bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Older Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Recipients Using a Pacemaker versus a Defibrillator
Authors: MUNIR MUHAMMAD BILAL , ALTHOUSE ANDREW D. , RIJAL SHASANK , SHAH MAULIN BHARAT , ABU DAYA HUSSEIN , ADELSTEIN EVAN , SABA SAMIR 
Published: February 2016

CRT‐P versus CRT‐D OutcomesBackgroundCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is commonly used to manage heart failure, yet published guidelines do not distinguish between recommendations for pacemakers (CRT‐P) and defibrillators (CRT‐D) despite significant differences in size, longevity, and cost between these devices. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between elderly recipients of CRT‐P and CRT‐D.Methods and ResultsData from 512 patients (405 CRT‐D, 107 CRT‐P) aged ≥75 years with LV ejection fraction ≤35% and QRS duration >120 milliseconds were retrospectively analyzed for baseline characteristics and followed to the primary outcome of all‐cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for possible confounders. Results were further validated through propensity matching cohorts. Compared to CRT‐D recipients, CRT‐P patients were older (83 years vs. 81 years, P < 0.001) and had more comorbid conditions (Charlson index = 5 [3–6] vs. 4 [3–5], P = 0.007). During 40.8 months of follow‐up, there were 280 deaths. Compared to CRT‐D patients, CRT‐P recipients had higher unadjusted mortality (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.15–2.08, P = 0.004). However, this difference lost significance after adjusting for baseline differences between the groups (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.78–1.77, P = 0.435).ConclusionHigher all‐cause mortality in older CRT‐P versus CRT‐D patients is largely explained by baseline clinical and demographic differences between the two groups, which are likely the drivers of device selection in real‐world clinical practice, where the published guidelines remain ambiguous. There is a need for randomized studies to determine optimal CRT device selection.
Selection and constraints on offspring size‐number trade‐offs in sand lizards (Lacerta agilis)
Authors: Ljungström G. , Stjernstedt M. , Wapstra E. , Olsson M. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe trade‐off between offspring size and number is a central component of life‐history theory, postulating that larger investment into offspring size inevitably decreases offspring number. This trade‐off is generally discussed in terms of genetic, physiological or morphological constraints; however, as among‐individual differences can mask individual trade‐offs, the underlying mechanisms may be difficult to reveal. In this study, we use multivariate analyses to investigate whether there is a trade‐off between offspring size and number in a population of sand lizards by separating among‐ and within‐individual patterns using a 15‐year data set collected in the wild. We also explore the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of this trade‐off by investigating how a female's resource (condition)‐ vs. age‐related size (snout‐vent length) influences her investment into offspring size vs. number (OSN), whether these traits are heritable and under selection and whether theOSNtrade‐off has a genetic component. We found a negative correlation between offspring size and number within individual females and physical constraints (size of body cavity) appear to limit the number of eggs that a female can produce. This suggests that theOSNtrade‐off occurs due to resource constraints as a female continues to grow throughout life and, thus, produces larger clutches. In contrast to the assumptions of classicOSNtheory, we did not detect selection on offspring size; however, there was directional selection for larger clutch sizes. The repeatabilities of both offspring size and number were low and we did not detect any additive genetic variance in either trait. This could be due to strong selection (past or current) on these life‐history traits, or to insufficient statistical power to detect significant additive genetic effects. Overall, the findings of this study are an important illustration of how analyses of within‐individual patterns can reveal trade‐offs and their underlying causes, with potential evolutionary and ecological consequences that are otherwise hidden by among‐individual variation.
Early TIPS versus endoscopic therapy for secondary prophylaxis after management of acute esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Halabi Shadi Al , Sawas Tarek , Sadat Besher , Jandali Aiyah , Halabi Hadi Al , Halabi Fadi Al , Kapoor Baljendra , Carey William D 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBackground and aimsAmerican College of Gastroenterology and American Association for the Study of Liver Disease guidelines recommend endoscopic and pharmacologic treatment for esophageal variceal bleed. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement is reserved for cases of therapeutic failure. Several studies have suggested improved prevention of rebleeding and improved survival without excess hepatic encephalopathy in patients who receive TIPS within the first 5 days after bleeding (early TIPS). In this meta‐analysis, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of early TIPS versus endoscopic therapy for secondary prophylaxis after acute esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients.MethodsPubmed, Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and ISI Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials that compared early TIPS to endoscopic therapy. The primary outcome was mortality at 1 year; secondary outcomes were rebleeding and hepatic encephalopathy at 1 year.ResultsNine randomized controlled trials involving 608 cirrhotic patients were identified. Early TIPS was associated with a significant risk reduction in 1‐year mortality (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.96; P = 0.03) and 1‐year incidence of variceal rebleeding (RR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.20‐0.40; P < 0.001) without significant heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 30% and 47%, respectively). No significant difference in the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy at 1 year was observed (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.72‐2.56; P = 0.34); however, there was significant heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 68%).ConclusionTIPS placed within 5 days after a major esophageal variceal hemorrhage is superior to endoscopic treatment in reducing subsequent bleeding. Early TIPS placement is also associated with superior 1‐year survival without significantly increasing the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy.
Pituitary Adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide orchestrates neuronal regulation of the astrocytic glutamate‐releasing mechanism system xc−
Authors: Kong Linghai , Albano Rebecca , Madayag Aric , Raddatz Nicholas , Mantsch John R. , Choi SuJean , Lobner Doug , Baker David A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGlutamate signaling is achieved by an elaborate network involving neurons and astrocytes. Hence, it is critical to better understand how neurons and astrocytes interact to coordinate the cellular regulation of glutamate signaling. In these studies, we used rat cortical cell cultures to examine whether neurons or releasable neuronal factors were capable of regulating system xc− (Sxc), a glutamate‐releasing mechanism that is expressed primarily by astrocytes and has been shown to regulate synaptic transmission. We found that astrocytes cultured with neurons or exposed to neuronal‐conditioned media displayed significantly higher levels of Sxc activity. Next, we demonstrated that the pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) may be a neuronal factor capable of regulating astrocytes. In support, we found that PACAP expression was restricted to neurons, and that PACAP receptors were expressed in astrocytes. Interestingly, blockade of PACAP receptors in cultures comprised of astrocytes and neurons significantly decreased Sxc activity to the level observed in purified astrocytes, whereas application of PACAP to purified astrocytes increased Sxc activity to the level observed in cultures comprised of neurons and astrocytes. Collectively, these data reveal that neurons coordinate the actions of glutamate‐related mechanisms expressed by astrocytes, such as Sxc, a process that likely involves PACAP.
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A critical gap in modeling excitatory signaling is how distinct components of the glutamate system expressed by neurons and astrocytes are coordinated. In these studies, we found that system xc− (Sxc), a glutamate release mechanism expressed by astrocytes, is regulated by releasable neuronal factors including PACAP. This represents a novel form of neuron–astrocyte communication, and highlights the possibility that pathological changes involving astrocytic Sxc may stem from altered neuronal activity.
Reduced glutathione biosynthesis in Drosophila melanogaster causes neuronal defects linked to copper deficiency
Authors: Mercer Stephen W. , La Fontaine Sharon , Warr Coral G. , Burke Richard 
Published: February 2016

AbstractGlutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide often considered to be the master antioxidant in cells. GSH plays an integral role in cellular redox regulation and is also known to have a role in mammalian copper homeostasis. In vitro evidence suggests that GSH is involved in copper uptake, sequestration and efflux. This study was undertaken to further investigate the roles that GSH plays in neuronal copper homeostasis in vivo, using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. RNA interference‐mediated knockdown of the Glutamate‐cysteine ligase catalytic subunit gene (Gclc) that encodes the rate‐limiting enzyme in GSH biosynthesis was utilised to genetically deplete GSH levels. When Gclc was knocked down in all neurons, this caused lethality, which was partially rescued by copper supplementation and was exacerbated by additional knockdown of the copper uptake transporter Ctr1A, or over‐expression of the copper efflux transporter ATP7. Furthermore, when Gclc was knocked down in a subset of neuropeptide‐producing cells, this resulted in adult progeny with unexpanded wings, a phenotype previously associated with copper dyshomeostasis. In these cells, Gclc suppression caused a decrease in axon branching, a phenotype further enhanced by ATP7 over‐expression. Therefore, we conclude that GSH may play an important role in regulating neuronal copper levels and that reduction in GSH may lead to functional copper deficiency in neurons in vivo.
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We provide genetic evidence that glutathione (GSH) levels influence Cu content or distribution in vivo, in Drosophila neurons. GSH could be required for binding Cu imported by Ctr1A and distributing it to chaperones, such as Mtn, CCS and Atox1. Alternatively, GSH could modify the copper‐binding and transport activities of Atox1 and the ATP7 efflux protein via glutathionylation of copper‐binding cysteines.
The role of the Wnt/β‐catenin‐Annexin A1 pathway in the process of sevoflurane‐induced cognitive dysfunction
Authors: Hu Nan , Wang Chao , Zheng Yuxin , Ao Jiying , Zhang Chao , Xie Keliang , Li Yize , Wang Haiyun , Yu Yonghao , Wang Guolin 
Published: February 2016

AbstractPostoperative cognitive decline (POCD) is a common geriatric complication, and sevoflurane is a widely accepted inducer of POCD. Although the aetiology of POCD is not clear, a breach in the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is involved in early POCD. Annexin A1 has shown protective effects on BBB function. The objective of this study was to investigate both the effects of sevoflurane on the components of the BBB and the underlying mechanism. In vivo treatment with 3.6% sevoflurane for 6 h disrupted BBB components led to fibrinogen invasion and down‐regulation of Annexin A1 expression at 24 h after inhalation. The administration of human recombinant Annexin A1 (hr Annexin A1) attenuated the disruption of BBB components, thereby reducing fibrinogen invasion. In addition, the administration of hr Annexin A1 improved cognitive function after the inhalation of 3.6% sevoflurane for 6 h. Moreover, in cultured endothelial cells, 3.6% sevoflurane for 6 h increased GSK‐3β and decreased β‐catenin levels at 24 h after inhalation. The activation/inhibition of the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway attenuated/worsened the sevoflurane‐induced decrease in Annexin A1. Our findings indicate that in endothelial cells, treatment with 3.6% sevoflurane for 6 h inhibits the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway, thereby increasing GSK‐3β and decreasing β‐catenin. By inhibiting this pathway, the gas anaesthetic sevoflurane down‐regulated Annexin A1, which consequently breached the BBB and induced POCD.
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We propose the following cascade for sevoflurane‐induced cognitive dysfunction: in microvascular endothelial cells, treatment with 3.6% sevoflurane for 6 h inhibits the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway, increasing GSK‐3β and decreasing β‐catenin, which down‐regulates the expression of Annexin A1. This cascade leads to a breach in the blood–brain barrier, a process which is involved in the occurrence of early postoperative cognitive decline.Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.13314.
Comparison of Preference Mapping Methods on Commodity Foods with Challenging Groups of Low‐Variance Attributes: Sliced Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Example
Authors: Jervis S.M. , Guthrie B. , Guo G. , Worch T. , Hasted A. , Drake M.A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractTraditional preference mapping methods can suffer where groups of attributes with larger variances dominate the analysis, thus, detracting attention from attributes of potential importance as drivers of liking. This study compared traditional external preference mapping methods (PLS and PREFMAP) with a new method called PrefHMFA which is designed to control dominance of groups of high variance attributes. Twenty‐five sliced whole wheat breads were profiled by descriptive analysis (DA) for flavor, appearance (crust and crumb groups) and texture (oral, hand) attributes. Breads were subsequently presented to adult bread consumers (n = 360). Data were also subjected to path analysis (PATH‐PLS) and three different preference mapping analyses (PLS and PREFMAP and PrefHMFA). Traditional methods (PLS/PREFMAP) showed broad ideal points. PrefHMFA partial axes showed that the main hedonic dimensions were aligned with higher sensory dimensions. PrefHMFA revealed the greater importance of appearance and hand‐perceived texture attributes for liking. Path‐PLS confirmed the importance of sensory liking and family drivers of purchase intent for sliced sandwich bread.Practical ApplicationsExternal preference mapping is used to relate analytical sensory data to consumer acceptance. Traditional techniques have been criticized since groups of attributes with large variances can dominate the traditional PCA or PLS‐based methods. New preference mapping techniques of PrefMFA and PrefHMFA have been suggested to account for attribute dominance. These techniques will aid in determining drivers of liking for commodity‐type foods and other product or situations where attribute dominance poses a problem with traditional methods.
Determination of the energy value of corn distillers dried grains with solubles containing different oil levels when fed to growing pigs
Authors: Li Z.‐C. , Li P. , Liu D.‐W. , Li D.‐F. , Wang F.‐L. , Su Y.‐B. , Zhu Z.‐P. , Piao X.‐S. 
Published: February 2016

SummaryThis experiment used indirect calorimetry to determine the net energy (NE) content of five corn distillers dried grains with solubles (corn DDGS) containing different oil levels and to compare the NE obtained using indirect calorimetry with that calculated using previously published prediction equations. There were two samples of high‐oil DDGS, one sample of medium‐oil DDGS and two samples of low‐oil DDGS. Twelve barrows (initial BW of 32.8 ± 2.0 kg) were used in a repeated 3 × 6 Youden square design with three periods and six diets. The diets were comprised of a corn–soybean meal basal diet and five diets containing 29.25% of one of the corn DDGS added at the expense of corn and soybean meal. During each period, the pigs were individually housed in metabolism crates for 16 days which included 7 days for adaption to feed and environmental conditions. On day 8, the pigs were transferred to respiration chambers and fed one of the six diets at 2300 kJ ME/kg BW0.6/day. Faeces and urine were collected from day 9 to 13 and heat production (HP) was also measured. From day 14 to 15, the pigs were fed 893 kJ ME/kg BW0.6/day to allow them to adapt from the fed to the fasted state. On the last day of each period (day 16), the pigs were fasted and fasting HP was measured. The digestible energy value was 16.0, 17.1 and 15.3 MJ/kg DM, the metabolizable energy value was 14.6, 15.5 and 13.7 MJ/kg DM and the NE value was 10.7, 11.0 and 9.4 MJ/kg DM, for the high‐oil, medium‐oil and low‐oil corn DDGS, respectively. The NE obtained with indirect calorimetry in the present study did not differ from values calculated using previously published prediction equations.
Mineral requirements of hair sheep in tropical climates
Authors: Pereira E. S. , Carmo A. B. R. , Costa M. R. G. F. , Medeiros A. N. , Oliveira R. L. , Pinto A. P. , Carneiro M. S. S. , Lima F. W. R. , Campos A. C. N. , Gomes S. P. 
Published: February 2016

SummaryIn this study, we evaluated the requirements of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) for sheep hair growth. Experimental diets contained different levels of metabolizable energy [ME; 0.96, 1.28, 1.72, 2.18 and 2.62 Mcal/kg of dry matter, (DM), corresponding to 4.23, 5.64, 7.58, 9.61 and 11.55 MJ/kg DM]. The lambs' hair (n = 48) at 2 months of age presented an average body weight (BW) of 12.05 ± 1.81 kg. At the beginning of the experiment, eight animals were slaughtered as a reference group to estimate the initial empty body weight and body composition. Net mineral requirements (g/day) ranged from 0.73 to 0.71 g of Ca, 0.51 to 0.49 g of P, 0.026 to 0.026 g of Mg, 0.16 to 0.19 g of Na and 0.15 to 0.13 g of K for animals with a BW ranging from 15 to 30 kg and a daily gain of 100 g. The results of this study indicate that the net macromineral requirements for weight gain in Morada Nova lambs are different from the values commonly recommended by the Agricultural and Food Research Council.
Explaining Violence ‐ Towards a Critical Friendship with Neuroscience?
Authors: Ray Larry 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe neurosciences challenge the ‘standard social science’ model of human behaviour particularly with reference to violence. Although explanations of violence are interdisciplinary it remains controversial to work across the division between the social and biological sciences. Neuroscience can be subject to familiar sociological critiques of scientism and reductionism but this paper considers whether this view should be reassessed. Concepts of brain plasticity and epigenetics could prompt reconsideration of the dichotomy of the social and natural while raising questions about the intersections of materiality, embodiment and social action. Although violence is intimately bound up with the body, sociologies of both violence and the body remain on the surface and rarely go under the skin or skulls of violent actors. This article argues for a non‐reductionist realist explanation of violent behaviour that is also interdisciplinary and offers the potential to generate nuanced understandings of violent processes. It concludes that sociology should engage critically and creatively with the neuroscience of violence.
That Untravell'd World: The Problem of Thinking Globally in Victorian Studies
Authors: Lecourt Sebastian 
Published: February 2016

AbstractOver the past decade, a growing number of scholars has sought out new ways of conceptualizing literature in terms of global systems. Victorianists, despite their field's monarchial nomenclature, have experimented with several such approaches. Some have mapped out 19th‐century transatlantic literary relations; others have explored the global media infrastructure constructed by Victorian imperialism; still others have traced the cross‐period resonances of Victorian literary forms and aesthetic constructs. Such approaches promise not only to enlarge the field's geographical scope but also to allow for creative forms of presentism that can expand the field's purchase beyond the terms of the New Historicism.
Evolutionary Science and Aestheticism: a Survey and a Suggestion
Authors: Wilhelm Lindsay P. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe past 30 years have witnessed a marked growth in critical studies of science and literature in late nineteenth‐century Britain. This essay seeks to highlight a small, but expanding, subset of research within this larger field that specifically concerns the intersections of evolutionary science and literary aestheticism. As this essay explains, scholars have gradually uncovered the significant influence that evolutionary science brought to bear on aesthetic thought. By delving into the archive, literary historians have also come to recognize that this influence was reciprocated, in large part because the relationship between evolutionary science and aestheticism was widely recognized by Victorian readers: even as scientific language permeated aesthetic writing, popular associations between the two movements steered scientific inquiry in certain directions. In conclusion, this essay suggests areas for future critical expansion and considers several striking affinities between evolutionism and aestheticism that merit particular exploration.
Impact of obesity and diabetes on waitlist survival, probability of liver transplantation and post‐transplant survival among chronic hepatitis C virus patients
Authors: Aguilar Maria , Liu Benny , Holt Edward W. , Bhuket Taft , Wong Robert J. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractBackground & AimsThe rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) among hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients contributes to concurrent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aim to evaluate the impact of concurrent obesity or DM on waitlist survival and probability of liver transplantation (LT) among adults with chronic HCV awaiting LT.MethodsUsing 2003–2013 United Network for Organ Sharing data, we evaluated the impact of obesity and DM among adults with chronic HCV awaiting LT: non‐obese, non‐DM vs. obese, non‐DM (obese) vs. non‐obese, DM (DM) vs. obese and DM. Overall, LT waitlist survival and probability of receiving LT were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier and multivariate logistic regression models.ResultsFrom 2003–2013, there were 43 478 new LT waitlist registrants with chronic HCV (21.0% with HCC, 79% without HCC). Obesity was associated with lower probability of receiving LT (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85–0.97; P < 0.01), and lower probability of waitlist mortality (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72–0.89; P < 0.001) when compared to non‐obese patients. DM among HCV patients did not impact probability of waitlist survival or receiving LT. When evaluating post‐LT survival, compared to non‐obese, non‐DM patients, obese HCV patients had significantly lower post‐LT mortality (HR 0.86; 95%CI, 0.81–0.92; P < 0.001); whereas, HCV patients with DM had significantly higher post‐LT mortality (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.12–1.33; P < 0.001).ConclusionAmong adults with chronic HCV awaiting LT in the US, obesity is associated with lower probability of receiving LT, but did not impact waitlist survival. DM among chronic HCV patients did not impact waitlist survival or probability of LT.