bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Best practices in social and behavioral research: report from the
Enhancing Clinical Research Professional’s Training and Qualifications
project
Authors: Murphy Susan L. , Byks-Jazayeri Christine , Calvin-Naylor Nancy , Divecha Vic , Anderson Elizabeth , Eakin Brenda , Fair Alecia , Denton Laura 
Published: February 2017

IntroductionThis article discusses the process of defining competencies and development
of a best practices training course for investigators and clinical research
coordinators who conduct social and behavioral research.MethodsThe first project phase established recommendations for training in Good
Clinical Practice (GCP) and was done in conjunction with representatives
from 62 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs. Diversity in
behavioral clinical trials and differences in regulation of behavioral
trials compared with clinical trials involving drugs, devices, or biologics
necessitated a separate Social and Behavioral Work Group. This group worked
with CTSA representatives to tailor competencies and fundamental GCP
principles into best practices for social and behavioral research.ResultsAlthough concepts underlying GCP were deemed similar across all clinical
trials, not all areas were equally applicable and the ways in which GCP
would be enacted differ for behavioral trials. It was determined that
suitable training in best practices for social and behavioral research was
lacking.DiscussionBased on the training need, an e-learning course for best practices is
available to all CTSA sites. Each institution is able to track outcomes for
its employees to help achieve standardized competency-based best practices
for social and behavioral investigators and staff.
Late Holocene hydroclimatic change at Cienega Amarilla, west-central New Mexico, USA
Authors: Onken Jill , Smith Susan J. , Palacios-Fest Manuel R. , Adams Karen R. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractA late Holocene carbonate spring mound and associated wetland deposits at Cienega Amarilla, New Mexico, contain a 4000-yr record of geomorphic, paleoenvironmental, and hydroclimatic change on the southern Colorado Plateau. Forty-four14C dates support a century-scale chronostratigraphic framework. Pollen, plant macrofossil, mollusk, ostracode, and soil analyses indicate rapid spring mound growth and wetland expansion beginning ~2300 cal yr BP, followed by a pronounced decline in groundwater discharge (GWD) between ~1500 and 1000 cal yr BP. The isotopic composition of Cienega Amarilla springwater suggests GWD is driven primarily by winter precipitation. Historical climate data indicate that El Niño and warm Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) conditions foster wetter-than-average winters in the Cienega Amarilla area, whereas dry winters are associated with La Niña conditions regardless of PDO phase. The ~2300–1500 cal yr BP Cienega Amarilla pluvial appears to represent an interval of peak, late Holocene cool-season precipitation that implies unusually strong or persistent El Niño–like and warm PDO–like conditions in the Pacific. Other southwestern paleoenvironmental records corroborate atypically wet conditions during this interval, and pluvial conditions related to increased winter precipitation likely fostered significant prehistoric cultural changes throughout the region, including increased sedentism, population, and dependence on agriculture.
New pollen evidence from Nariani (Georgia) for delayed postglacial forest expansion in the South Caucasus
Authors: Messager Erwan , Nomade Sébastien , Wilhelm Bruno , Joannin Sébastien , Scao Vincent , Von Grafenstein Ulrich , Martkoplishvili Inga , Ollivier Vincent , Mgeladze Ana , Dumoulin Jean-Pascal , Mazuy Arnaud , Belmecheri Soumaya , Lordkipanidze David 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe nature and timing of environmental changes throughout the last glacial-interglacial transition in the South Caucasus, and more widely in eastern Europe, are still not fully understood. According to certain pollen records, forest expansion occurred in many areas several millennia after what is considered worldwide as the onset of the Holocene. The current problem we face is that the time lag in forest expansion varies from one sequence to another, sometimes with no delay at all. Moreover, the potential forcing/controlling factors behind this complex pattern, contrary to the almost synchronous global Holocene warming, are still a matter for debate. Accordingly, we revisit the issue of forest expansion through vegetation history obtained in the South Caucasus using a new pollen record, retrieved from the Nariani paleolake (South Georgia). These data attest to a steppic phase, initially dominated by Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae (12,700–10,500 cal yr BP), then by Poaceae (10,500–9000 cal yr BP), culminating with a more forested phase (9000–5000 calyrBP). Although some palaeoclimatic regional reconstructions show a wet early Holocene, we interpret the delay in forest expansion recorded in Nariani (2500 years) as the result of reduced spring precipitation, which would have limited forest development at that time.
Properties, age, and significance of dunes near Snow Water Lake, Elko County, Nevada
Authors: Munroe Jeffrey S. , Gorin Andrew L. , Stone Noah N. , Amidon William H. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDunes adjacent to the Snow Water Lake playa in Elko County of northeastern Nevada rise up to ~10 m above the playa surface in seven distinct clusters. The dunes are composed of tan silty loam containing calcite, quartz, plagioclase, and dioctahedral clay. Abundances of trace elements, along with relative proportions of quartz and calcite, are distinct between dunes along the north and south sides of the playa, reflecting proximity to streams draining different lithologies in the neighboring mountains. Luminescence (optically stimulated luminescence and infrared-stimulated luminescence) dating of dune crest samples demonstrates that the last episode of dune accumulation occurred in the mid-eighteenth century. Moisture-sensitive tree ring records from a nearby site indicate that dune accumulation coincided with an interval of below-average precipitation immediately following a very wet decade. This sequence is consistent with models requiring wetter climatic conditions to move coarse sediment onto a playa surface, followed by dune building under drier conditions. Younger luminescence ages from a sand-dominated unit exposed in an arroyo cut through the dunes may reflect a wetter, more erosive climatic regime ca. AD 1800. The Snow Water Lake dunes are currently eroding, signaling a reduction in the amount of sediment reaching the playa.
After Mazibuko: Exploring the responses of communities excluded from South Africa's water experiment
Authors: Cooper Nathan John 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDespite a constitutional right to water, challenges remain for access to sufficient water in South Africa. This article considers the degree to which current legal provisions perpetuate approaches that are antithetical to genuinely eco-socio-sustainable water access. Water in South Africa has largely been re-cast as a commodity, exposed to market rules, proving problematic for many and giving rise to various responses, including litigation. In the seminal case of Mazibuko, the Constitutional Court failed to provide robust protection to the right to water, providing impetus for the formation of “commons” strategies for water allocation. Indeed, “commoning” is beginning to represent not only an emerging conceptual strand in urban resource allocation, but also a dynamic, contemporary, eco-sensitive, socio-cultural phenomenon, driving innovative, interactive and inclusive forms of planning and social engagement. Against the backdrop of unequal water access, commoning offers glimpses of an empowering and enfranchising subaltern paradigm.
Hyaluronic acid for post sinus surgery care: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fong E , Garcia M , Woods C M , Ooi E 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackground:Wound healing after endoscopic sinus surgery may result in adhesion formation. Hyaluronic acid may prevent synechiae development. A systematic review was performed to evaluate the current evidence on the clinical efficacy of hyaluronic acid applied to the nasal cavity after sinus surgery.Methods:Studies using hyaluronic acid as an adjunct treatment following endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis were identified. The primary outcome was adhesion formation rates. A meta-analysis was performed on adhesion event frequency. Secondary outcome measures included other endoscopic findings and patient-reported outcomes.Results:Thirteen studies (501 patients) met the selection criteria. A meta-analysis of adhesion formation frequency on endoscopy demonstrated a lower risk ratio in the hyaluronic acid intervention group (42 out of 283 cases) compared to the control group (81 out of 282) of 0.52 (95 per cent confidence interval = 0.37–0.72). Hyaluronic acid use was not associated with any significant adverse events.Conclusion:Hyaluronic acid appears to be clinically safe and well tolerated, and may be useful in the early stages after sinus surgery to limit adhesion rate. Further research, including larger randomised controlled trials, is required to evaluate patient- and clinician-reported outcomes of hyaluronic acid post sinus surgery.
Is celecoxib a useful adjunct in the treatment of post-tonsillectomy pain in the adult population? A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Ng T-T , Diamantaras D , Priestley J , Redman J , De Silva N , Mahanta V 
Published: February 2017

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of celecoxib for pain management in post-tonsillectomy adult patients.Design:A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial was conducted in an adult population (aged 18–55 years), with a parallel group design using an allocation ratio of 1:1.Methods:Eighty patients underwent elective tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, operated on by one surgeon. They were discharged home with randomly assigned celecoxib or placebo, together with regular post-tonsillectomy medications (paracetamol and Endone). Pain scores were measured from post-operative days 1 to 10. All patients were assessed on post-operative days 5, 12 and 28.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the daily or overall pain scores, the total intake of Endone, or the time taken to achieve freedom from pain after tonsillectomy between the study arms (n = 40 each arm). The celecoxib-treated group experienced significantly more vomiting (celecoxib vs placebo p < 0.001 (Mann–Whitney test), confidence interval = 0.57 to 0.76).Conclusion:Celecoxib usage was associated with significantly more vomiting and did not reduce narcotic analgesia requirement post-tonsillectomy.
Anorexia nervosa in males: excess mortality and psychiatric co-morbidity in 609 Swedish in-patients
Authors: Kask J. , Ramklint M. , Kolia N. , Panagiotakos D. , Ekbom A. , Ekselius L. , Papadopoulos F. C. 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder with high mortality.MethodA retrospective register study of 609 males who received hospitalized care for AN in Sweden between 1973 and 2010 was performed. The standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and Cox regression-derived hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated as measures of mortality. The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to compare the mortality rates in patients with AN and controls both with and without psychiatric diagnoses.ResultsThe SMR for all causes of death was 4.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1–5.3]. For those patients with psychiatric co-morbidities, the SMR for all causes of death was 9.1 (95% CI 6.6–12.2), and for those without psychiatric co-morbidity, the SMR was 1.6 (95% CI 0.9–2.7). For the group of patients with alcohol use disorder, the SMR for natural causes of death was 11.5 (95% CI 5.0–22.7), and that for unnatural causes was 35.5 (95% CI 17.7–63.5). The HRs confirmed the increased mortality for AN patients with psychiatric co-morbidities, even after adjusting for confounders. The IRRs revealed no significant difference in mortality patterns between the AN patients with psychiatric co-morbidity and the controls with psychiatric diagnoses, with the exceptions of alcohol use disorder and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, which seemed to confer a negative synergistic effect on mortality.ConclusionMortality in male AN patients was significantly elevated compared with the general population among only the patients with psychiatric co-morbidities. Specifically, the presence of alcohol and other substance use disorders was associated with more profound excess mortality.
Migration and Popular Resistance in Rural China: Wukan and Beyond
Authors: Lu Yao , Zheng Wenjuan , Wang Wei 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis study draws on a case study of Wukan and interviews with migrants and peasants in other sites to examine how migration shapes popular resistance in migrant-sending communities (i.e. rural China). Findings demonstrate multidimensional roles played by migrants and returned migrants who act as a vehicle of informational and ideological transmission and at times directly participate in or even lead rural resistance in origin communities. Both the transmission and participation processes foster political consciousness and action orientations among peasants. The importance of migrants is exemplified in the Wukan protests but is also found in other settings under study. In general, migrants represent a latent political force that acts upon serious grievances back home. The findings provide a useful lens for understanding the diffusion of popular resistance and the linkage between urban and rural activism in China.
Cost-effectiveness of active case-finding of household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in a low HIV, tuberculosis-endemic urban area of Lima, Peru
Authors: SHAH L. , ROJAS M. , MORI O. , ZAMUDIO C. , KAUFMAN J. S. , OTERO L. , GOTUZZO E. , SEAS C. , BREWER T. F. 
Published: February 2017

SUMMARYWe compared the cost-effectiveness (CE) of an active case-finding (ACF) programme for household contacts of tuberculosis (TB) cases enrolled in first-line treatment to routine passive case-finding (PCF) within an established national TB programme in Peru. Decision analysis was used to model detection of TB in household contacts through: (1) self-report of symptomatic cases for evaluation (PCF), (2) a provider-initiated ACF programme, (3) addition of an Xpert MTB/RIF diagnostic test for a single sputum sample from household contacts, and (4) all strategies combined. CE was calculated as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in terms of US dollars per disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. Compared to PCF alone, ACF for household contacts resulted in an ICER of $2155 per DALY averted. The addition of the Xpert MTB/RIF diagnostic test resulted in an ICER of $3275 per DALY averted within a PCF programme and $3399 per DALY averted when an ACF programme was included. Provider-initiated ACF of household contacts in an urban setting of Lima, Peru can be highly cost-effective, even including costs to seek out contacts and perform an Xpert/MTB RIF test. ACF including Xpert MTB/RIF was not cost-effective if TB cases detected had high rates of default from treatment or poor outcomes.
Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica: current insights into an emerging human pathogen
Authors: SCHRÖTTNER P. , RUDOLPH W. W. , DAMME U. , LOTZ C. , JACOBS E. , GUNZER F. 
Published: February 2017

SUMMARYSince the first description of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica in 2008, a number of well described case reports demonstrating its pathogenic role in humans have been published. Infections may be closely linked to flies, such as Wohlfahrtia magnifica, Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala or Musca domestica. These insects are potent vectors for the distribution of W. chitiniclastica causing local or systemic infections originating from wounds infested with fly larvae. However, other potential sources of transmission of W. chitiniclastica have been described such as soil or chicken meat. Infections in humans reported to date comprise wound infections, cellulitis, osteomyelitis and sepsis. This review summarizes all the literature available up to now and gives the current knowledge about this emerging human pathogen. Additionally, four patients with proven W. chitiniclastica infections treated at Dresden University Hospital between 2013 and 2015, are included. Special focus was placed on microbiological identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of the pathogen.
Clinical application of three-dimensional printing to the management of complex univentricular hearts with abnormal systemic or pulmonary venous drainage
Authors: McGovern Eimear , Kelleher Eoin , Snow Aisling , Walsh Kevin , Gadallah Bassem , Kutty Shelby , Redmond John M. , McMahon Colin J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn recent years, three-dimensional printing has demonstrated reliable reproducibility of several organs including hearts with complex congenital cardiac anomalies. This represents the next step in advanced image processing and can be used to plan surgical repair. In this study, we describe three children with complex univentricular hearts and abnormal systemic or pulmonary venous drainage, in whom three-dimensional printed models based on CT data assisted with preoperative planning. For two children, after group discussion and examination of the models, a decision was made not to proceed with surgery. We extend the current clinical experience with three-dimensional printed modelling and discuss the benefits of such models in the setting of managing complex surgical problems in children with univentricular circulation and abnormal systemic or pulmonary venous drainage.
Modern Focused-Ion-Beam-Based Site-Specific Specimen Preparation for Atom Probe Tomography
Authors: Prosa Ty J. , Larson David J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractApproximately 30 years after the first use of focused ion beam (FIB) instruments to prepare atom probe tomography specimens, this technique has grown to be used by hundreds of researchers around the world. This past decade has seen tremendous advances in atom probe applications, enabled by the continued development of FIB-based specimen preparation methodologies. In this work, we provide a short review of the origin of the FIB method and the standard methods used today for lift-out and sharpening, using the annular milling method as applied to atom probe tomography specimens. Key steps for enabling correlative analysis with transmission electron-beam backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography are presented, and strategies for preparing specimens for modern microelectronic device structures are reviewed and discussed in detail. Examples are used for discussion of the steps for each of these methods. We conclude with examples of the challenges presented by complex topologies such as nanowires, nanoparticles, and organic materials.
Analysis of Cyclin E1 Functions in Porcine Preimplantation Embryonic Development by Fluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Guo Jing , Shin Kyung-Tae , Cui Xiang-Shun 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCyclin E1 (CCNE1) is a core component of cell cycle regulation that drives the transition into the S phase. CCNE1 plays critical roles in cell cycle, cell proliferation, and cellular functions. However, the function of CCNE1 in early embryonic development is limited. In the present study, the function and expression ofCcne1in porcine early parthenotes were examined. Immunostaining experiments showed that CCNE1 localized in the nucleus, starting at the four-cell stage. Knockdown ofCcne1by double-stranded RNA resulted in the failure of blastocyst formation and induced blastocyst apoptosis.Ccne1depletion increased expression of the pro-apoptotic geneBax, and decreased the expression ofOct4and the rate of inner cell mass (ICM)/trophectoderm formation. The results indicated that CCNE1 affects blastocyst formation by inducing cell apoptosis and ICM formation during porcine embryonic development.
The maximum growth rate of life on Earth
Authors: Corkrey Ross , McMeekin Tom A. , Bowman John P. , Olley June , Ratkowsky David , Ross Tom 
Published: February 2017

AbstractLife on Earth spans a range of temperatures and exhibits biological growth rates that are temperature dependent. While the observation that growth rates are temperature dependent is well known, we have recently shown that the statistical distribution of specific growth rates for life on Earth is a function of temperature (Corkreyet al., 2016). The maximum rates of growth of all life have a distinct limit, even when grown under optimal conditions, and which vary predictably with temperature. We term this distribution of growth rates the biokinetic spectrum for temperature (BKST). The BKST possibly arises from a trade-off between catalytic activity and stability of enzymes involved in a rate-limiting Master Reaction System (MRS) within the cell. We develop a method to extrapolate quantile curves for the BKST to obtain the posterior probability of the maximum rate of growth of any form of life on Earth. The maximum rate curve conforms to the observed data except below 0°C and above 100°C where the predicted value may be positively biased. The deviation below 0°C may arise from the bulk properties of water, while the degradation of biomolecules may be important above 100°C. The BKST has potential application in astrobiology by providing an estimate of the maximum possible growth rate attainable by terrestrial life and perhaps life elsewhere. We suggest that the area under the maximum growth rate curve and the peak rate may be useful characteristics in considerations of habitability. The BKST can serve as a diagnostic for unusual life, such as second biogenesis or non-terrestrial life. Since the MRS must have been heavily conserved the BKST may contain evolutionary relics. The BKST can serve as a signature summarizing the nature of life in environments beyond Earth, or to characterize species arising from a second biogenesis on Earth.
Bystander effects elicited by single-cell photo-oxidative blue-light stimulation in retinal pigment epithelium cell networks
Authors: Ishii Masaaki , Rohrer Bärbel 
Published: February 2017

Abstract‘Bystander effect’ refers to the induction of biological effects in cells not directly targeted. The retinal pigment epithelium consists of hexagonal cells, forming a monolayer interconnected by gap junctions (GJs). Oxidative stress initiated in an individual cell by photostimulation (488 nm) triggered changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca2+ and mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm). The Ca2+ signal was transmitted to neighboring cells slowly and non-uniformly; the ROS signal spread fast and radially. Increased Ca2+ levels were associated with a loss in ψm. GJ blockers prevented the spreading of the Ca2+, but not the ROS-related signal. The GJ-mediated Ca2+ wave was associated with cell death by 24 h, requiring endoplasmic reticulum–mitochondria Ca2+ transfer. Ensuing cell death was correlated with baseline Ca2+ levels, and baseline Ca2+ levels were correlated with pigmentation. Hence, local oxidative stress in a donor cell can trigger changes in certain connected recipient cells, a signal that required GJ communication and an ROS-Ca2+ dual-hit. Finally, damage apparently occurred in susceptible cells, which correlated with baseline Ca2+ levels.