bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A multicentre integration of a computer‐led follow‐up of prostate cancer is valid and safe
Authors: Salem Hesham A , Caddeo Giacomo , McFarlane Jon , Patel Kunjan , Cochrane Lynda , Soria Daniele , Henley Mike , Lund Jonathan 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveTo test a computer‐led follow‐up service for prostate cancer in two UK hospitals; the testing aimed to validate the computer expert system in making clinical decisions according to the individual patient's clinical need with a valid model accurately identify patients with disease recurrence or treatment failure based on their blood test and clinical picture.Patients and MethodsA clinical‐decision support system (CDSS) was developed from European (European Association of Urology) and national (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines along with knowledge acquired from Urologists. This model was then applied in two UK hospitals to review patients after prostate cancer treatment. These patients’ data (n = 200) were then reviewed by two independent urology consultants (blinded from the CDSS and the other consultant's rating) and the agreement was calculated by kappa statistics for validation. The second endpoint was to verify the system by estimating the system reliability.ResultsThe two individual urology consultants identified 12% and 15% of the patients to have potential disease progression and recommended their referral to urology care. The kappa coefficient for the agreement between the CDSS and the two consultants was 0.81 (P < 0.001) and 0.84 (P < 0.001). The agreement amongst both specialist was also high with k = 0.83 (P < 0.001). The system reliability was estimated on all cases and this demonstrated 100% repeatability of the decisions.ConclusionA CDSS follow‐up is a valid model for providing safe follow‐up for prostate cancer.
Preliminary validation of a self‐efficacy scale for pediatric chronic illness
Authors: Emerson N. D. , Morrell H. E. R. , Mahtani N. , Sanderson L. , Neece C. , Boyd K. C. , Distelberg B. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackgroundTracking self‐efficacy may be useful for identifying children at risk for medical noncompliance. We created the Pediatric Rating of Chronic Illness Self‐Efficacy (PRCISE) to measure self‐efficacy in youth dealing with a chronic illness.MethodData were collected from 217 families where one child aged 7–20 (Mage = 13.62, SDage = 2.92; 62.7% Latino, 58.1% female) had a chronic illness. Parent participants provided demographic information. Youth completed a depression measure, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents and the PRCISE. To determine the underlying latent structure of the scale, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted using parallel analysis. We also carried out two multiple linear regressions to explore the data and establish preliminary predictive validity.ResultsThe measure was reduced to 15 items, demonstrating a one‐factor solution with strong reliability. Predictors of lower self‐efficacy included having parents who had not attended college, being African American, and having higher Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents scores, R2 = .23, F(11, 174) = 5.62, p < .001. Main effects were qualified by a two‐way interaction, such that the decrease in PRCISE scores associated with depressive symptoms was attenuated in children with less educated parents. In terms of predictive validity, higher PRCISE scores unexpectedly predicted more number of emergency room visits, R2 = .12, F(9, 113) = 2.73, p < .01.ConclusionsThe PRCISE appears to be a reliable measure of a single self‐efficacy construct. Secondary analyses revealed important health disparities in pediatric chronic illness self‐efficacy. Next steps may include validation of the PRCISE using confirmatory factor analysis.
Human lactoferrin attenuates the proinflammatory response of neonatal monocyte-derived macrophages
Authors: Wisgrill L , Wessely I , Spittler A , Förster-Waldl E , Berger A , Sadeghi K 
Published: February 2018

Summary
Bioactive components of human milk, such as human lactoferrin (hLF), play an essential role in gut microbiome homeostasis and protection against neonatal inflammatory diseases. Neonatal intestinal macrophages display a proinflammatory profile that might contribute to inflammatory mucosal injury. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of hLF on differentiation and activation of monocyte-derived macrophages (moMϕ). Monocytes isolated from umbilical cord blood of term neonates and peripheral blood of healthy adults were differentiated in the absence or presence of hLF, and differentiation, apoptosis and phagocytosis were evaluated. Cytokine production, Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling and activation marker expression were investigated upon activation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) challenge. We demonstrate that hLF-differentiated moMϕ exhibit decreased TLR-4 expression, TLR signalling, proinflammatory cytokine secretion and intracellular tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α production. Investigation of differentiation markers, morphology and induction of apoptosis showed no alteration in lactoferrin-differentiated moMϕ. Taken together, hLF promote anergic/anti-inflammatory effects by TLR expression and pathway interference, resulting in a diminished proinflammatory moMϕ phenotype. The anergic/anti-inflammatory properties of hLF might contribute to the prevention of harmful TLR-mediated inflammatory disorders in the developing gut of premature infants.
Which is more nephrotoxic for kidney transplants: BK nephropathy or rejection?
Authors: Parajuli Sandesh , Astor Brad C. , Kaufman Dixon , Muth Brenda , Mohamed Maha , Garg Neetika , Djamali Arjang , Mandelbrot Didier A. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractLittle data exist comparing outcomes following BK nephropathy (BKN) vs acute rejection. We reviewed outcomes among recipients who had a primary diagnosis of biopsy‐proven BKN or rejection between 1 and 18 months post‐transplant. There were 96 cases of BKN and 256 cases of rejections. We compared outcomes of BKN with all rejection combined and also with cellular rejection. Seven of 256 (2.7%) patients developed BKN after treatment of rejection. Conversely, 8 of 96 (8.3%) developed rejection after BKN. The eGFR at time of diagnosis in the BKN group (33.7 ± 12.6) was lower than the rejection group (44.8 ± 23.3, P < .001). The eGFR at 6 months after diagnosis of BKN was 32.7 ± 14.9 and for rejection was 48.8 ± 20.7 (P ≤ .001). The mean eGFR at 3 years postdiagnosis was 41.6 ± 18.5 in BKN and 53 ± 21.3 for rejection (P = .001). The graft failure incidence rates were similar between 2 groups. A similar pattern was observed comparing BKN with cellular rejection. While the difference in rate of graft loss between BKN and rejection did not reach statistical significance, kidney function up to 3 years after diagnosis was worse for BKN than for rejection, suggesting that BKN is at least as damaging to kidneys as rejection.
When is a native species invasive? Incursion of a novel predatory marsupial detected using molecular and historical data
Authors: Campbell Catriona D. , Sarre Stephen D. , Stojanovic Dejan , Gruber Bernd , Medlock Kathryn , Harris Stephen , MacDonald Anna J. , Holleley Clare E. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractAimRange expansions facilitated by humans or in response to local biotic or abiotic stressors provide the opportunity for species to occupy novel environments. Classifying the status of newly expanded populations can be difficult, particularly when the timing and nature of the range expansion are unclear. Should native species in new habitats be considered invasive pests or actively conserved? Here, we present an analytical framework applied to an Australian marsupial, the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a species that preys upon on an endangered parrot in Tasmania, and whose provenance was uncertain.LocationTasmania, Australia.MethodsWe conducted an extensive search of historical records for sugar glider occurrences in Tasmania. Source material included museum collection data, early European expedition logs, community observation records, and peer‐reviewed and grey literature. To determine the provenance of the Tasmanian population, we sequenced two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene in Tasmanian animals (n = 27) and in individuals across the species' native range. We then estimated divergence times between Tasmania and southern Australian populations using phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses.ResultsWe found no historical evidence of sugar gliders occurring in Tasmania prior to 1835. All Tasmanian individuals (n = 27) were genetically identical at the three genes surveyed here with those individuals being 0.125% divergent from individuals from a population in Victoria. Bayesian analysis of divergence between Tasmanian individuals and southern Australian individuals suggested a recent introduction of sugar gliders into Tasmania from southern Australia.Main conclusionsMolecular and historical data demonstrate that Tasmanian sugar gliders are a recent, post‐European, anthropogenic introduction from mainland Victoria. This result has implications for the management of the species in relation to their impact on an endangered parrot. The analytical framework outlined here can assist environmental managers with the complex task of assessing the status of recently expanded or introduced native species.
Insuring Climate Change: New Risks and the Financialization of Nature
Authors: Keucheyan Razmig 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACTInsurance is a central institution in modern societies. Economic and technological developments generate ‘new risks’, which are often covered by new forms of insurance. Because of its underlying uncertainty — the difficulty both of predicting its effects and evaluating its costs — climate change represents a major challenge for the insurance industry. It also represents a challenge for states, who have historically played the role of insurers ‘of last resort’ in the event of catastrophes. This article examines the ongoing financialization of climate risk insurance, which is part of a larger trend of financialization of nature. Financialization, through measures such as ‘catastrophe bonds’, is the neoliberal solution to the rising costs of natural disasters which the insurance industry has experienced since the 1990s. The article analyses the effects of financialization on the insurance industry, on the state's role as insurer ‘of last resort’, and on associated forms of knowledge production (big data), critiquing the process of financialization on both economic and political grounds.
Development of bimanual performance in young children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Klevberg Gunvor L , Elvrum Ann‐Kristin G , Zucknick Manuela , Elkjær Sonja , Østensjø Sigrid , Krumlinde‐Sundholm Lena , Kjeken Ingvild , Jahnsen Reidun 
Published: February 2018

AimTo describe the development of bimanual performance among young children with unilateral or bilateral cerebral palsy (CP).MethodA population‐based sample of 102 children (53 males, 49 females), median age 28.5 months (interquartile range [IQR] 16mo) at first assessment and 47 months (IQR 18mo) at last assessment, was assessed half‐yearly with the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) or the Both Hands Assessment (BoHA) for a total of 329 assessments. Developmental limits and rates were estimated by nonlinear mixed‐effects models. Developmental trajectories were compared between levels of manual ability (Mini‐Manual Ability Classification System [Mini‐MACS] and MACS) and AHA or BoHA performance at 18 months of age (AHA‐18/BoHA‐18) for both CP subgroups, and additionally between children with bilateral CP with symmetric or asymmetric hand use.ResultsFor both CP subgroups, children classified in Mini‐MACS/MACS level I, and those with high AHA‐18 or BoHA‐18 reached the highest limits of performance. For children with bilateral CP the developmental change was small, and children with symmetric hand use reached the highest limits.InterpretationMini‐MACS/MACS levels and AHA‐18 or BoHA‐18 distinguished between various developmental trajectories both for children with unilateral and bilateral CP. Children with bilateral CP changed their performance to a smaller extent than children with unilateral CP.What this paper adds

Manual Ability Classification System levels and Assisting Hand Assessment/Both Hands Assessment performance at 18 months are important predictors of hand use development in cerebral palsy (CP).

Children with bilateral CP improved less than those with unilateral CP.

Children with bilateral CP and symmetric hand use reached higher limits than those with asymmetry.
Effect of olive oil phenolic compounds on osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Melguizo‐Rodríguez Lucía , Manzano‐Moreno Francisco Javier , De Luna‐Bertos Elvira , Rivas Ana , Ramos‐Torrecillas Javier , Ruiz Concepción , García‐Martínez Olga 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackgroundOsteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength that predisposes individuals to an increased risk of fracture. Previous in vivo and in vitro studies have reported that phenolic compounds present in extra virgin olive oil have a beneficial effect on osteoblasts in terms of increase cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to determine whether phenolic compounds present in olive oil could modify the expression of cell differentiation markers on osteoblasts.Study designAn in vitro experimental design was performed using MG‐63 osteoblasts cell line.MethodsMG63 cells were exposed to different doses of luteolin, apigenin, or p‐coumaric, caffeic or ferulic acid. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was evaluated by spectrophotometry and antigen expression (cluster of differentiation [CD] 54, CD80, CD86 and HLA‐DR) by flow cytometry.ResultsAt 24 hour, treated groups showed an increased ALP and modulated antigen profile, with respect to the nontreated group.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that the phenolic compounds studied induce cell maturation in vitro, increasing ALP synthesis and reducing the expression of antigens involved in immune functions of the osteoblast which would improve bone density.
Female assessment of male functional fertility during mate choice in a promiscuous fish
Authors: Scarponi Valentina , Godin Jean‐Guy J. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractSexual selection should favour females that can assess the functional fertility of available sexual partners and avoid mating with recently mated, sperm‐depleted males. Our current understanding of the sensory mechanism(s) underlying female assessment of males based on their functional fertility and avoidance of sperm‐depleted males is incomplete. Female Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are known to avoid mating with males that they had previously observed mating with other females. Here, we investigated experimentally the proximate sensory cues that they use to distinguish between paired size‐ and colour‐matched mated and unmated males in the absence of visual public information on their prior mating histories. When only water‐borne chemical cues from the males were available, females avoided the previously mated male and preferred the unmated one, but they chose randomly when only male visual cues (and no chemical cues) were available. They also preferred unmated over mated males when freely swimming with them in a more sensorially complex environment with multiple male cues (i.e., visual, chemical and mechanical cues) concurrently available. Females exhibited no preference for either stimulus males when both were unmated, irrespectively of the sensory environment. These novel results suggest that, in the absence of prior visual public information on the recent mating histories of males, female guppies use olfactory cues putatively emitted by mated males to avoid mating with them. The source and nature of the implicated olfactory cues and the fitness benefits gained by female guppies in sexually preferring males that have not recently mated remain unknown and warrant further research.
Male mate choice and the potential for complex mating dynamics in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)
Authors: Krohmaly Kylie I. , Martin Zachary W. , Lattanzio Matthew S. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractA growing body of literature is recognizing that males may also play a role in the mating process by behaving non‐randomly toward potential female mates during courtship. In numerous species, discrete color polymorphisms in males are inferred to represent alternative mating tactics, which often correspond with concomitant asymmetries in ecology and behavior. In terms of their mating behavior, these ecological outcomes of a color polymorphism should affect a morph's likelihood and frequency of encountering females in a population, possibly favoring the evolution of morph‐specific mating preferences. Knowledge of how male morphs contribute to a species’ overall mating dynamics will improve our understanding of how sexual selection shapes phenotypic diversity in color polymorphic systems. We conducted a mate choice experiment to evaluate the extent and morph specificity of non‐random mating preferences by male ornate tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus. We observed the behavior of blue and yellow males in an experimental arena in response to a choice between an orange or yellow female. We found that blue males preferred yellow females over orange females, and although yellow males visited females more often than blue males overall, their attention was not morph‐specific. Given male morph differences in choosiness, and their differences in social dominance, we conclude that female throat color may be partly under sexual selection in U. ornatus. However, a lack of concordance between male and female mating preferences (drawn from an earlier study) suggests that overall mating dynamics may serve to maintain, rather than enhance, color morph differences in this species.
Clinical effect of corticosteroids in asthma‐affected horses: A quantitative synthesis
Authors: Calzetta L. , Rogliani P. , Page C. , Roncada P. , Pistocchini E. , Soggiu A. , Piras C. , Urbani A. , Matera M.G. 
Published: February 2018

SummaryBackgroundThere are limited findings from low‐powered studies based on few number of subjects with equine asthma. Furthermore, no studies have been performed to assess a meaningful clinically detectable impact of corticosteroids in equine asthma.ObjectivesTo assess and compare the clinical effect of inhaled and systemic corticosteroids in equine asthma and identify a quantitative clinical score suitable to assess the Minimal Important Difference (MID), expressed as the Minimally Clinically Detectable Difference (MCDD).Study designPair‐wise and network meta‐analysis.MethodsLiterature searches for studies on corticosteroid therapy in equine asthma were performed. The risk of publication bias was assessed by Funnel plots and Egger's test. The effect on changes in clinical scores vs. control was analysed via random‐effects models and Bayesian networks.ResultsCorticosteroids significantly improved the clinical condition (Standardised Mean Difference: −1.52, 95% CrI −2.07 to −0.98; P<0.001 vs. control). No difference was detected between inhaled and systemic corticosteroids with regard to the changes in clinical scores (Relative Effect: 0.08, 95% CrI −1.45 to 1.32; P = 0.8). An Improved clinically Detectable Equine Asthma Scoring System (IDEASS) indicated that corticosteroids improved the clinical condition of asthmatic horses by 30% compared with controls (IDEASSvalue: −2.36, 95%CI−3.39 to −1.33; P<0.001). A one‐point change inIDEASSrepresented theMCDDin equine asthma.Main limitationsModerate quality of evidence for systemic corticosteroids.ConclusionsInhaled corticosteroids are effective in improving the clinical condition of horses with equine asthma and prevent exacerbations. Systemic corticosteroids should be used only in selected cases with symptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness during exacerbation.IDEASSrequires further validation but may represent a suitable approach to rank the level of asthma severity and assess the clinical effect of pharmacotherapy in horses with equine asthma.
Estimating the square root of probability density function on Riemannian manifold
Authors: Hong Xia , Gao Junbin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWe propose that the square root of a probability density function can be represented as a linear combination of Gaussian kernels. It is shown that if the Gaussian kernel centres and kernel width are known, then the maximum likelihood parameter estimator can be formulated as a Riemannian optimisation problem on sphere manifold. The first order Riemannian geometry of the sphere manifold and vector transport are initially explored, then the well‐known Riemannian conjugate gradient algorithm is used to estimate the model parameters. For completeness, the k‐means clustering algorithm and a grid search are employed to determine the centres and kernel width, respectively. Simulated examples are employed to demonstrate that the proposed approach is effective in constructing the estimate of the square root of probability density function.
Weibull triaxiality: A novel constraint assessment parameter for cleavage fracture in ductile to brittle transition region
Authors: Tiwari A. , Singh R.N. , Ståhle P. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe cleavage fracture probability of ferritic and ferritic/martensitic steels is generally computed using Beremin's model. In this work, a novel approach is developed for Beremin's model to be applicable to crack tip conditions under nonself similar stress field. The modification of Beremin's model corrects the inaccurate integration of local cleavage fracture probabilities of reference volume elements due to the incorrect assumption of self similar stress field under large‐scale yielding. Under small‐scale yielding condition, where stresses remain self similar, integration of local cleavage failure probability is accurate. However, when the stresses differ along the thickness due to constraint loss, the integration of local cleavage fracture probability is inaccurate due to the fact that the stress levels are not same in all the reference volume elements. The modification developed in this work in the form of a parameter named Weibull Triaxiality, which measures the deviation of a crack tip volume from one under self similar stress field.
Increased intrusion of warming Atlantic water leads to rapid expansion of temperate phytoplankton in the Arctic
Authors: Neukermans Griet , Oziel Laurent , Babin Marcel 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe Arctic Ocean and its surrounding shelf seas are warming much faster than the global average, which potentially opens up new distribution areas for temperate‐origin marine phytoplankton. Using over three decades of continuous satellite observations, we show that increased inflow and temperature of Atlantic waters in the Barents Sea resulted in a striking poleward shift in the distribution of blooms of Emiliania huxleyi, a marine calcifying phytoplankton species. This species' blooms are typically associated with temperate waters and have expanded north to 76°N, five degrees further north of its first bloom occurrence in 1989. E. huxleyi's blooms keep pace with the changing climate of the Barents Sea, namely ocean warming and shifts in the position of the Polar Front, resulting in an exceptionally rapid range shift compared to what is generally detected in the marine realm. We propose that as the Eurasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean further atlantifies and ocean temperatures continue to rise, E. huxleyi and other temperate‐origin phytoplankton could well become resident bloom formers in the Arctic Ocean.