bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HIV continuum of care in Europe and Central Asia
Authors: Drew RS , Rice B , Rüütel K , Delpech V , Attawell KA , Hales DK , Velasco C , Amato‐Gauci AJ , Pharris A , Tavoschi L , Noori T 
Published: January 2017

ObjectivesThe European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) supports countries to monitor progress in their response to the HIV epidemic. In line with these monitoring responsibilities, we assess how, and to what extent, the continuum of care is being measured across countries.MethodsThe ECDC sent out questionnaires to 55 countries in Europe and Central Asia in 2014. Nominated country representatives were questioned on how they defined and measured six elements of the continuum. We present our results using three previously described frameworks [breakpoints; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 90‐90‐90 targets; diagnosis and treatment quadrant].ResultsForty countries provided data for at least one element of the continuum. Countries reported most frequently on the number of people diagnosed with HIV infection (37; 93%), and on the number in receipt of antiretroviral therapy (ART) (35; 88%). There was little consensus across countries in their approach to defining linkage to, and retention in, care. The most common breakpoint (>19% reduction between two adjacent elements) related to the estimated number of people living with HIV who were diagnosed (18 of 23; 78%).ConclusionsWe present continuum data from multiple countries that provide both a snapshot of care provision and a baseline against which changes over time in care provision across Europe and Central Asia may be measured. To better inform HIV testing and treatment programmes, standard data collection approaches and definitions across the HIV continuum of care are needed. If countries wish to ensure an unbroken HIV continuum of care, people living with HIV need to be diagnosed promptly, and ART needs to be offered to all those diagnosed.
Critical analysis of aqueous tape casting, sintering, and characterization of planar Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia electrolytes for SOFC
Authors: Goulart Celso , de Souza Dulcina 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTape casting is an established forming technique for several industries, however, researches focus more on slurry composition. In this work, the combined use of design of experiment and materials characterization techniques showed tape casting process parameters have great influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of green tapes. Formulation and processing optimization allowed obtaining YSZ green tapes with good mechanical characteristics and homogeneous microstructure without laminating step. The optimized sintering schedule and sintering load allowed obtaining planar electrolytes with high density, tensile strength, and electrical conductivity. This work provides an environmental friendly procedure for large‐scale production of SOFCs planar electrolytes.
Are first‐year nursing students' lifestyles coherent with their future career?
Authors: Rodriguez‐Gazquez Maria , Chaparro‐Hernandez Sara , González‐López José Rafael 
Published: January 2017

AbstractNursing students are going to be professionals in the near future, and as carers, it will be essential for them to behave in a way that will allow them to have a positive influence on the health of others as well as their own health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lifestyles of first‐year nursing students of 2 universities (one in Spain and the other in Colombia). A cross‐sectional descriptive study design using validated surveys was adopted. A sample of 140 nursing students enrolled in 2014 in their first year of 2 universities (Seville in Spain, n = 37, and Antioquia in Colombia, n = 93) self‐reported the FANTASTICO Lifestyle checklist. Findings reveal that (1) the lifestyles are not appropriate in 1 of 3 of nursing students in both universities and (2) there are statistically significant differences for family items, positive thinkers, the use of safety belts, and alcohol consumption before driving. A high proportion of the study's participants have inappropriate lifestyles that involve risks for the deferred development of chronic diseases. It is necessary for universities to develop educational interventions in the design of nursing degrees to strengthen healthy behaviours during training.
Experimental tests of host–virus coevolution in natural killer yeast strains
Authors: Pieczynska M. D. , Korona R. , De Visser J. A. G. M. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractFungi may carry cytoplasmic viruses that encode anticompetitor toxins. These so‐called killer viruses may provide competitive benefits to their host, but also incur metabolic costs associated with viral replication, toxin production and immunity. Mechanisms responsible for the stable maintenance of these endosymbionts are insufficiently understood. Here, we test whether co‐adaptation of host and killer virus underlies their stable maintenance in seven natural and one laboratory strain of the genus Saccharomyces. We employ cross‐transfection of killer viruses, all encoding the K1‐type toxin, to test predictions from host–virus co‐adaptation. These tests support local adaptation of hosts and/or their killer viruses. First, new host–virus combinations have strongly reduced killing ability against a standard sensitive strain when compared with re‐constructed native combinations. Second, viruses are more likely to be lost from new than from original hosts upon repeated bottlenecking or the application of stressful conditions. Third, host fitness is increased after the re‐introduction of native viruses, but decreased after the introduction of new viruses. Finally, rather than a trade‐off, original combinations show a positive correlation between killing ability and fitness. Together, these results suggest that natural yeast killer strains and their viruses have co‐adapted, allowing the transition from a parasitic to a mutualistic symbiosis.
Columnar islands in Barrett's esophagus: Do they impact Prague C&M criteria and dysplasia grade?
Authors: Epstein Jeremy A , Cosby Hilary , Falk Gary W , Khashab Mouen A , Kiesslich Ralf , Montgomery Elizabeth A , Wang Jean S , Canto Marcia Irene 
Published: January 2017

AbstractBackground and AimThe standard for classifying Barrett's metaplasia on endoscopy, the Prague C&M criteria, ignores all islands of metaplastic‐appearing tissue. The aims of the present study were to measure the prevalence of columnar islands, quantify their impact on metaplasia extent, and determine if they harbor advanced dysplasia.MethodsData from two prospective patient cohorts were retrospectively analyzed. They included adults who underwent upper endoscopy to evaluate for gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus (BE), dysplasia, or adenocarcinoma between 2003 and 2012 at tertiary care centers in the USA and Germany. The BE pattern, location, and pathology were examined. The extent of BE as defined by the Prague criteria (disregarding the location of islands) was compared with the complete maximal extent of BE (incorporating the location of islands).ResultsA total of 555 patients underwent endoscopy (mean age 60.1 years, 67.2% male, 91.9% white). Among those patients, 191 (34.4%) showed metaplastic‐appearing mucosa in islands. Endoscopically, in 101 (52.9%) cases, islands were proximal to the farthest segment of BE as defined by the Prague M location. Histologically, intestinal metaplasia was confirmed in 60 (58.8%) of the 102 esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) where islands were biopsied. In 41 (40.2%) cases, the histologically confirmed BE islands extended farther than the maximal segment based on the Prague criteria. Pathology from biopsies of islands either changed the diagnosis or worsened the BE dysplasia grade in 16 (15.7%) of the 102 patients.ConclusionsColumnar islands are commonly seen on EGD. The Prague C&M criteria may underestimate the maximal extent of BE and overlook the area of highest dysplasia grade.
Structure similarity‐guided image binarization for automatic segmentation of epidermis surface microstructure images
Authors: ZOU Y. , LEI B. , DONG F. , XU G. , SUN S. , XIA P. 
Published: January 2017

SummaryPartitioning epidermis surface microstructure (ESM) images into skin ridge and skin furrow regions is an important preprocessing step before quantitative analyses on ESM images. Binarization segmentation is a potential technique for partitioning ESM images because of its computational simplicity and ease of implementation. However, even for some state‐of‐the‐art binarization methods, it remains a challenge to automatically segment ESM images, because the grey‐level histograms of ESM images have no obvious external features to guide automatic assessment of appropriate thresholds. Inspired by human visual perceptual functions of structural feature extraction and comparison, we propose a structure similarity‐guided image binarization method. The proposed method seeks for the binary image that best approximates the input ESM image in terms of structural features. The proposed method is validated by comparing it with two recently developed automatic binarization techniques as well as a manual binarization method on 20 synthetic noisy images and 30 ESM images. The experimental results show: (1) the proposed method possesses self‐adaption ability to cope with different images with same grey‐level histogram; (2) compared to two automatic binarization techniques, the proposed method significantly improves average accuracy in segmenting ESM images with an acceptable decrease in computational efficiency; (3) and the proposed method is applicable for segmenting practical EMS images. (Matlab code of the proposed method can be obtained by contacting with the corresponding author.)
Finance and Growth at the Firm Level: Evidence from SBA Loans
Authors: BROWN J. DAVID , EARLE JOHN S. 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTWe analyze linked databases on all SBA loans and lenders and on all U.S. employers to estimate the effects of financial access on employment growth. Estimation exploits the long panels and variation in local availability of SBA‐intensive lenders. The results imply an increase of 3–3.5 jobs for each million dollars of loans, suggesting real effects of credit constraints. Estimated impacts are stronger for younger and larger firms and when local credit conditions are weak, but we find no clear evidence of cyclical variation. We estimate taxpayer costs per job created in the range of $21,000–$25,000.
Correlated Default and Financial Intermediation
Authors: PHELAN GREGORY 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTFinancial intermediation naturally arises when knowing how loan payoffs are correlated is valuable for managing investments but lenders cannot easily observe that relationship. I show this result using a costly enforcement model in which lenders need ex post incentives to enforce payments from defaulted loans and borrowers' payoffs are correlated. When projects have correlated outcomes, learning the state of one project (via enforcement) provides information about the states of other projects. A large correlated portfolio provides ex post incentives for enforcement. Thus, intermediation dominates direct lending, and intermediaries are financed with risk‐free deposits, earn positive profits, and hold systemic default risk.
Outcomes in Elderly Patients With Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions Undergoing Orbital Atherectomy
Authors: Lee Michael S. , Shlofmitz Evan , Lluri Gentian , Shlofmitz Richard A. 
Published: January 2017

ObjectivesWe evaluated the clinical outcomes of elderly patients who underwent orbital atherectomy for the treatment of severe coronary artery calcification (CAC) prior to stenting.BackgroundPercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of severe CAC is associated with worse clinical outcomes including death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR). The elderly represents a high‐risk group of patients, often have more comorbid conditions, and have worse outcomes after PCI compared to younger patients. Clinical trials and a large multicenter registry have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of orbital atherectomy for the treatment of severe CAC. Clinical outcomes of elderly patients who undergo orbital atherectomy are unknown.MethodsOf the 458 patients, 229 were ≥75 years old (elderly) and 229 were <75 years old (younger). The primary endpoint was rate of 30‐day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), comprised of cardiac death, MI, TVR, and stroke.ResultsThe primary endpoint was similar in the elderly and younger groups (2.2% vs. 2.2%, P = 1), as were the individual endpoints of death (2.2% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.1), MI (0.9% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.65), TVR (0% vs. 0%, P = 1), and stroke (0% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.32). The rates of angiographic complications and stent thrombosis were similarly low in both groups.ConclusionsThe elderly represented a sizeable number of patients who underwent orbital atherectomy. It is a safe and effective treatment strategy for elderly patients with severe CAC as the clinical outcomes were similar to their younger counterparts. A randomized trial should further clarify the role of orbital atherectomy in these patients.
Giving Unto Others: Private Financial Transfers and Hardship Among Families With Children
Authors: Pilkauskas Natasha V. , Campbell Colin , Wimer Christopher 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPrior research shows that financial assistance from family and friends is an important source of support for families with children. Research on financial transfers has largely focused on the recipients of transfers, however. In this study, using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n ∼ 16,000 person‐waves), the authors examine the association between the provision of financial assistance to family and friends and material hardship. The results from pooled regression and fixed effects models indicate that providing financial transfers is associated with an increased risk of hardship. The most economically disadvantaged groups, single mothers, those in the bottom income tertile, and Black mothers are the most likely to experience hardship after giving a transfer. These findings have important implications for understanding why families may have difficulty meeting basic and essential needs and how social networks may exacerbate the challenges of escaping poverty and establishing economic self‐sufficiency.
Oral Rehabilitation with Implant‐Retained Overdenture in a Patient with Down Syndrome
Authors: Altintas Nuray Yilmaz , Kilic Serdar , Altintas Subutay Han 
Published: January 2017

AbstractDown syndrome, known as trisomy 21, is the most common chromosomal disorder. The disorder affects mental and systemic development as well as oral structure, including dental anomalies, high susceptibility of periodontal disease, and poor quality of alveolar bone. This report presents a case of dental rehabilitation by means of dental implants of a patient with Down syndrome. Two titanium dental implants were placed in the maxilla, and three titanium dental implants were installed in the mandible. One implant was lost during the osseointegration period. The prosthetic rehabilitation was performed with implant‐retained maxillary and mandibular overdentures with the Locator attachment system. After a 2‐year follow‐up period, the patient was doing well, and all implants were clinically stable with no signs of bone loss or inflammation. The present study emphasizes that implant‐retained overdentures with Locator attachment system could be a therapeutic option even for patients with Down syndrome. This therapy prevents crestal bone loss around the implants, improves functional and esthetic outcomes, and provides optimum oral hygiene for patients with mild mental impairment. Careful patient selection and education of patients and caregivers are essential considerations for a successful and safe treatment with dental implants in Down syndrome patients.
Pension Risk Management in the Enterprise Risk Management Framework
Authors: Lin Yijia , MacMinn Richard D. , Tian Ruilin , Yu Jifeng 
Published: January 2017

AbstractThis article presents an enterprise risk management (ERM) model for a firm that is composed of a portfolio of capital investment projects and a defined benefit (DB) plan for its workforce. The firm faces the project, operational, and hazard risks from its investment projects as well as the financial and longevity risks from its DB plan. The firm maximizes its capital market value net of pension contributions subject to constraints that control project, operational, hazard, financial, and longevity risks as well as an overall risk. The analysis illustrates the importance of integrating pension risk into the firm's ERM program by comparing firm value with and without managing pension risk with other risks in an ERM program. An ERM program considering pension effect integrates the risks of the operation and pension divisions and, thus, achieves diversification benefits between and within these two divisions. We also show how pension hedging strategies can impact the firm's net value under the ERM framework. While the existing literature suggests that a longevity swap is less expensive than a pension buy‐out because the latter is more capital intensive, this analysis shows that the buy‐out is more effective in increasing firm value.
Production of Host‐selective SV‐toxins by Stemphylium sp. Causing Brown Spot of European Pear in Japan
Authors: Tanahashi Megumu , Okuda Sakae , Miyazaki Eri , Parada Roxana Y. , Ishihara Atsushi , Otani Hiroshi , Osaki‐Oka Kumiko 
Published: January 2017

AbstractRecently, a new disease known as ‘brown spot of European pear’ caused by Stemphylium sp. appeared on the leaves, twigs and fruits of the cultivar Le Lectier in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Because Stemphylium vesicarium (teleomorph: Pleospora allii), which causes a similar disease in Europe, has been shown to produce host‐selective SV‐toxins in culture filtrates (CFs), SV‐toxin production by Stemphylium sp. in Japan was investigated. In pathogenicity tests, the pathogen induced severe necrotic spots on the leaves of the European pear cultivar Le Lectier, slight spots on cultivar La France and slight or no spots on cultivar Bartlett. The Japanese pear cultivar Nijisseiki was not affected by the pathogen. Culture filtrates of the pathogen were tested for phytotoxicity on cultivars by a leaf necrosis assay. The sensitivity of cultivars to the CFs was consistent with the susceptibility of cultivars to the pathogen infection, indicating the presence of host‐selective toxins. The toxins were purified from the CFs according to the procedure reported for SV‐toxin purification in S. vesicarium. The results indicated that Stemphylium sp. in Japan produces the same SV‐toxins as S. vesicarium in Europe.
Overexpression of rice serotonin N‐acetyltransferase 1 in transgenic rice plants confers resistance to cadmium and senescence and increases grain yield
Authors: Lee Kyungjin , Back Kyoungwhan 
Published: January 2017

AbstractWhile ectopic overexpression of serotonin N‐acetyltransferase (SNAT) in plants has been accomplished using animal SNAT genes, ectopic overexpression of plant SNAT genes in plants has not been investigated. Because the plant SNAT protein differs from that of animals in its subcellular localization and enzyme kinetics, its ectopic overexpression in plants would be expected to give outcomes distinct from those observed from overexpression of animal SNAT genes in transgenic plants. Consistent with our expectations, we found that transgenic rice plants overexpressing rice (Oryza sativa) SNAT1 (OsSNAT1) did not show enhanced seedling growth like that observed in ovine SNAT‐overexpressing transgenic rice plants, although both types of plants exhibited increased melatonin levels. OsSNAT1‐overexpressing rice plants did show significant resistance to cadmium and senescence stresses relative to wild‐type controls. In contrast to tomato, melatonin synthesis in rice seedlings was not induced by selenium and OsSNAT1 transgenic rice plants did not show tolerance to selenium. T2 homozygous OsSNAT1 transgenic rice plants exhibited increased grain yield due to increased panicle number per plant under paddy field conditions. These benefits conferred by ectopic overexpression of OsSNAT1 had not been observed in transgenic rice plants overexpressing ovine SNAT, suggesting that plant SNAT functions differently from animal SNAT in plants.
Gabapentin acutely increases the apnea–hypopnea index in older men: data from a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Piovezan Ronaldo D. , Kase Camila , Moizinho Renato , Tufik Sergio , Poyares Dalva 
Published: January 2017

SummaryAlthough drugs with sedative properties may increase the risk of airway collapse during sleep, their acute effects on the apnea–hypopnea index in older adults are under‐reported. We investigated the acute effects of gabapentin (GABA) on sleep breathing in older men without sleep apnea. A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled cross‐over pilot study using a bedtime dose of gabapentin 300 mg was conducted in eight non‐obese older men. Polysomnography measured the effects of the intervention. The apnea–hypopnea index was higher in the gabapentin arm than in the placebo arm (22.4 ± 6.1 versus 12.2 ± 4.3, P ≤ 0.05, d: 0.67), as was the oxygen desaturation index (20.6 ± 5.8 versus 10.8 ± 3.9, P ≤ 0.05, d: 0.68). The number needed to harm was four. A subset analysis demonstrated that differences in sleep respiratory parameters were present only during non‐rapid eye movement sleep, as well as only in the supine position. No adverse events were reported. Hence, gabapentin worsened sleep breathing acutely compared with placebo. Long‐term clinical trials are warranted to elucidate the clinical relevance of these findings for the safety profile of GABAergic agents.