bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age at menarche is associated with the prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease later in life
Authors: Lu Jieli , Zhang Jie , Du Rui , Wang Tiange , Xu Min , Xu Yu , Wang Weiqing , Bi Yufang , Li Donghui , Chen Yuhong , Ning Guang 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the present study was to investigate whether age at menarche is associated with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) later in life.MethodsThe association between age at menarche and obesity, insulin resistance, and NAFLD after menopause was investigated in a cross‐sectional study of 4128 postmenopausal Chinese women; NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound and information regarding age at menarche was collected using an interviewer‐administered questionnaire.ResultsWomen with age at menarche <15 years had higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, and NAFLD compared with women with age at menarche 15–18 or >18 years. Logistic regression revealed that women with earlier menarche had a higher risk for the age‐adjusted prevalence of overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, and NAFLD, whereas later menarche showed a weaker, but still significant, association with a lower prevalence of NAFLD. However, further adjustment for some variables and current body mass index (BMI) or homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) attenuated the association between later menarche and a lower prevalence of NAFLD. A decreasing trend in the risk of NAFLD was seen across increasing levels of age at menarche (age‐adjusted Ptrend < 0.001; multivariate‐adjusted Ptrend < 0.001; multivariate + current BMI‐adjusted Ptrend = 0.03; multivariate + HOMA‐IR‐adjusted Ptrend = 0.06).ConclusionAge at menarche is associated with the prevalence of NAFLD later in life, independent of BMI and insulin resistance.
External Validation of the Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes Decision Rule
Authors: Carlton Edward , Body Richard , Greaves Kim 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectivesThe Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (MACS) decision rule has been shown to be a powerful diagnostic tool in emergency department (ED) patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS). It has the potential to improve system efficiency by identifying patients suitable for discharge after a single blood draw for high‐sensitivity troponin and heart‐type fatty acid–binding protein (h‐FABP) analysis at presentation to the ED. The objective was to externally validate the MACS decision rule and establish its diagnostic accuracy as a discharge tool in a new set of prospectively recruited ED patients.MethodsIn this preplanned analysis of a prospectively recruited single‐center cohort, consecutive ED patients ≥18 years with suspected ACS were included. Testing for h‐FABP and high‐sensitivity troponin T was undertaken on serum drawn on arrival, and any clinical features required to calculate the MACS rule were recorded. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 30 days (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], death, or revascularization). The secondary outcome was AMI alone, adjudicated using 6‐hour troponin results.ResultsOf the 782 participants included, 78 (10.0%) developed MACE and 61 (7.8%) had an AMI. Of participants, 133 (17.0%) were identified as “very low risk” and therefore suitable for immediate discharge with a 0% incidence of MACE or AMI. Of remaining patients, 314 (40.2%) were “low risk,” 320 (40.9%) were “moderate risk,” and 15 (1.9%) were “high risk,” with incidences of MACE of 2.2, 19.7, and 53.3%, respectively. The sensitivity was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 95.4% to 100%) for MACE at 30 days and 100% (95% CI = 94.1% to 100%) for AMI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.87 (95% CI = 0.83 to 0.91) for the MACS rule in the prediction of MACE.ConclusionsIn this prospectively recruited cohort of ED patients with suspected ACS, the MACS decision rule identifies a significant proportion of patients who are suitable for immediate discharge after a single blood draw at presentation, with a very low risk of MACE at 30 days. This study externally validates previous findings that the MACS rule is a powerful diagnostic tool in this setting. A randomized controlled trial to establish the utility of the rule in an everyday clinical setting is justified.
Incidence of Adverse Events in Adults Undergoing Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Bellolio M. Fernanda , Gilani Waqas I. , Barrionuevo Patricia , Murad M. Hassan , Erwin Patricia J. , Anderson Joel R. , Miner James R. , Hess Erik P. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectivesThis was a systematic review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the incidence of adverse events in adults undergoing procedural sedation in the emergency department (ED).MethodsEight electronic databases were searched, includingMEDLINE,EMBASE,EBSCO,CINAHL,CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, and Scopus, from January 2005 through 2015. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies of adults undergoing procedural sedation in theEDthat reported a priori selected outcomes and adverse events were included. Meta‐analysis was performed using a random‐effects model and reported as incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe search yielded 2,046 titles for review. Fifty‐five articles were eligible, including 9,652 procedural sedations. The most common adverse event was hypoxia, with an incidence of 40.2 per 1,000 sedations (95%CI = 32.5 to 47.9), followed by vomiting with 16.4 per 1,000 sedations (95%CI = 9.7 to 23.0) and hypotension with 15.2 per 1,000 sedations (95%CI = 10.7 to 19.7). Severe adverse events requiring emergent medical intervention were rare, with one case of aspiration in 2,370 sedations (1.2 per 1,000), one case of laryngospasm in 883 sedations (4.2 per 1,000), and two intubations in 3,636 sedations (1.6 per 1,000). The incidence of agitation and vomiting were higher with ketamine (164.1 per 1,000 and 170.0 per 1,000, respectively). Apnea was more frequent with midazolam (51.4 per 1,000), and hypoxia was less frequent in patients who received ketamine/propofol compared to other combinations. The case of laryngospasm was in a patient who received ketamine, and the aspiration and intubations were in patients who received propofol. When propofol and ketamine are combined, the incidences of agitation, apnea, hypoxia, bradycardia, hypotension, and vomiting were lower compared to each medication separately.ConclusionsSerious adverse events during procedural sedation like laryngospasm, aspiration, and intubation are exceedingly rare. Quantitative risk estimates are provided to facilitate shared decision‐making, risk communication, and informed consent.
Sex differences in genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood
Authors: Seglem Karoline B. , Waaktaar Trine , Ask Helga , Torgersen Svenn 
Published: January 2016

AbstractAimsTo estimate genetic and environmental contributions to alcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood, and test whether gender moderates these effects.DesignLongitudinal twin cohort design.SettingPopulation‐based sample from Norway.ParticipantsA total of 2862 male and female twins, aged 14–22 years, were assessed at one (n = 881), two (n = 898) or three (n = 1083) occasions. The percentage of females was between 56 and 63 in the different age groups (in the different waves).MeasurementsAlcohol consumption was measured by two questionnaire items about frequency of alcohol use and frequency of being drunk.FindingsAdditive genetic effects showed low to moderate contributions [proportion estimate, 95% confidence interval (CI) = range from 0.03 (0.00–0.14) to 0.49 (0.37–0.59) in males and from 0.09 (0.00–0.57) to 0.41 (0.24–0.58) in females] from adolescence to young adulthood, while environmental influences shared by twin pairs and contributing to twin similarity were moderate to highly influential during this developmental period [proportion estimate, 95% CI = range from 0.04 (0.00–0.13) to 0.45 (0.26–0.60) in males for shared environment in common with females, from 0.25 (0.09–0.42) to 0.54 (0.06–0.78) for shared environment specific to males and from 0.36 (0.20–0.52) to 0.51 (0.37–0.71) in females]. There was evidence of qualitative sex differences with shared environmental influences being largely sex‐specific from middle adolescence onwards.ConclusionsAlcohol consumption from early adolescence to young adulthood appears to be influenced to a small to moderate degree by genetic factors and to a moderate to high degree by shared environmental factors (e.g. rearing influences, shared friends). The shared environmental factors influencing alcohol consumption appear to be largely gender‐specific.
Interest in dental implantology and preferences for implant therapy: a survey of Victorian dentists
Authors: Cheung MC , Kao PLH , Lee N , Sivathasan D , Vong CW , Zhu J , Polster A , Darby I 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to gauge dentists’ interest, knowledge and training in implantology, and to compare their treatment preferences with current literature. Subsequently, this information may be used to evaluate implantology education pathways.MethodsA cross‐sectional postal survey of 600 randomly selected dentists registered with the Dental Practice Board of Victoria was conducted. Respondents were asked about background, interest and training in implantology, and implant treatment preferences. Results were analysed according to primary practice location, decade of graduation and attendance at continuing professional development (CPD) programmes.ResultsOne hundred and seventy‐six questionnaires were included for analysis. In general, dentists rate their implant knowledge, interest and enjoyment in restoring implants favourably. No differences were found between city and country practitioners, and different graduation decades. The level of CPD significantly influenced treatment preferences. Practitioners were generally unwilling to treat patients taking bisphosphonates, or to perform grafting procedures. Most dentists provide common services to treat peri‐implant conditions. Direct‐to‐fixture is the most popular fixture‐abutment connection.ConclusionsOverall, there is a high level of implant knowledge corresponding to current evidence in the literature. Level of CPD attendance is the most important factor in dentists’ willingness to provide more implant therapy options.
Lesser auger beetle Heterobostrychus aequalis (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Australia: absent or elusive?
Authors: Wylie F Ross , Peters Brenton C 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe lesser auger beetle, Heterobostrychus aequalis (Waterhouse), is a serious pest of seasoned hardwood timber throughout the Oriental region and several areas beyond. Some early collection records of H. aequalis from Australia in the 1950s and 1960s indicated that the insect was present in northern Queensland, but no confirmed breeding population has been found in the past few decades suggesting either that it may have not established permanently or it is difficult to detect. The ambiguity about the breeding status of the pest in Australia has caused confusion for regulating authorities needing to respond to each new post‐border detection. We examined records of H. aequalis in Australian insect collections and from intensive plant pest surveillance activities in Queensland and northern Australia over the past 48 years to resolve this confusion. Until very recently, available evidence suggested that H. aequalis was not established in Australia, despite multiple introductions and apparently suitable climate and hosts. Collection records of the pest are predominantly linked to intercepted items or are recorded as of unknown origin, and no established populations have been found during many years of targeted surveillance. However, a detection of H. aequalis in suburban Cairns, north Queensland, in late 2013 and two more in mid‐2015 in the same general locality do not appear to be linked to any imported material, indicating that there is at least a tenuously established local population. Investigations are underway to confirm this, but the insect is not widely established in Australia and, if present, remains elusive. Our recommended response to any future detection of H. aequalis is to fumigate or destroy the infested material, conduct tracing enquiries and limit surveys to the immediate vicinity of the detection.
Cyclophosphamide in dermatology
Authors: Kim Janet , Chan Jonathan J 
Published: January 2016

AbstractCyclophosphamide is a chemotherapeutic agent which was first discovered in experimental tumours in rats, and it has since been widely used to treat malignancies and severe manifestations of various auto‐immune diseases. High‐dose chemotherapy and continuous daily oral regimens are associated with significant toxicity profiles, but i.v. pulsed regimens have lowered the rates of adverse effects in rheumatological studies. Cyclophosphamide has been shown to be useful in the treatment of severe autoimmune conditions due to its powerful immunosuppressive ability; however, it remains a relatively underused modality in dermatology. This article reviews the current literature on cyclophosphamide and its clinical applications in dermatology.
What Drives Credit Rating Changes? A Return Decomposition Approach
Authors: Cho Hyungjin , Choi Sunhwa 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThis paper examines the relative importance of a shock to expected cash flows (i.e., cash‐flow news) and a shock to expected discount rates (i.e., discount‐rate news) in credit rating changes. Specifically, we use a Vector Autoregressive model to implement the return decomposition of Campbell and Shiller (Review of Financial Studies, 1, 1988, 195) and Vuolteenaho (Journal of Finance, 57, 2002, 233) to extract cash‐flow news and discount‐rate news from stock returns at the firm‐level. We find that credit rating changes are, on average, more strongly associated with cash‐flow news than with discount‐rate news, consistent with cash‐flow news being more permanent than discount‐rate news. We further find that both cash‐flow news and discount‐rate news are more strongly related to credit rating changes when they convey negative information about firm value. This asymmetric association is consistent with the non‐linear nature of default risk and with the fact that rating agencies incorporate bad news sooner than good news into their rating revisions. This paper contributes to the literature by providing evidence on the relative importance of cash‐flow news and discount‐rate news in the credit rating process.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: coffee consumption and the risk of cirrhosis
Authors: Kennedy O. J. , Roderick P. , Buchanan R. , Fallowfield J. A. , Hayes P. C. , Parkes J. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryBackgroundLiver cirrhosis is a large burden on global health, causing over one million deaths per year. Observational studies have reported an inverse association between coffee and cirrhosis.AimsTo perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to characterise the relationship between coffee consumption and cirrhosis.MethodsWe searched for studies published until July 2015 that reported odds ratios, relative risks (RR) or hazard ratios for cirrhosis stratified by coffee consumption. We calculated RRs of cirrhosis for an increase in daily coffee consumption of two cups for each study and overall. We performed analyses by study design, type of cirrhosis and mortality. We assessed the risk of bias in each study and the overall quality of evidence for the effect of coffee on cirrhosis.ResultsWe identified five cohort studies and four case–control studies involving 1990 cases and 432 133 participants. We observed a dose–response in most studies and overall. The pooled RR of cirrhosis for a daily increase in coffee consumption of two cups was 0.56 (95% CI 0.44–0.68; I2 83.3%). The RR pooled from cohort studies for a daily increase of two cups was 0.58 (95% CI 0.41–0.76; I2 91.1%) and from case–control studies it was 0.52 (95% CI 0.40–0.63; I2 0.0%). The pooled RR of alcoholic cirrhosis for a daily increase of two cups was 0.62 (95% CI 0.51–0.73; I2 0%) and of death from cirrhosis it was 0.55 (95% CI 0.35–0.74; I2 90.3%).ConclusionThis meta‐analysis suggests that increasing coffee consumption may substantially reduce the risk of cirrhosis.
No Understanding, No Consent: The Case Against Alternative Medicine
Authors: Shahvisi Arianne 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe demand for informed consent in clinical medicine is usually justified on the basis that it promotes patient autonomy. In this article I argue that the most effective way to promote autonomy is to improve patient understanding in order to reduce the epistemic disparity between patient and medical professional. Informed consent therefore derives its moral value from its capacity to reduce inequalities of power as they derive from epistemic inequalities. So in order for a patient to have given informed consent, she must understand the treatment. I take this to mean that she has sufficient knowledge of its causal mechanisms and has accepted the explanations in which the treatment is implicated. If this interpretation of informed consent is correct, it is unethical for medical professionals to offer or endorse ‘alternative medicine’ treatments, for which there is no known causal mechanism, for if they do, they may end up widening the epistemic disparity. In this way, informed consent may be understood as an effective way of ruling out particular treatments in order to improve patient autonomy and maintain trust in the medical profession.
OSL‐based chronostratigraphy of river terraces in mountainous areas,Dunajec basin,WestCarpathians: a revision of the climatostratigraphical approach
Authors: Olszak Janusz , Adamiec Grzegorz 
Published: January 2016

The technique of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating applied to fluvial sediments provided a geochronological framework of river terrace formation in the middle part of the Dunajec River basin – a reference area for studies of evolution of river valleys in the northern part of the Carpathians (West Carpathians). Fluvial sediments at 18–90 m above valley bottoms were dated in the valleys of the Dunajec River and one of its tributaries. The resulting ages range from 158.9±8.3 to 12.2±1.3 ka. This indicates that some of the terrace sediments were deposited much later than previously assumed on the grounds of a combined morphostratigraphical and climatostratigraphical approach. TheOSL‐based chronostratigraphy of terrace formation consists of seven separate phases of fluvial aggradation, separated by periods of incision and lateral erosion. Some of the ages determined correspond to warm stages of the Pleistocene – Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) andMIS5 – demonstrating that some terraces were formed during interstadial or interglacial periods. The results provide a key for evaluating rates of neotectonic uplift, allowing us to decipher the response of a fluvial system to climate change within the context of the glacial–interglacial scheme.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 protein expression is associated with prognosis in estrogen receptor‐positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2‐negative primary breast cancer
Authors: Tomiguchi Mai , Yamamoto Yutaka , Yamamoto‐Ibusuki Mutsuko , Goto‐Yamaguchi Lisa , Fujiki Yoshitaka , Fujiwara Saori , Sueta Aiko , Hayashi Mitsuhiro , Takeshita Takashi , Inao Touko , Iwase Hirotaka 
Published: January 2016

Recently, research into the development of new targeted therapies has focused on specific genetic alterations to create advanced, more personalized treatment. One of the target genes, fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 (FGFR1), has been reported to be amplified in estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive subtype breast cancer, and is considered one possible mechanism of endocrine resistance through cross‐talk between ER and growth factor receptor signaling. We performed a comprehensive analysis of FGFR1 at the levels of gene copy number, transcript and protein expression, and examined the relationships between FGFR1 status and clinicopathological parameters, including prognosis in 307 ER‐positive/HER2‐negative primary breast cancer patients treated with standard care at our institute. Most notably, a high level of FGFR1 protein expression was observed in 85 patients (27.7%), and was positively associated with invasive tumor size (P = 0.039). Furthermore, univariate analysis revealed that high FGFR1 protein expression was significantly correlated with poor relapse‐free survival rate (P = 0.0019, HR: 2.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.17–5.98), and showed a tendency towards an increase in recurrent events if the observation period extended beyond the 5 years of the standard endocrine treatment term. FGFR1 gain/amplification was found in 43 (14.0%) patients, which was only associated with higher nuclear grade (P = 0.010). No correlation was found between FGFR1 mRNA expression levels and any clinicopathological factors. Overall, the level of FGFR1 protein expression may be a biomarker of ER‐positive/HER2‐negative primary breast cancer with possible resistance to standard treatment, and may be a useful tool to identify more specific patients who would benefit from FGFR‐1 targeted therapy.
Comparison of clinical and radiographic status around dental implants placed in patients with and without prediabetes: 1‐year follow‐up outcomes
Authors: Al Amri Mohammad D. , Abduljabbar Tariq S. , Al‐Kheraif Abdulaziz A. , Romanos Georgios E. , Javed Fawad 
Published: January 2016

AbstractObjectiveWe hypothesized that peri‐implant soft tissue inflammation is worse and peri‐implant marginal bone loss (MBL) is higher around dental implants placed in patients with prediabetes compared to healthy subjects. The aim of the present 12‐month follow‐up study was to compare the clinical and radiographic status around dental implants placed in patients with and without prediabetes.Material and methodsTwelve patients with medically diagnosed prediabetes (Group‐1) and 12 controls (Group‐2) were included. All patients were indicated for single tooth maxillary or mandibular premolar replacement with the adjacent teeth intact. Success of the restored implants was assessed by comparing clinical (peri‐implant bleeding on probing [BOP], and probing pocket depth [PPD]) and radiographic (peri‐implant MBL) parameters at baseline and at 12‐months follow‐up. Statistical analysis was performed using one‐way analysis of variance, and P‐values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsAt 12 months of follow‐up, there was no clinical evidence for the presence of plaque, BOP and peri‐implant pockets with PPD ≥ 4 mm in both groups. At 12‐month follow‐up, the mean MBL among implants placed in groups 1 and 2 were 0.2 ± 0.1 mm and 0.1 ± 0.01 mm, respectively. Overall, the periodontal status (PI, BOP and PPD ≥ 4 mm) at 12‐month follow‐up was comparable among patients in both groups.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this study, it is concluded that dental implants inserted in prediabetic and healthy patients have similar success rates and remain clinically and radiographically stable after 1‐year follow‐up.