologic process. The aim of this study was to assess risk factors of greater damage in a sample of Egyptian SLE patients. Methods This Egyptian multicenter retrospective study included 100 SLE patients: 64 patients from Cairo University Hospitals and 36 patients from Zagazig University Hospitals. The Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index (ACR-DI) was used to document the damage in each patient. Results The total SLICC/ACR-DI score ranged from 0 to 8. A higher DI score was found in hypertensive patients, compared to normotensive patients; and among those with positive anti-phospholipid antibodies, compared to those with negative anti-phospholipid antibodies. This difference was statistically significant ( p < 0.01). Also, a higher DI score was found in cyclophosphamide users, compared to non-users; and in those with proteinuria and seizures, compared to those without; and the difference was statistically significant ( p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the DI and patient age ( p < 0.05). Conclusions Damage in SLE cannot be prevented completely, as SLE disease is considered an aggressive disease treated by aggressive medications, but rheumatologists should try to minimize damage as much as possible to maintain the patients’ health, functioning and general wellbeing.
Newborn screening for sickling and other haemoglobin disorders using tandem mass spectrometry: A pilot study of methodology in laboratories in England
Authors: Daniel Yvonne A , Henthorn Joan 
Published: March 2016

Objective To determine (i) if electrospray mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry with the SpOtOn Diagnostics Ltd reagent kit for sickle cell screening could be integrated into the English newborn screening programme, under routine screening conditions, and provide mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry results which match existing methods, and (ii) if common action values could be set for all manufacturers in the study, for all assessed haemoglobins, to indicate which samples require further investigation. Methods Anonymised residual blood spots were analysed using the SpOtOn reagent kit as per manufacturer’s instructions, in parallel with existing techniques at four laboratories. Mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry instrumentation at Laboratories A and B was AB Sciex (Warrington, UK) AP4000, and at Laboratories C and D, Waters Micromass (Manchester, UK), Xevo TQMS and Premier, respectively. Results There were 23,898 results accepted from the four laboratories. Excellent specificity at 100% sensitivity was observed for haemoglobin S, haemoglobin C, haemoglobin E and haemoglobin OArab. A common action value was not possible for Hb C, but action values were set by manufacturer. The two haemoglobin DPunjab cases at Laboratory D were not detected using the common action value. Conversely, false-positive results with haemoglobin DPunjab were a problem at the remaining three laboratories. Conclusions This multicentre study demonstrates that it is possible to implement mass spectrometry–mass spectrometry into an established screening programme while maintaining consistency with existing methods for haemoglobinopathy screening. However, one of the instruments investigated cannot be recommended for use with this application.
A quantitative study of neurochemically defined excitatory interneuron populations in laminae I–III of the mouse spinal cord
Authors: Gutierrez-Mecinas Maria , Furuta Takahiro , Watanabe Masahiko , Todd Andrew J 
Published: March 2016

Background Excitatory interneurons account for the majority of neurons in laminae I–III, but their functions are poorly understood. Several neurochemical markers are largely restricted to excitatory interneuron populations, but we have limited knowledge about the size of these populations or their overlap. The present study was designed to investigate this issue by quantifying the neuronal populations that express somatostatin (SST), neurokinin B (NKB), neurotensin, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and the γ isoform of protein kinase C (PKCγ), and assessing the extent to which they overlapped. Since it has been reported that calretinin- and SST-expressing cells have different functions, we also looked for co-localisation of calretinin and SST. Results SST, preprotachykinin B (PPTB, the precursor of NKB), neurotensin, PKCγ or calretinin were detected with antibodies, while cells expressing GRP were identified in a mouse line (GRP-EGFP) in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was expressed under control of the GRP promoter. We found that SST-, neurotensin-, PPTB- and PKCγ-expressing cells accounted for 44%, 7%, 12% and 21% of the neurons in laminae I–II, and 16%, 8%, 4% and 14% of those in lamina III, respectively. GRP-EGFP cells made up 11% of the neuronal population in laminae I–II. The neurotensin, PPTB and GRP-EGFP populations showed very limited overlap, and we estimate that between them they account for ∼40% of the excitatory interneurons in laminae I–II. SST which is expressed by ∼60% of excitatory interneurons in this region, was found in each of these populations, as well as in cells that did not express any of the other peptides. Neurotensin and PPTB were often found in cells with PKCγ, and between them, constituted around 60% of the PKCγ cells. Surprisingly, we found extensive co-localisation of SST and calretinin. Conclusions These results suggest that cells expressing neurotensin, NKB or GRP form largely non-overlapping sets that are likely to correspond to functional populations. In contrast, SST is widely expressed by excitatory interneurons that are likely to be functionally heterogeneous.
Dietary linoleic acid-induced alterations in pro- and anti-nociceptive lipid autacoids
Authors: Ramsden Christopher E , Ringel Amit , Majchrzak-Hong Sharon F , Yang Jun , Blanchard Helene , Zamora Daisy , Loewke James D , Rapoport Stanley I , Hibbeln Joseph R , Davis John M , Hammock Bruce D , Taha Ameer Y 
Published: March 2016

Background Chronic idiopathic pain syndromes are major causes of personal suffering, disability, and societal expense. Dietary n-6 linoleic acid has increased markedly in modern industrialized populations over the past century. These high amounts of linoleic acid could hypothetically predispose to physical pain by increasing the production of pro-nociceptive linoleic acid-derived lipid autacoids and by interfering with the production of anti-nociceptive lipid autacoids derived from n-3 fatty acids. Here, we used a rat model to determine the effect of increasing dietary linoleic acid as a controlled variable for 15 weeks on nociceptive lipid autacoids and their precursor n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in tissues associated with idiopathic pain syndromes. Results Increasing dietary linoleic acid markedly increased the abundance of linoleic acid and its pro-nociceptive derivatives and reduced the abundance of n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and their anti-nociceptive monoepoxide derivatives. Diet-induced changes occurred in a tissue-specific manner, with marked alterations of nociceptive lipid autacoids in both peripheral and central tissues, and the most pronounced changes in their fatty acid precursors in peripheral tissues. Conclusions The present findings provide biochemical support for the hypothesis that the high linoleic acid content of modern industrialized diets may create a biochemical susceptibility to develop chronic pain. Dietary linoleic acid lowering should be further investigated as part of an integrative strategy for the prevention and management of idiopathic pain syndromes.