bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of asthma and rhinitis in a Tunisian population
Authors: Sonia Toujani , Meriem Mjid , Yacine Ouahchi , Nozha Ben Salah , Nadia Mhiri , Bechir Louzir , Jalloul Daghfous , Jouda Chérif , Majed Béji 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundAsthma and rhinitis are a major public health problem because of their frequency, their impact on quality of life and economic burden. In Tunisia, epidemiological data are scarce. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma and rhinitis in a representative Tunisian population and to analyze the association between them.MethodsIt was a cross‐sectional population‐based study, involving individuals aged between 2 and 52 years, living in Tunis. A sample of the general population was generated using a random stratified sampling method. A detailed face‐to‐face questionnaire based on ISAAC and the ECRHS survey was used. Classification of rhinitis was evaluated according to ARIA.ResultsData were obtained from 4470 responders (40.2% male and 59.8% female). The response rate was 96.5%. The prevalence of current asthma was 6.5% (CI 5.9%‐7.8%). A slight female predominance was observed in children and adolescents but in adulthood gender‐specific prevalence estimates were similar. The prevalence of rhinitis in the general population was 11.7% (CI 10.1%‐13.5%) in children and 13.4% (CI 11.1%‐14.6%) in 15 years and older. No statistically significant differences were found according to gender and age. Almost half of asthmatics’ had current rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis versus 13.4% in the population sample (P < 0.001). Current asthma was reported in 22.5% subjects with current rhinitis or with rhinoconjunctivitis.ConclusionsAsthma and rhinitis represent a considerable public health problem in children and adults up to age 52 in Tunisian population. Our results confirm also the strong association between them. These findings highlight the need for a clinical global assessment of asthma together with rhinitis.
Thyroid hormone use during cardiac transplant organ procurement
Authors: Cooper Lauren B. , Milano Carmelo A. , Williams Melissa , Swafford Wendy , Croezen Donna , Van Bakel Adrian B. , Rogers Joseph G. , Patel Chetan B. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundAcute hypothyroidism after brain death results in hemodynamic impairments that limit availability of donor hearts. Thyroid hormone infusions can halt that process and lead to increased utilization of donor organs, but prolonged use of thyroid replacement has not been well studied.MethodsWe developed a 15‐question survey regarding policies, procedures, and reporting of thyroid hormone use by organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The survey was posted for 5 weeks on the Association of OPOs Portal.ResultsWe received 29 responses, representing 24 OPOs. Seventy‐two percent reported their OPOs use thyroid hormone for all potential donors and 90% have a protocol for thyroid hormone use. There is a large variation in the maximum dose of thyroid hormone used, and many OPOs have no weaning protocol. Most OPOs do not collect data on total thyroid hormone administered during procurement and would favor more detailed report of thyroid hormone use.ConclusionsThyroid hormone use can have important implications for organ selection and cardiac function before and after transplantation. Protocols vary widely with respect to why and how to use and wean thyroid hormone. We believe there should be more detailed reporting of thyroid hormone use for future studies to ensure appropriate donor management.
Cutaneous carcinosarcoma: a series of six cases and a review of the literature
Authors: Clark Joshua J. , Bowen Anneli R. , Bowen Glen M. , Hyngstrom John R. , Hadley Michael L. , Duffy Keith , Florell Scott R. , Wada David A. 
Published: October 2016

BackgroundCutaneous carcinosarcoma is a rare tumor with distinct malignant epithelial and mesenchymal cell populations. The histologic subtypes of epithelial and mesenchymal components in cutaneous carcinosarcoma are variable, as an assortment of carcinomatous and sarcomatous patterns have been described in the literature.MethodsClinical information was obtained from patient charts and archival slides were retrieved and reviewed.ResultsWe present a novel series of six distinct cases of cutaneous carcinosarcoma and review the literature. Our cases consisted of basal cell, pilomatrical, squamous cell, and trichoblastic variants. These cases occurred in elderly men on sun exposed skin with treatment and follow up was available for 4 of 6 cases. The four cases were treated with Mohs micrographic surgery with mean follow up of nine months.ConclusionWe report six cases of cutaneous carcinosarcoma with distinctive clinical and histologic characterization not previously described in a single series.
The political economy of targeting – a critical review
Authors: Schüring Esther , Gassmann Franziska 
Published: October 2016

The political economy models of targeting postulate that going universal is a win‐win situation, for the poor and the middle class, as well as those who are in power. This article critically discusses the assumptions behind the political economy arguments of targeting and tests whether a universal mechanism is bound to politically excel in a low‐income country context. On the basis of attitudinal surveys with the urban, rural and student population in Zambia, we do not find any support for the predictions of the political economy models. We discuss the assumptions of the political economy models in the light of these findings and consider potentially decisive parameters that the models currently do not incorporate.
Platelets Toll‐like receptor‐4 in Crohns disease
Authors: Schmid Werner , Novacek Gottfried , Vogelsang Harald , Papay Pavol , Primas Christian , Eser Alexander , Panzer Simon 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundPlatelets are activated in Crohn's disease (CD) and interplay with leukocytes. Engagement of Toll‐like receptor‐4 (TLR‐4), which is expressed in human platelets, may be involved in crosstalks between platelets and leukocytes leading to their mutual activation for host defense.Materials and methodsHuman neutrophil peptides (HNPs), lipoprotein binding peptides, and sCD14 were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays in 42 patients with active CD, in 43 patients with CD in remission, and in 30 healthy individuals. Neutrophil‐platelet aggregates and binding of the TLR‐4 monoclonal antibody to platelets were determined by flow cytometry.ResultsLevels of HNPs were higher in patients with CD than in controls (P = 0.0003 vs. active CD and P = 0.01 vs. CD in remission). Likewise, neutrophils with adhering platelets were higher in patients with active CD than in controls (P = 0.004). Binding of the TLR‐4 antibody in patients with active CD was similar to that in controls, while patients in remission had significantly higher binding capacities (P = 0.59 and P = 0.003). Incubation of plasma from patients with active disease or patients in remission with platelets from healthy controls confirmed lower binding of the TLR‐4 antibody in the presence of plasma from active diseased patients compared to controls (P = 0.039), possibly due to high levels of lipopolysaccharides, as suggested by high levels of sCD14 and lipoprotein binding protein.ConclusionOur study indicates involvement of platelet TLR‐4 in enhancing the secretion of antimicrobial peptides from neutrophils. While platelet aggregation can be due to a variety of mechanisms in inflammatory disease, the mutual activation of platelets and neutrophils may augment host defense.
Prediction of renal function upon reperfusion by ex situ controlled oxygenated rewarming
Authors: Minor Thomas , Sutschet Katja , Witzke Oliver , Paul Andreas , Gallinat Anja 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundPost‐transplant function of suboptimal kidney grafts can be improved but not accurately predicted by hypothermic machine perfusion. Therefore, a new concept of ex situ pre‐implantation machine perfusion with controlled rewarming up to subnormothermic temperatures was developed and evaluated.Materials and methodsPorcine kidneys (n = 6/group) were retrieved before or 30 min after cardiac arrest of the donor and subjected to 18 h of static cold storage. In some cases, 90 min of machine‐controlled oxygenated rewarming (COR) was added thereafter. Functional integrity was evaluated in all kidneys by subsequent normothermic reperfusion in vitro. After supplementation of the preservation solution (Custodiol‐N solution + 5 g/L dextran 40) with 10 mg/dL creatinine, ex situ renal function was assessed by monitoring urine output, urinary creatinine and creatinine clearance at 20 °C. Functional integrity was evaluated in all kidneys by normothermic reperfusion.ResultsCOR resulted in a more than twofold improvement of postreperfusion creatinine clearance, oxygen consumption and enzyme release upon reperfusion, when compared with static cold storage. Predictive discrimination between kidneys with good or impaired function upon reperfusion based on parameters during perfusion at 4 °C was only moderate. This improved significantly at 20 °C. Correlation with renal clearance upon reperfusion was weak for vascular resistance at 8° (r2 = 0·2) and 20 °C (r2 = 0·41). Best correlation was found for clearance measurements at 20° (r2 = 0·81).ConclusionsReconditioning by controlled oxygenated rewarming up to 20 °C improves renal function after reperfusion and can be utilized to assess graft integrity of predamaged donor kidneys.
Sex‐specific vitamin D effects on blood coagulation among overweight adults
Authors: Al‐Daghri Nasser M. , Alokail Majed S. , Manousopoulou Antigoni , Heinson Ashley , Al‐Attas Omar , Al‐Saleh Yousef , Sabico Shaun , Yakout Sobhy , Woelk Christopher H. , Chrousos George P. , Garbis Spiros D. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractBackgroundOverweight adults are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease and vitamin D deficiency, whereas an important feature to vitamin D physiology is its sex dependence. The aim of this study was to examine whether vitamin D status improvement exerts a sexually dimorphic effect on serum proteins associated with cardiovascular risk among overweight adults.Materials and methodsUnprocessed serum from age‐ and BMI‐matched men (n = 26) and premenopausal women (n = 24) with vitamin D deficiency and after they achieved sufficiency through a 12‐month nutritional intervention was analysed using our previously published depletion‐free quantitative proteomics method. Key findings were verified with ELISA. Differentially expressed proteins were subjected to in silico bioinformatics assessment using principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering and Metacore™ pathway analysis. All mass spectrometry proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange (identifier: PXD003663).ResultsA total of 282 proteins were differentially expressed after the intervention between men and women (P‐value ≤ 0·05), in which the blood coagulation pathway was significantly enriched. In agreement with the proteomics findings, ELISA measurements showed vitamin K‐dependent protein C, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen gamma chain and multimerin‐1 proteins, of relevance to blood coagulation, to be differentially affected (P‐value ≤ 0·05) between sexes after vitamin D status correction.ConclusionsThis study identified novel protein‐level molecular indicators on the sexually dimorphic effect of vitamin D status correction associated with blood coagulation among overweight adults. These sex‐mediated vitamin D effects should be factored in the design and interpretation of vitamin D observational and interventional studies testing cardiometabolic outcomes.
High rates of extra‐pair paternity in a socially monogamous beetle with biparental care
Authors: DILLARD JACQUELINE R. 
Published: October 2016

1. Nest construction and paternity assurance are predicted to favour biparental care in insects. The horned passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus) is a socially monogamous beetle with biparental care that breeds in decaying logs. The genetic mating system of the horned passalus was investigated to determine if paternity assurance is likely to drive the evolution or maintenance of paternal care in this system. Parental time budgets were also examined to better understand the types and frequencies of behaviours performed by parents.2. Genotyping‐by‐sequencing revealed high levels of extra‐pair paternity, with 54.8% of offspring sired by extra‐pair males and 70% of nests containing extra‐pair young.3. More heterozygous social males were cuckolded less than more homozygous social males. Extra‐pair mating, however, seems unlikely to increase offspring genetic diversity as extra‐pair offspring were not more heterozygous than within‐pair offspring, and average brood heterozygosity did not increase with higher rates of extra‐pair paternity.4. Behavioural observations demonstrated that parents spent on average 46.5% of their time processing the decaying wood resource for larval offspring. Because resource processing is a by‐product of feeding and provides shareable benefits for all larvae in the brood, this form of paternal care could be favoured despite low paternity.
The relapse rate and predictors of relapse in patients with first‐episode psychosis following discontinuation of antipsychotic medication
Authors: Di Capite Suzanne , Upthegrove Rachel , Mallikarjun Pavan 
Published: October 2016

BackgroundTo determine the “real world” relapse rate in patients with first‐episode psychosis (FEP) who had discontinued antipsychotic medication and identify socio‐demographic and clinical factors associated with the risk of relapse.MethodsQuantitative data were obtained via case‐note review on 63 patients with FEP who had discontinued antipsychotic medication from Birmingham Early Intervention Service between 2012 and 2015. The follow‐up period was until either: an occurrence of a relapse; end of 12‐month study period; end of patient's case‐note record. Relapse was defined as a return of symptoms requiring one of the following: home treatment, hospital admission or was based on clinical teams’ decision as having a relapse. A pro‐forma targeted pre‐defined socio‐demographic and clinical factors. Survival analysis was undertaken to estimate the 12‐month relapse rate following discontinuation of antipsychotics and Cox regression performed to identify relapse predictors.ResultsThe Kaplan‐Meier 12‐month relapse estimate was 67% (95% confidence interval, 54%, 80%). Significant factors (P < .05) independently associated with an increased risk of relapse following discontinuation of antipsychotic medication were: male gender, not being in education, employment or training (NEET) and number of previous psychiatric hospital admissions.ConclusionsRelapse is common after discontinuation of antipsychotic medication following recovery from a FEP. It is important that patients who wish to discontinue their medication are informed of the high relapse rates and the associated risks. Furthermore, male patients, patients with NEET status and those who have had previous hospital admissions may require closer monitoring.
Economic evaluation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia from a hospital management perspective
Authors: Kron Florian , Kutsch Nadine , Kostenko Anna , Dohle Ines , Glossmann Jan‐Peter , Müller Dirk , Heimann Sebastian M. , Bahlo Jasmin , von Bergwelt‐Baildon Michael , Eichhorst Barbara , Wolf Jürgen , Hallek Michael , Zander Thomas 
Published: October 2016

AbstractObjectivesTreatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is currently undergoing dramatic changes. We analyzed economic risks in hospitalized patients with CLL from a management perspective.MethodsOne hundred and twelve patients with CLL hospitalized in 2013 and 2014 at the University Hospital of Cologne were analyzed. To assess profit margins (PMs) per case, diagnosis‐related group (DRG) reimbursement data were merged with an internal cost accounting scheme depending on age, prognostic factors, and DRG key performance indicators.ResultsIn 112 patients, 284 cases coded by 19 different DRG with strongly fluctuating cost revenue ratios were found with an overall negative PM of €137 147. The DRG R61H was identified as the one most commonly coded (174 cases, 61.3%) with a deficit per case of €814. Subanalysis demonstrated that the payments were not cost covering due to excessive length of stay and staff costs. Significant differences in PM per case concerning age, length of stay and number of operation and procedure key (OPS) codes (P < 0.05) were found.ConclusionIn our research‐driven tertiary care hospital, inpatient treatment of patients with CLL is not cost covering. This analysis demonstrates the need for novel care/reimbursement structures in CLL. From a hospital management perspective, cost revenue controlling is crucial to avoid major economic risks.
Coupling between spontaneous pupillary fluctuations and brain activity relates to inattentiveness
Authors: Breeden A. L. , Siegle G. J. , Norr M. E. , Gordon E. M. , Vaidya C. J. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractAutonomic activity in neurological and psychiatric disorders is often dysregulated, particularly in the context of attentional behaviors. This suggests that interplay between the autonomic nervous system and aspects of the central nervous system subserving attention may be disrupted in these conditions. Better understanding these interactions and their relationship with individual variation in attentional behaviors could facilitate development of mechanistic biomarkers. We identified brain regions defined by trait‐sensitive central–autonomic coupling as a first step in this process. As spontaneous neural activity measured during the resting state is sensitive to phenotypic variability, unconfounded by task performance, we examined whether spontaneous fluctuations in brain activity and an autonomic measure, pupil diameter, were coupled during the resting state, and whether that coupling predicted individual differences in attentional behavior. By employing concurrent pupillometry andfMRIduring the resting state, we observed positive coupling in regions comprising cingulo‐opercular, default mode, and fronto‐parietal networks, as well as negative coupling with visual and sensorimotor regions. Individuals less prone to distractibility in everyday behavior demonstrated stronger positive coupling in cingulo‐opercular regions often associated with sympathetic activity. Overall, our results suggest that individuals less prone to distractibility have tighter intrinsic coordination between specific brain areas and autonomic systems, which may enable adaptive autonomic shifts in response to salient environmental cues. These results suggest that incorporating autonomic indices in resting‐state studies should be useful in the search for biomarkers for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
The rhythm of the executive gate of speech: subthalamic low‐frequency oscillations increase during verbal generation
Authors: Wojtecki Lars , Elben Saskia , Vesper Jan , Schnitzler Alfons 
Published: October 2016

AbstractWe investigated neurophysiological mechanisms of subthalamic nucleus involvement in verbal fluency through a verbal generation task. The subthalamic nucleus is thought to act as a behavioural go/no‐go instance by means of oscillatory communication in the theta band with the prefrontal cortex. Because subthalamic alpha‐theta frequency stimulation has been shown to exert beneficial effects on verbal fluency in Parkinson′s disease, we hypothesized that an alpha‐theta oscillatory network involving the subthalamic nucleus underlies verbal generation task performance as a gating instance for speech execution. Postoperative subthalamic local field potential recordings were performed during a verbal generation compared to a control task. Time‐frequency analysis revealed a significant alpha‐theta power increase and enhanced alpha‐theta coherence between the subthalamic nucleus and the frontal surface EEG during the verbal generation task. Beta and gamma oscillations were not significantly modulated by the task. Power increase significantly correlated with verbal generation performance. Our results provide experimental evidence for local alpha‐theta oscillatory activity in the subthalamic nucleus and coherence to frontal associative areas as a neurophysiological mechanism underlying a verbal generation task. Thus, verbal fluency improvement during subthalamic alpha‐theta stimulation in Parkinson′s disease is likely due to an enhancement of alpha‐theta oscillatory network activity. Alpha‐theta oscillations can be interpreted as the rhythmic gating signature in a speech executing subthalamic‐prefrontal network.
Science, Realism and Correlationism. A Phenomenological Critique of Meillassoux' Argument from Ancestrality
Authors: Wiltsche Harald A. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractQuentin Meillassoux has recently launched a sweeping attack against ‘correlationism’. Correlationism is an umbrella term for any philosophical system that is based on ‘the idea [that] we only ever have access to the correlation between thinking and being, and never to either term considered apart from the other’ (Meillassoux 2012: 5). Thus construed, Meillassoux' critique is indeed a sweeping one: It comprises major parts of the philosophical tradition since Kant, both in its more continental and in its more analytical outlooks. In light of this critique, the aim of this paper is twofold: On the one hand, I shall defend phenomenology against Meillassoux' main argument, the ‘argument from ancestrality’. On the other hand, I will argue that this argument, albeit unsuccessful in its original form, can be modified to pose a more serious threat. Although this modified version can also be circumvented, it forces phenomenologists to clarify their stance towards the natural sciences.
Use of 1H NMR to identify nitrogen and carbon metabolites associated with mineralizable N in grassland soil
Authors: McDonald N. T. , Graham S. F. , Watson C. J. , Gordon A. , Lalor S. T. J. , Laughlin R. J. , Elliott C. T. , Wall D. P. 
Published: October 2016

Improved understanding of the metabolites linked to the mineralization processes of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in soil is important for optimum management, and to realize the soil's production potential to minimize associated environmental risks. A novel approach for investigating soil with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) was used to detect metabolites present in 35 contrasting grassland soil types in Ireland. Soil samples were analysed for a range of chemical, biological and physical properties including mineralizable N (MN) with a 7‐day anaerobic incubation (AI‐7). We identified and quantified by multivariate and regression analyses seven soil metabolites related to MN, namely glucose, trimethylamine, glutamic acid, serine, aspartic acid, 4‐aminohippuric acid and citric acid. Glucose explained the largest percentage of the variation in MN (R2 = 0.72). The amino acids, aspartic acid, 4‐aminohippuric acid, glutamic acid and serine explained 39, 38, 27 and 19% of the variation in MN, respectively. These results suggest that a labile carbon source (seven possible metabolites) appears to be an important factor for soil microbial biomass (SMB) to regulate quantities of 7‐day mineralizable N from soil organic matter N (SOM‐N) pools in these grassland soils for potential plant uptake. The results also demonstrate the analytical ability of 1H NMR as a potential practical platform to analyse the complex metabolite profiles in soil related to short‐term C and N mineralization. However, evaluation of 1H NMR against other analytical techniques, such as high performance anion exchange chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD), to profile soil metabolites is recommended.HighlightsKnowledge of metabolites linked to C and N cycling in soil would help improve nutrient use efficiency.
1H NMR was investigated as a novel approach for profiling metabolites in grassland soil.
Seven soil metabolites that correlated with mineralizable N were identified.
1H NMR is effective for simultaneous soil metabolite profiling, but spectral libraries need to be developed.