bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Urological complications following kidney transplantation in pediatric age: A single‐center experience
Authors: Rossi V. , Torino G. , Gerocarni Nappo S. , Mele E. , Innocenzi M. , Mattioli G. , Capozza N. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractSurgical complications during kidney transplantation can seriously affect renal outcomes. We assess occurrence, risk factors, and results of all urological complications in a series of renal transplants in a single center. Children who underwent renal transplant between January 2008 and December 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. Postoperative urological complications were reviewed. Demographic details, cause of ESRD, donor type, and surgical procedures at transplant were analyzed. For statistical analysis, the chi‐square test or Fisher's exact test were used as appropriate. One hundred and twenty‐one kidney transplants were performed in 117 children (median age 12 yr). Sixty‐two of 121 (53%) had an underlying urological malformation. At a median follow‐up of three yr, 28 urological complications were recorded (23%): 12 lymphocele (10%), 10 ureteral obstruction (8%), three urinary leakage (2.5%), two symptomatic VUR (1.7%), and one hydropyonephrosis. When lymphocele was excluded, the complication incidence rate dropped to 13%. Ureteral obstruction mostly occurred late after transplant (more than six months). Presence of urological malformation was the only factor related to increased occurrence of urological complication (p = 0.007) and, in particular, ureteral obstruction (p = 0.018). Children with urological malformations presented a statistically significant risk of developing urological complications after kidney transplantation, ureteral obstruction being the most common complication.
Two stages of directed forgetting: Electrophysiological evidence from a short‐term memory task
Authors: Gao Heming , Cao Bihua , Qi Mingming , Wang Jing , Zhang Qi , Li Fuhong 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn this study, a short‐term memory test was used to investigate the temporal course and neural mechanism of directed forgetting under different memory loads. Within each trial, two memory items with high or low load were presented sequentially, followed by a cue indicating whether the presented items should be remembered. After an interval, subjects were asked to respond to the probe stimuli. The ERPs locked to the cues showed that (a) the effect of cue type was initially observed during the P2 (160–240 ms) time window, with more positive ERPs for remembering relative to forgetting cues; (b) load effects were observed during the N2‐P3 (250–500 ms) time window, with more positive ERPs for the high‐load than low‐load condition; (c) the cue effect was also observed during the N2‐P3 time window, with more negative ERPs for forgetting versus remembering cues. These results demonstrated that directed forgetting involves two stages: task‐relevance identification and information discarding. The cue effects during the N2 epoch supported the view that directed forgetting is an active process.
Immunogenetics of prostate cancer and benign hyperplasia – the potential use of an HLA‐G variant as a tag SNP for prostate cancer risk
Authors: Zambra F. M. B. , Biolchi V. , de Cerqueira C. C. S. , Brum I. S. , Castelli E. C. , Chies J. A. B. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractHuman leukocyte antigen G (HLA‐G) is an immunomodulatory molecule with important roles both physiologically as well as an escape mechanism of cancer cells. In this study, we evaluated the impact of eight polymorphisms at the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the HLA‐G gene in the development of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 468 DNA samples of Brazilian men predominantly Euro‐descendant with PCa (N = 187), BPH (N = 152) and healthy control individuals (N = 129) were evaluated. The HLA‐G 3′UTR region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced and genotyped to identify the 14 bp insertion/deletion (rs371194629), +3003T/C (rs1707), +3010C/G (rs1710), +3027A/C (rs17179101), +3035C/T (rs17179108), +3142G/C (rs1063320), +3187A/G (rs9380142) and +3196C/G (rs1610696) polymorphisms. Regression logistic and chi‐square tests were performed to verify the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PCa and/or BPH susceptibility, as well as in PCa progression (clinicopathological status). Our data showed the UTR‐4 haplotype as a risk factor to PCa in comparison with control [odds ratio (OR) 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39–3.96, Padjusted = 0.003) and BPH groups (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.15–2.86, Padjusted = 0.030). Further, the ‘non‐14bp Ins_ + 3142G_+3187A’ haplotype (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.10–2.20, Padjusted = 0.036), the +3003CT genotype (OR 4.44, 95% CI 1.33–4.50, Padjusted = 0.032) and the +3003C allele (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.38–3.92, Padjusted = 0.016) also conferred susceptibility to PCa. Our data suggest an important influence of HLA‐G 3′UTR polymorphisms in PCa susceptibility and support the use of the +3003 variant as a tag SNP for PCa risk.
Characteristics of neonatal near miss in hospitals in Benin, Burkina Faso and Morocco in 2012–2013
Authors: Ronsmans Carine , Cresswell Jenny A. , Goufodji Sourou , Agbla Schadrac , Ganaba Rasmané , Assarag Bouchra , Tonouhéoua Oscar , Diallo Cheick , Meski Fatima‐Zahra , Filippi Véronique 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study is to explore the usefulness of neonatal near miss in low‐ and middle‐income countries by examining the incidence of neonatal near miss and pre‐discharge neonatal deaths across various obstetric risk categories in 17 hospitals in Benin, Burkina Faso and Morocco.MethodsData were collected on all maternal deaths, maternal near miss, neonatal near miss (based on organ‐dysfunction markers), Caesarean sections, stillbirths, neonatal deaths before discharge and non‐cephalic presentations, and on a sample of births not falling in any of the above categories.ResultsThe burden of stillbirth, pre‐discharge neonatal death or neonatal near miss ranged from 23 to 129 per 1000 births in Moroccan and Beninese hospitals, respectively. Perinatal deaths (range 17–89 per 1000 births) were more common than neonatal near miss (range 6–43 per 1000 live births), and between a fifth and a third of women who had suffered a maternal near miss lost their baby. Pre‐discharge neonatal deaths and neonatal near miss had a similar distribution of markers of organ dysfunction, but unlike pre‐discharge neonatal deaths most neonatal near miss (63%, 81% and 71% in Benin, Burkina Faso and Morocco, respectively) occurred among babies who were not considered premature, low birthweight or with a low 5‐min Apgar score as defined by WHO's pragmatic markers of severe neonatal morbidity.ConclusionWhether the measurement of neonatal near miss adds useful insights into the quality of perinatal or newborn care in settings where facility‐based intrapartum and early newborn mortality is very high is uncertain. Perhaps the greatest advantage of adding near miss is the shift in focus from failure to success so that lessons can be learned on how to save lives even when clinical conditions are life‐threatening.
Criteria‐based audit of caesarean section in a referral hospital in rural Tanzania
Authors: Heemelaar S. , Nelissen E. , Mdoe P. , Kidanto H. , van Roosmalen J. , Stekelenburg J. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObjectiveWHO uses the Caesarean section (CS) rate to monitor implementation of emergency obstetric care (EmOC). Although CS rates are rising in sub‐Saharan Africa, maternal outcome has not improved. We audited indications for CS and related complications among women with severe maternal morbidity and mortality in a referral hospital in rural Tanzania.MethodsCross‐sectional study was from November 2009 to November 2011. Women with severe maternal morbidity and mortality were identified and those with CS were included in this audit. Audit criteria were developed based on the literature review and (inter)national guidelines. Tanzanian and Dutch doctors reviewed hospital notes. The main outcome measured was prevalence of substandard quality of care leading to unnecessary CS and delay in performing interventions to prevent CS.ResultsA total of 216 maternal near misses and 32 pregnancy‐related deaths were identified, of which 82 (33.1%) had a CS. Indication for CS was in accordance with audit criteria for 36 of 82 (44.0%) cases without delay. In 20 of 82 (24.4%) cases, the indication was correct; however, there was significant delay in providing standard obstetric care. In 16 of 82 (19.5%) cases, the indication for CS was not in accordance with audit criteria. During office hours, CS was more often correctly indicated than outside office hours (60.0% vs. 36.0%, P < 0.05).DiscussionCaesarean section rate is not an useful indicator to monitor quality of EmOC as a high rate of unnecessary and potentially preventable CS was identified in this audit.
Extracorporeal photopheresis in solid organ transplant–associated acute graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Houston Brett L. , Yan Matthew , Tinckam Kathryn , Kamel‐Reid Suzanne , Chang Hong , Kuo Kevin H.M. , Tsien Cynthia , Seftel Matthew D. , Avitzur Yaron , Grant David , Cserti‐Gazdewich Christine M. 
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUNDExtracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) culls pathogenic T lymphocytes, be these the clones of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, or mediators of chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT‐GVHD). Whether or not ECP may have an effect in the rarer instances of solid organ transplantation–associated GVHD (SOT‐GVHD) is unclear. Mortality rates in SOT‐GVHD rival those of transfusion‐associated GVHD, with fatalities preceded by pancytopenia and peripheral blood chimerism (PBC) levels exceeding 20%. ECP has been described in two SOT‐GVHD cases to date, with one surviving.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSClinicolaboratory features (including HLA relationships) in a case of multivisceral transplantation were reviewed from the time of surgery to the onset and progression of SOT‐GVHD. ECP, which was introduced as a less immunosuppressive and more selective intervention, was assessed for its effect on serial PBC (as measured by short‐tandem‐repeat analysis) and clinical outcome.RESULTSMultivisceral SOT‐GVHD manifested with erythroderma, neutropenic sepsis, and PBC increasing from 6% on Posttransplant Day (PTD) 38 to 78% by PTD 60 (at a doubling time of 6 days despite corticosteroids). ECP was administered on PTDs 62 and 67 and was associated with the first evidence of PBC decay to 67% on PTD 69. Death nevertheless ensued on the last day of salvage antithymocyte globulin (PTDs 69‐73) despite further PBC reduction to 41%.CONCLUSIONFurther study is needed to determine if the sooner or more frequent application of ECP might attenuate the high case fatality rates of SOT‐GVHD.
Use of indirect lymphography to identify sentinel lymph node in dogs: a pilot study in 30 tumours
Authors: Brissot H. N. , Edery E. G. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis study reports the clinical value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping with indirect lymphography (IL) using iodized oil (IO) as a marker injected preoperatively around the site of the primary tumour and radiography or tomodensitometry for imaging. Surgical extirpation of the node was performed following peritumoural injection of methylene blue (MB). Twenty nine dogs affected by 30 palpable solid tumours were prospectively studied. SLNs were identified by IL in 96.6% of the IL studies. IL followed by MB studies were performed in 25 dogs (26 studies). In these studies, agreement between IL and MB was observed in 84.6%. One dog had a minor complication following IO injection. This protocol represents an attractive alternative to scintigraphy for SLN mapping. This less technically demanding protocol may provide a wider access to SLN identification for application in veterinary oncology.
Interference of the agrestal Helianthus annuus biotype with sunflower growth
Authors: Casquero M , Cantamutto M 
Published: February 2016

SummaryThe Helianthus annuus taxon includes the wild (ruderal), weedy (agrestal) and volunteer biotypes, which may share space and time with the sunflower crop. The agrestal biotype is one of the most harmful weeds challenging the use of modern biotechnological tools in sunflower. The interference of the agrestal biotype was studied at a range of weed densities within a sunflower crop. The area of influence of one agrestal plant was estimated as a circular area of more than 2.5 m2. The agrestal biotype at 10.7 plants m−2 reduced the sunflower seed production by 66%, the seed weight by 41% and the yield by 80%. The agrestal biotype showed intermediate vegetative stage duration between sunflower and the ruderal biotype. The interference of the agrestal biotype would be due to its high initial growth rate, its larger leaf area and plant height. Some agrestal plants showed partial dehiscence at the sunflower harvest stage replenishing the soil seedbank with over 18 000 seeds m−2. The sunflower harvest operation and grain storage might be affected due to a fraction of agrestal plants remaining alive and moist when the crop reached harvest maturity. The results support the recommendation of preventing the entry of the agrestal biotype into crop production fields.
Exercise‐induced oxidative stress: past, present and future
Authors: Powers Scott K. , Radak Zsolt , Ji Li Li 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe existence of free radicals in living cells was first reported in 1954 and this important finding helped launch the field of free radical biology. However, the discovery that muscular exercise is associated with increased biomarkers of oxidative stress did not occur until 1978. Following the initial report that exercise promotes oxidative stress in humans, many studies have confirmed that prolonged or short‐duration high intensity exercise results in increased radical production in active skeletal muscles resulting in the formation of oxidized lipids and proteins in the working muscles. Since these early descriptive studies, the investigation of radicals and redox biology related to exercise and skeletal muscle has grown as a discipline and the importance of this research in the biomedical sciences is widely recognized. This review will briefly summarize the history of research in exercise‐induced oxidative stress and will discuss the major paradigm shifts that the field has undergone and continues to experience. We conclude with a discussion of future directions in the hope of stimulating additional research in this important field.
Subclinical myocardial impairment in SLE: insights from novel ultrasound techniques and clinical determinants.
Authors: Guşetu Gabriel , Pop Dana , Pamfil Cristina , Bǎlaj Raluca , Mureşan Lucian , Cismaru Gabriel , Matuz Roxana , Roşu Radu , Zdrenghea Dumitru , Rednic Simona 
Published: February 2016

Aims: Myocardial damage is frequent and often silent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of myocardial damage by novel ultrasound techniques and to systematically assess the relationship between subclinical cardiac dysfunction and SLE-related clinical parameters. Material and methods: Seventy-five consecutive SLE patients without evidence of cardiac disease and seventy-three controls underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography using classical and novel ultrasound techniques: tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking echocardiography. Patient characteristics, cumulative organ damage and laboratory data were retrieved by medical chart review. Results: Within the cohort, 89.3% of the patients were female; mean±SD age and median (IQR) disease duration were 43.2±12.5 years and 8.03(6.3) years, respectively. SLE patients exhibited a significant decrement in endocardial longitudinal strain (-18.4% vs 19.3%, p=0.001) compared with controls. Diastolic dysfunction was detected in 34 (45.3%) of SLE patients. Major determinants of systolic and diastolic dysfunction were hypertension (p=0.023 and p<0.001, respectively), associated antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively), cumulative damage accrual (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively), and disease duration (p=0.03 and p<0.001, respectively). Notably, anti-Ro antibodies were present in 37% of the SLE patients who had better systolic longitudinal performance. Neither disease activity, nor specific organ involvement, were associated with myocardial impairment. Conclusion: Systolic longitudinal and diastolic performance impairments are frequent findings in SLE patients without overt cardiovascular disease. Cumulative organ damage, disease duration, APS, and hypertension are major determinants for early heart involvement in SLE patients.
Asymmetric excitation of surface plasmons by dark mode coupling
Authors: Zhang Xueqian , Xu Quan , Li Quan , Xu Yuehong , Gu Jianqiang , Tian Zhen , Ouyang Chunmei , Liu Yongmin , Zhang Shuang , Zhang Xixiang , Han Jiaguang , Zhang Weili 
Published: February 2016

Asymmetric excitation of surface plasmons is achieved by classical dark mode coupling, promising metadevices with unique functionalities.
Estimates of Soil Bacterial Ribosome Content and Diversity Are Significantly Affected by the Nucleic Acid Extraction Method Employed
Authors: Wüst Pia K. , Nacke Heiko , Kaiser Kristin , Marhan Sven , Sikorski Johannes , Kandeler Ellen , Daniel Rolf , Overmann Jörg 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT

Modern sequencing technologies allow high-resolution analyses of total and potentially active soil microbial communities based on their DNA and RNA, respectively. In the present study, quantitative PCR and 454 pyrosequencing were used to evaluate the effects of different extraction methods on the abundance and diversity of 16S rRNA genes and transcripts recovered from three different types of soils (leptosol, stagnosol, and gleysol). The quality and yield of nucleic acids varied considerably with respect to both the applied extraction method and the analyzed type of soil. The bacterial ribosome content (calculated as the ratio of 16S rRNA transcripts to 16S rRNA genes) can serve as an indicator of the potential activity of bacterial cells and differed by 2 orders of magnitude between nucleic acid extracts obtained by the various extraction methods. Depending on the extraction method, the relative abundances of dominant soil taxa, in particular
Actinobacteria
and
Proteobacteria
, varied by a factor of up to 10. Through this systematic approach, the present study allows guidelines to be deduced for the selection of the appropriate extraction protocol according to the specific soil properties, the nucleic acid of interest, and the target organisms.
A Tale of Transmission: Aeromonas veronii Activity within Leech-Exuded Mucus
Authors: Ott Brittany M. , Dacks Andrew M. , Ryan Kenneth J. , Rio Rita V. M. 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT

Transmission, critical to the establishment and persistence of host-associated microbiotas, also exposes symbionts to new environmental conditions. With horizontal transmission, these different conditions represent major lifestyle shifts. Yet genome-wide analyses of how microbes adjust their transcriptomes toward these dramatic shifts remain understudied. Here, we provide a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the global transcriptional profiles of a symbiont as it shifts between lifestyles during transmission. The gammaproteobacterium
Aeromonas veronii
is transmitted from the gut of the medicinal leech to other hosts via host mucosal castings, yet
A. veronii
can also transition from mucosal habitancy to a free-living lifestyle. These three lifestyles are characterized by distinct physiological constraints and consequently lifestyle-specific changes in the expression of stress-response genes. Mucus-bound
A. veronii
had the greatest expression in terms of both the number of loci and levels of transcription of stress-response mechanisms. However, these bacteria are still capable of proliferating within the mucus, suggesting the availability of nutrients within this environment. We found that
A. veronii
alters transcription of loci in a synthetic pathway that obtains and incorporates
N
-acetylglucosamine (NAG; a major component of mucus) into the bacterial cell wall, enabling proliferation. Our results demonstrate that symbionts undergo dramatic local adaptation, demonstrated by widespread transcriptional changes, throughout the process of transmission that allows them to thrive while they encounter new environments which further shape their ecology and evolution.
Illuminating Anaerobic Microbial Community and Cooccurrence Patterns across a Quality Gradient in Chinese Liquor Fermentation Pit Muds
Authors: Hu Xiaolong , Du Hai , Ren Cong , Xu Yan 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTFermentation pit mud, an important reservoir of diverse anaerobic microorganisms, is essential for Chinese strong-aroma liquor production. Pit mud quality, according to its sensory characteristics, can be divided into three grades: degraded, normal, and high quality. However, the relationship between pit mud microbial community and pit mud quality is poorly understood, as are microbial associations within the pit mud ecosystem. Here, microbial communities at these grades were compared using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the variable region V4 of the 16S rRNA gene. Our results revealed that the pit mud microbial community was correlated with its quality and environmental factors. Species richness, biodiversity, and relative and/or absolute abundances ofClostridia,Clostridium kluyveri,Bacteroidia, andMethanobacteriasignificantly increased, with corresponding increases in levels of pH, NH4+, and available phosphorus, from degraded to high-quality pit muds, while levels ofLactobacillus, dissolved organic carbon, and lactate significantly decreased, with normal samples in between. Furthermore, 271 pairs of significant and robust correlations (cooccurrence and negative) were identified from 76 genera using network analysis. Thirteen hubs of cooccurrence patterns, mainly under theClostridia,Bacteroidia,Methanobacteria, andMethanomicrobia, may play important roles in pit mud ecosystem stability, which may be destroyed with rapidly increased levels of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus,Pediococcus, andStreptococcus). This study may help clarify the relationships among microbial community, environmental conditions, and pit mud quality, allow the improvement of pit mud quality by using bioaugmentation and controlling environmental factors, and shed more light on the ecological rules guiding community assembly in pit mud.