bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical efficacy and safety of benzoyl peroxide for acne vulgaris: Comparison between Japanese and Western patients
Authors: Kawashima Makoto , Nagare Toshitaka , Doi Masaharu 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBenzoyl peroxide (BPO) has been well established as a common medication for acne vulgaris in many countries (e.g. in Europe and the USA), where clinical data have been accumulated over a long time. In Japan, the use of BPO for acne treatment was approved in 2014, and the results of clinical trials in Japanese patients have recently been reported. This review compares clinical study results between Japanese and Western patients. Clinical studies that had been performed in Western countries were searched on the basis of the criteria, double‐blind studies of BPO monotherapy and comparison with a vehicle group. Two reports of Japanese studies were also selected by using the same criteria. Efficacy was assessed by comparing the mean difference between the BPO and the vehicle groups for reduction rate in the number of lesions from baseline, and there were no differences between Japanese and Western patients. Safety assessment also showed that the incidence of adverse events was higher in Japanese patients than in Western patients, but the characteristics of the adverse events were not different. Therefore, we conclude that there are no significant differences in the efficacy and safety of BPO between these patient populations. The efficacy and safety of long‐term use in Japanese patients are also expected to be applicable to those in Western patients.
Salty taste thresholds and preference in patients with chronic kidney disease according to disease stage: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kim Tae Hee , Kim Young Hoon , Bae Na Yeong , Kang Shin Sook , Lee Jung Bok , Kim Soon Bae 
Published: August 2017

AimThe present study was performed to evaluate the differences in salty taste thresholds among normal controls and non‐dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients according to disease stage and to evaluate the relationship between salty taste thresholds or preferences and mean spot urine sodium concentrations.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study enrolled 436 patients with non‐dialysis CKD and 74 normal controls. We evaluated detection and recognition thresholds, salty taste preferences and salt usage behaviours (through a questionnaire) in CKD patients and normal controls. We averaged the three most recent spot urine sodium concentrations and used this ‘mean spot urine sodium’ value to estimate sodium intake in CKD patients.ResultsDetection thresholds of stages 3 and 5 and recognition thresholds of stage 3 CKD patients were higher than those of normal controls. Salty taste preferences of stage 5 and salt usage behaviour scores of stages 4 and 5 CKD patients were lower than those of normal controls. Univariate analysis showed that estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), salt usage behaviour score, salty taste preference, smoking, gender and zinc level were significantly associated with mean spot urine sodium in CKD patients. Multiple regression analysis showed that the eGFR and salty taste preference were independently correlated with mean spot urine sodium.ConclusionsEducation to change salty taste preferences and regular follow up are necessary to decrease salt intake in CKD patients.
A Comparison of Three Federal Datasets for Thermoelectric Water Withdrawals in the United States for 2010
Authors: Harris Melissa A. , Diehl Timothy H. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractHistorically, thermoelectric water withdrawal has been estimated by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) water‐use compilations. Recently, the USGS developed models for estimating withdrawal at thermoelectric plants to provide estimates independent from plant operator‐reported withdrawal data. This article compares three federal datasets of thermoelectric withdrawals for the United States in 2010: one based on the USGS water‐use compilation, another based on EIA data, and the third based on USGS model‐estimated data. The withdrawal data varied widely. Many plants had three different withdrawal values, and for approximately 54% of the plants the largest withdrawal value was twice the smallest, or larger. The causes of discrepancies among withdrawal estimates included definitional differences, definitional noise, and various nondefinitional causes. The uncertainty in national totals can be characterized by the range among the three datasets, from 5,640 m3/s (129 billion gallons per day [bgd]) to 6,954 m3/s (158 bgd), or by the aggregate difference between the smallest and largest values at each plant, from 4,014 m3/s (92 bgd) to 8,590 m3/s (196 bgd). When used to assess the accuracy of reported values, the USGS model estimates identify plants that need to be reviewed.
A 26‐week feasibility study comparing the efficacy and safety of modified‐release prednisone with immediate‐release prednisolone in newly diagnosed cases of giant cell arteritis
Authors: Raine Charles , Stapleton Philip P. , Merinopoulos Dimos , Maw Win Win , Achilleos Katerina , Gayford Dawn , Mapplebeck Sarah , Mackerness Craig , Schofield Paul , Dasgupta Bhaskar 
Published: August 2017

AbstractObjectiveA feasibility study to assess efficacy and safety of modified release (MR) prednisone (Lodotra™) compared to immediate release (IR) prednisolone in patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis (GCA).MethodsTwelve patients with new diagnosis of GCA were initially treated with high‐dose prednisolone (40–60 mg) daily for 4 weeks and then randomized to two open arms to continue tapering steroid treatment with either standard IR prednisolone or MR prednisone. Patients were reviewed every 2 weeks either face to face or by telephone, for a total of 26 weeks. Disease activity, steroid‐related side effects, sleep disturbance, fatigue scores and blood tests were systematically monitored. The primary endpoint (efficacy) was defined as the proportion of patients achieving persistent clinical disease control (without features of active disease and remaining flare free at 26 weeks) in each arm.ResultsAt 26 weeks, 6/7 patients taking MR prednisone were in persistent control, compared with 4/5 receiving IR prednisone. One patient in each group suffered a disease flare necessitating an increased steroid dose. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of reduction in inflammatory markers, Health Assessment Questionnaire, visual analogue scale, fatigue and improvement in EuroQol 5D scores.ConclusionThis trial shows that MR prednisone appears to be a safe and effective treatment for GCA with a similar outcome profile to standard IR prednisolone.
Associations of coffee genetic risk scores with consumption of coffee, tea and other beverages in the UK Biobank
Authors: Taylor Amy E. , Davey Smith George , Munafò Marcus R. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAimsTo evaluate the utility of coffee‐related genetic variants as proxies for coffee consumption in Mendelian randomization studies, by examining their association with non‐alcoholic beverage consumption (including subtypes of coffee and tea) and a range of socio‐demographic and life‐style factors.DesignObservational study of the association of genetic risk scores for coffee consumption with different types of non‐alcoholic beverage consumption.SettingUK general population.ParticipantsIndividuals of European ancestry aged 40–73 years from the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010 (n = 114 316).MeasurementsGenetic risk scores were constructed using two, four and eight independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of coffee consumption. Drinks were self‐reported in a baseline questionnaire (all participants) and in detailed 24 dietary recall questionnaires in a subset (n = 48 692).FindingsGenetic risk scores explained up to 0.38, 0.19 and 0.76% of the variance in coffee, tea and combined coffee and tea consumption, respectively. Genetic risk scores demonstrated positive associations with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea consumption, and with most subtypes of coffee consumption, but only with standard tea consumption. There was no clear evidence for positive associations with most other non‐alcoholic beverages, but higher genetic risk for coffee consumption was associated with lower daily water consumption. The genetic risk scores were associated with increased alcohol consumption, but not consistently with other socio‐demographic and life‐style factors.ConclusionsCoffee‐related genetic risk scores could be used as instruments for combined coffee and tea consumption in Mendelian randomization studies. However, associations observed with alcohol consumption require further investigation to determine whether these are due to causal effects of coffee and tea consumption or biological pleiotropy.
Accounting and Accountability in Fiji: A Review and Synthesis
Authors: Sharma Umesh , An Yi 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis paper reviews accounting and accountability research in Fiji. The review is based on 47 papers published since 1978 in accounting refereed journals, professional journals, edited book chapters and theses and other refereed journals outside accounting. In addition to categorisation of the reviewed papers according to accounting topics, theories and methods of data collection, some themes to which the papers could be related are discussed. Financial reporting/accountability research is the most popular research in Fiji followed by new public management research, with sustainability accounting research the third most popular. The paper's findings suggest some directions for future accounting research in Fiji and where the data can possibly be sourced for such research. We conclude that more research is needed in the Fijian context that focuses on accounting and the state, performance auditing, indigenous accounting, SMEs and accountability.
Therapeutic alliance, anorexia nervosa and the inpatient setting: A mixed methods study
Authors: Zugai Joel S. , Stein‐Parbury Jane , Roche Michael 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAimsThe aim of this study was to understand the context of the inpatient setting for the treatment of anorexia nervosa and the implications for the therapeutic alliance between nurses and consumers.BackgroundThe nature of the therapeutic alliance is dependent on the contextual factors that influence interactions. The inpatient setting for the treatment of anorexia nervosa is one such setting where the therapeutic alliance is operative, yet challenging and poorly understood.DesignA two‐phase explanatory sequential design was employed. Descriptive statistics from phase one informed phase two interviews. Phase two data were analysed through thematic analysis.MethodsA convenience sample of nurses and consumers were recruited from six wards, in five hospitals. Phase one involved the completion of a survey (N = 128) that measured the strength of the therapeutic alliance, as well as other elements of ward context. Phase two interviews (N = 54) were focused on the therapeutic alliance between nurses and consumers and the implications of the inpatient setting. Data collection occurred between May 2014 ‐ February 2015.ResultsAnorexia nervosa as an illness carries destructive implications for the quality of the therapeutic alliance. Nurses’ intimate position in the inpatient setting and interpersonal capacity is influential in overcoming the obstacles that impede the therapeutic alliance.ConclusionNurses’ capacity for developing therapeutic alliances is in part dependent on a supportive ward organization and the adequacy of resources to permit meaningful interactions with consumers with anorexia nervosa. Understanding the contextual factors specific to the inpatient setting enhances nurses’ ability to develop therapeutic alliances.
Blue mould decay of stored onion bulbs caused by Penicillium polonicum, P. glabrum and P. expansum
Authors: Duduk Nataša , Lazarević Marina , Žebeljan Aleksandra , Vasić Miljan , Vico Ivana 
Published: August 2017

AbstractOnion bulbs (Allium cepa L.) can be stored for up to 12 months to ensure their availability all year, but one of the limiting factors is decay caused by blue mould fungi. Postharvest development of blue mould is not only economically important, but also poses a health hazard due to mycotoxin contamination. Onion bulbs of different yellow and red cultivars with blue mould symptoms were collected from three storage facilities in Serbia. Pathogenic isolates were identified and characterized based on their molecular (partial β‐tubulin gene), morphological (micro‐ and macromorphology, and colony growth) and biochemical properties (analyses of indole metabolites via Ehrlich test). Three Penicillium species were identified: P. polonicum, P. glabrum and P. expansum. Virulence on inoculated onion bulbs varied significantly within isolates of P. glabrum, but the most virulent isolate of P. polonicum and P. glabrum did not differ, nor did they differ from an isolate of P. expansum. Variability in virulence of individual P. glabrum isolates corresponded to differences in their molecular and macromorphological characters. P. glabrum and P. expansum were identified for the first time as causal agents of onion bulb decay in Serbia. Data from this investigation provide insight into diversity of economically important and possibly toxigenic blue mould fungi which brings attention to their presence in storage facilities and therefore the necessity of the application of prevention measures.
Vertical gradients in species richness and community composition across the twilight zone in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Sommer Stephanie A. , Van Woudenberg Lauren , Lenz Petra H. , Cepeda Georgina , Goetze Erica 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAlthough metazoan animals in the mesopelagic zone play critical roles in deep pelagic food webs and in the attenuation of carbon in midwaters, the diversity of these assemblages is not fully known. A metabarcoding survey of mesozooplankton diversity across the epipelagic, mesopelagic and upper bathypelagic zones (0–1500 m) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre revealed far higher estimates of species richness than expected given prior morphology‐based studies in the region (4,024OTUs, 10‐fold increase), despite conservative bioinformatic processing. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness of the full assemblage peaked at lower epipelagic–upper mesopelagic depths (100–300 m), with slight shoaling of maximal richness at night due to diel vertical migration, in contrast to expectations of a deep mesopelagic diversity maximum as reported for several plankton groups in early systematic and zoogeographic studies. Four distinct depth‐stratified species assemblages were identified, with faunal transitions occurring at 100 m, 300 m and 500 m. Highest diversity occurred in the smallest zooplankton size fractions (0.2–0.5 mm), which had significantly lower %OTUs classified due to poor representation in reference databases, suggesting a deep reservoir of poorly understood diversity in the smallest metazoan animals. A diverse meroplankton assemblage also was detected (350OTUs), including larvae of both shallow and deep living benthic species. Our results provide some of the first insights into the hidden diversity present in zooplankton assemblages in midwaters, and a molecular reappraisal of vertical gradients in species richness, depth distributions and community composition for the full zooplankton assemblage across the epipelagic, mesopelagic and upper bathypelagic zones.
Wastewater pollution differently affects the antibiotic resistance gene pool and biofilm bacterial communities across streambed compartments
Authors: Subirats Jèssica , Triadó‐Margarit Xavier , Mandaric Ladislav , Acuña Vicenç , Balcázar José Luis , Sabater Sergi , Borrego Carles M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWastewater discharges introduce antibiotic residues and antibiotic‐resistant bacteria (ARB) into surface waters. Both inputs directly affect the streambed resistome, either by exerting a selective pressure that favour the proliferation of resistant phenotypes or by enriching the resident communities with wastewater‐associated ARB. Here, we investigated the impact of raw and treated urban wastewater discharges on epilithic (growing on rocks) and epipsammic (growing on sandy substrata) streambed biofilms. The effects were assessed by comparing control and impact sites (i) on the composition of bacterial communities; (ii) on the abundance of twelve antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) encoding resistance to β‐lactams, fluoroquinolones, sulphonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides and vancomycin, as well as the class 1 integron‐integrase gene (intI1); (iii) on the occurrence of wastewater‐associated bacteria, including putative pathogens, and their potential linkage to target ARGs. We measured more pronounced effects of raw sewage than treated wastewater at the three studied levels. This effect was especially noticeable in epilithic biofilms, which showed a higher contribution of wastewater‐associated bacteria and ARB than in epipsammic biofilms. Comparison of correlation coefficients obtained between the relative abundance of both target ARGs and operational taxonomic units classified as either potential pathogens or nonpathogens yielded significant higher correlations between the former category and genes intI1, sul1, sul2 and ermB. Altogether, these results indicate that wastewater‐associated micro‐organisms, including potential pathogens, contribute to maintain the streambed resistome and that epilithic biofilms appear as sensitive biosensors of the effect of wastewater pollution in surface waters.
Speciation as a sieve for ancestral polymorphism
Authors: Guerrero Rafael F. , Hahn Matthew W. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBecause they are considered rare, balanced polymorphisms are often discounted as crucial constituents of genome‐wide variation in sequence diversity. Despite its perceived rarity, however, long‐term balancing selection can elevate genetic diversity and significantly affect observed divergence between species. Here, we discuss how ancestral balanced polymorphisms can be “sieved” by the speciation process, which sorts them unequally across descendant lineages. After speciation, ancestral balancing selection is revealed by genomic regions of high divergence between species. This signature, which resembles that of other evolutionary processes, can potentially confound genomic studies of population divergence and inferences of “islands of speciation.”
Functional trajectories of older patients admitted to an Acute Care Unit for Elders
Authors: D'Onofrio Andreina , Büla Christophe , Rubli Eve , Butrogno Fabiana , Morin Diane 
Published: August 2017

Aims and objectivesTo describe the functional trajectories of older medical inpatients and to identify factors associated with overall and in‐hospital functional decline.BackgroundFunctional decline during a hospital stay is an important clinical outcome because independence remains a major determinant of older persons’ quality of life and health care demands.Design and methodsParticipants (n = 189) were admitted to the Acute Care Unit for Elders of a Swiss academic hospital and were aged 65 years and older. Performance in basic activities of daily living at home (self‐reported), at hospital admission (observed) and at discharge (observed) was collected. Differences in scores for basic activities daily living between baseline and admission, between admission and discharge, and between baseline and discharge were used to define pre‐admission, in‐hospital and overall functional decline. Predictors of in‐hospital and overall decline were identified using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsPre‐admission, in‐hospital and overall functional decline occurred in 56.1%, 17.5% and 43.4% of the participants, respectively. In contrast, in‐hospital functional improvement occurred in 40.2% of the participants. No predictors of pre‐admission decline were identified, whereas pre‐admission performance in instrumental activities of daily living was associated with in‐hospital decline. Male gender and in‐hospital delirium were associated with overall functional decline.ConclusionsMost older inpatients experienced functional decline before their hospital admission, but only a minority experienced decline during their stay. Importantly, delirium was a strong predictor of overall functional decline.Implications for practiceLow performance in instrumental activities of daily living prior to admission and delirium occurrence identified older patients at higher risk for in‐hospital and overall functional decline. Gerontological nurses should play a key role in identifying these patients to provide preventative interventions and recovery care to preserve or restore their functional independence.
Differences between resource control types revisited: A short term longitudinal study
Authors: Reijntjes Albert , Vermande Marjolijn , Olthof Tjeert , Goossens Frits A. , Vink Gerko , Aleva Liesbeth , van der Meulen Matty 
Published: August 2017

AbstractHawley's influential resource control theory (RCT) posits that both coercive and prosocial strategies may yield social dominance, as indexed by resource control. Based on differences in youths’ relative use of these strategies, RCT a priori defines five distinct subtypes. Several studies by Hawley and colleagues have revealed substantial differences between subtypes in terms of obtained resource control and various social characteristics (e.g., agreeableness). The present longitudinal study (N = 394; Mage = 10.3; SD = 0.5) expands on previous work. Firstly, because several items used to assess strategies in RCT appear to confound strategy use with the resulting benefits (resource control), we disentangled between strategy use as such and obtained resource control. Secondly whereas previous work has been exclusively cross‐sectional, the present study was longitudinal. ANOVAs comparing subgroups provided support for some core tenets of RCT, but not for others. For instance, bistrategic children scored high on both resource control and perceived popularity. However, bistrategics engaged in elevated bullying, and whereas Hawley asserts that they are proficient in balancing ‘getting ahead’ with ‘getting along’, their behavior appeared to evoke clear negative reactions in the peer group at large. Findings also showed that non‐controllers did not experience more negative outcomes than their peers across all domains.
Heterogeneous firms, financial constraints and export behaviour: A firm‐level investigation for China
Authors: Huang Xiaobing , Liu Xiaolian , Görg Holger 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe study the impact of access to finance on exports using Chinese firm‐level data. We distinguish two modes of external finance, namely bank loans and issuing stocks to shareholders. We not only consider the impact either of these has individually on export behaviour, but also their interaction. We build the two external sources, as well as internal finance, into a heterogeneous firm‐type model, which allows us to investigate the relationship between financial constraints and firms’ exports. We examine the model's predictions empirically using a comprehensive longitudinal firm‐level data set from China. Our empirical results are consistent with the theoretical predictions. Firms who have more interest expenditure or can issue stocks to their shareholders have higher propensity to export and export more. Moreover, the more financial options a firm has, the better a firm performs in terms of export volume and export propensity.