bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improved performance of quantitative collagen parameters versus standard histology in longitudinal assessment of nonadvanced liver fibrosis for chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Wang Y. , Liang X. , Yang J. , Wang H. , Tan D. , Chen S. , Cheng J. , Chen Y. , Sun J. , Rong F. , Yang W. , Liu H. , Liu Z. , Zheng Y. , Liang J. , Li S. , Liu Z. , Hou J. 
Published: November 2017

SummaryMonitoring longitudinal nonadvanced fibrosis is a more common scenario in management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), for which, however, current evaluation methods generally lack sufficient performance. We conducted a proof‐of‐concept study to evaluate the performance of quantitative fibrous collagen parameters (q‐FP) in the assessment. Data sets from a prior CHB trial (NCT00962533) with mostly mild‐to‐moderate fibrosis participants were used for this study. 301 subjects with paired liver biopsies were consecutively included. Of these, 139 subjects were used to establish the test and the rest for internal validation. Fibrosis change between baseline and week 104 of treatment was blindly assessed with q‐FP and was compared with Ishak fibrosis staging. There were 70% and 93% subjects with Ishak F0‐2 at baseline and week 104, respectively. For the test of the subjects, q‐FP and Ishak staging showed no difference in determining the incidence of fibrosis regression (68% vs 67%; difference = 0.7%, P = 1.00). Q‐FP demonstrated that the regression was independently associated with the antiviral efficacy endpoint (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4‐6.5, P = .005), but Ishak failed the detection (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3‐1.3, P = .24). Moreover, q‐FP directly revealed a higher fibrosis‐resistance to antiviral treatment in virus genotypes C vs B and in males vs females. These results were confirmed in the validation subjects. Additionally, a functional model built on the test subjects showed an accuracy of 82% in stratifying fibrosis reversibility of the validation subjects. In conclusion, q‐FP could have improved efficiency and accuracy in the longitudinal assessment of mild‐to‐moderate CHB fibrosis, indicating a potential alternative to current evaluation methodologies.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of algorithms used to identify drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) in health record databases
Authors: Tan Eng Hooi , Low En Xian Sarah , Dan Yock Young , Tai Bee Choo 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBackground & AimsDrug induced liver injury (DILI) is largely underreported, leading to underestimation of its burden. Electronic detection of DILI in healthcare databases shows promise to overcome the issues of spontaneous reporting. The performance of detection algorithms may vary because of inconsistent DILI definition and detection criteria. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to identify the DILI detection criteria used in health record databases and determine the performance characteristics of the detection algorithms.MethodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus for studies that utilized laboratory threshold criteria to identify DILI cases. Validation studies were included in the meta‐analysis. Data were abstracted using standardized forms and quality was assessed using modified Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS‐2) criteria. We evaluate the performance characteristics of the detection algorithm by obtaining the pooled estimate of the positive predictive value (PPV) assuming a random effects model.ResultsA total of 29 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review; 25 of these studies (n = 35 948) had PPV estimates for performing the meta‐analysis. The PPV of DILI detection algorithms was low, ranging from 1.0% to 40.2%, with a pooled estimate of 14.6% (95% CI 10.7‐18.9). Algorithms that performed better had prespecified exclusion diagnoses as well as drugs of interest to minimize false positives.ConclusionAlgorithm performance varied with different case definitions of DILI attributed to different laboratory threshold criteria, diagnosis codes, and study drugs.
Loss of dendritic connectivity in southern California's urban riverscape facilitates decline of an endemic freshwater fish
Authors: Richmond Jonathan Q. , Backlin Adam R. , Galst‐Cavalcante Carey , O'Brien John W. , Fisher Robert N. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractLife history adaptations and spatial configuration of metapopulation networks allow certain species to persist in extreme fluctuating environments, yet long‐term stability within these systems relies on the maintenance of linkage habitat. Degradation of such linkages in urban riverscapes can disrupt this dynamic in aquatic species, leading to increased extinction debt in local populations experiencing environment‐related demographic flux. We used microsatellites and mtDNA to examine the effects of collapsed network structure in the endemic Santa Ana sucker Catostomus santaanae of southern California, a threatened species affected by natural flood–drought cycles, “boom‐and‐bust” demography, hybridization and presumed artificial transplantation. Our results show a predominance of drift‐mediated processes in shaping population structure and that reverse mechanisms for counterbalancing the genetic effects of these phenomena have dissipated with the collapse of dendritic connectivity. We use approximate Bayesian models to support two cases of artificial transplantation and provide evidence that one of the invaded systems better represents the historic processes that maintained genetic variation within watersheds than any remaining drainages where C. santaanae is considered native. We further show that a stable dry gap in the northern range is preventing genetic dilution of pure C. santaanae persisting upstream of a hybrid assemblage involving a non‐native sucker and that local accumulation of genetic variation in the same drainage is influenced by position within the network. This work has important implications for declining species that have historically relied on dendritic metapopulation networks to maintain source–sink dynamics in phasic environments, but no longer possess this capacity in urban‐converted landscapes.
Nitrogen use efficiency is regulated by interacting proteins relevant to development in wheat
Authors: Lei Lei , Li Genqiao , Zhang Hailin , Powers Carol , Fang Tilin , Chen Yihua , Wang Shuwen , Zhu Xinkai , Carver Brett F. , Yan Liuling 
Published: November 2017

SummaryWheat (Triticum aestivum) has low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The genetic mechanisms controlling NUE are unknown. Positional cloning of a major quantitative trait locus for N‐related agronomic traits showed that the vernalization gene TaVRN‐A1 was tightly linked with TaNUE1, the gene shown to influence NUE in wheat. Because of an Ala180/Val180 substitution, TaVRN‐A1a and TaVRN‐A1b proteins interact differentially with TaANR1, a protein encoded by a wheat orthologue of Arabidopsis nitrate regulated 1 (ANR1). The transcripts of both TaVRN‐A1 and TaANR1 were down‐regulated by nitrogen. TaANR1 was functionally characterized in TaANR1::RNAi transgenic wheat, and in a natural mutant with a 23‐bp deletion including 10‐bp at the 5′ end of intron 5 and 13‐bp of exon 6 in gDNA sequence in its gDNA sequence, which produced transcript that lacked the full 84‐bp exon 6. Both TaANR1 and TaHOX1 bound to the Ala180/Val180 position of TaVRN‐A1. Genetically incorporating favourable alleles from TaVRN‐A1, TaANR1 and TaHOX1 increased grain yield from 9.84% to 11.58% in the field. Molecular markers for allelic variation of the genes that regulate nitrogen can be used in breeding programmes aimed at improving NUE and yield in novel wheat cultivars.
Overexpression of the class I homeodomain transcription factor TaHDZipI‐5 increases drought and frost tolerance in transgenic wheat
Authors: Yang Yunfei , Luang Sukanya , Harris John , Riboni Matteo , Li Yuan , Bazanova Natalia , Hrmova Maria , Haefele Stephan , Kovalchuk Nataliya , Lopato Sergiy 
Published: November 2017

SummaryCharacterization of the function of stress‐related genes helps to understand the mechanisms of plant responses to environmental conditions. The findings of this work defined the role of the wheat TaHDZipI‐5 gene, encoding a stress‐responsive homeodomain–leucine zipper class I (HD‐Zip I) transcription factor, during the development of plant tolerance to frost and drought. Strong induction of TaHDZipI‐5 expression by low temperatures, and the elevated TaHDZipI‐5 levels of expression in flowers and early developing grains in the absence of stress, suggests that TaHDZipI‐5 is involved in the regulation of frost tolerance at flowering. The TaHDZipI‐5 protein behaved as an activator in a yeast transactivation assay, and the TaHDZipI‐5 activation domain was localized to its C‐terminus. The TaHDZipI‐5 protein homo‐ and hetero‐dimerizes with related TaHDZipI‐3, and differences between DNA interactions in both dimers were specified at 3D molecular levels. The constitutive overexpression of TaHDZipI‐5 in bread wheat significantly enhanced frost and drought tolerance of transgenic wheat lines with the appearance of undesired phenotypic features, which included a reduced plant size and biomass, delayed flowering and a grain yield decrease. An attempt to improve the phenotype of transgenic wheat by the application of stress‐inducible promoters with contrasting properties did not lead to the elimination of undesired phenotype, apparently due to strict spatial requirements for TaHDZipI‐5 overexpression.
Addressing the wicked problem of childhood trauma through a nursing and cooperative extension system collaboration
Authors: Foli Karen J. , Woodcox Stephanie , Kersey Susan , Zhang Lingsong 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this clinical concept report is to describe a public health project in rural Indiana that addressed the complex social issue or “wicked problem” of childhood trauma. The project was implemented through a unique partnership between nursing faculty and Cooperative Extension Educators, community‐based workers who are associated with fulfilling the mission of Land Grant Universities. The core focus of the project entailed a nurse and a Cooperative Extension Educator co‐teaching trauma‐informed parenting classes to rural dwelling, kinship caregivers. Kinship caregivers are often grandparents who assume the parenting role after the child has been removed from the birth parents’ care. The trauma‐informed curriculum was developed by experts in child trauma and is available through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. The unique partnership provided insight into the different missions of the two organizations, different values and workflow metrics, and different schedules, which at times proved to be barriers to implementation. This discussion focuses on deconstructing the goals and objectives of the project and retrospectively, describing recommendations so that public health nurses may partner with Extension Educators in their communities for optimal project success.
Control networks and hubs
Authors: Gratton Caterina , Sun Haoxin , Petersen Steven E. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractExecutive control functions are associated with frontal, parietal, cingulate, and insular brain regions that interact through distributed large‐scale networks. Here, we discuss how fMRI functional connectivity can shed light on the organization of control networks and how they interact with other parts of the brain. In the first section of our review, we present convergent evidence from fMRI functional connectivity, activation, and lesion studies that there are multiple dissociable control networks in the brain with distinct functional properties. In the second section, we discuss how graph theoretical concepts can help illuminate the mechanisms by which control networks interact with other brain regions to carry out goal‐directed functions, focusing on the role of specialized hub regions for mediating cross‐network interactions. Again, we use a combination of functional connectivity, lesion, and task activation studies to bolster this claim. We conclude that a large‐scale network perspective provides important neurobiological constraints on the neural underpinnings of executive control, which will guide future basic and translational research into executive function and its disruption in disease.
Which Fire to Extinguish First? A Risk‐Informed Approach to Emergency Response in Oil Terminals
Authors: Khakzad Nima 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe performance of fire protection measures plays a key role in the prevention and mitigation of fire escalation (fire domino effect) in process plants. In addition to passive and active safety measures, the intervention of firefighting teams can have a great impact on fire propagation. In the present study, we have demonstrated an application of dynamic Bayesian network to modeling and safety assessment of fire domino effect in oil terminals while considering the effect of safety measures in place. The results of the developed dynamic Bayesian network—prior and posterior probabilities—have been combined with information theory, in the form of mutual information, to identify optimal firefighting strategies, especially when the number of fire trucks is not sufficient to handle all the vessels in danger.
Unemployment, rural–urban migration and environmental regulation
Authors: Kuralbayeva Karlygash 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis paper develops a general equilibrium model that incorporates specific features pertaining to developing countries: a large informal sector and rural–urban migration. A calibrated version of the model is used to study the effects of energy tax changes and a reduction in agricultural‐sector energy subsidies on labor market outcomes. The results indicate that the incidence of energy taxes is partly shifted on to the rural sector through rural–urban migration. The results thus highlight the importance of modeling the features particular to developing countries and the economic general equilibrium effects when assessing the impact of environmental taxation in those countries.
RePHILL: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of pre‐hospital blood product resuscitation for trauma
Authors: Smith I. M. , Crombie N. , Bishop J. R. , McLaughlin A. , Naumann D. N. , Herbert M. , Hancox J. M. , Slinn G. , Ives N. , Grant M. , Perkins G. D. , Doughty H. , Midwinter M. J. ,   on behalf of the RePHILL Trial Collaborators
Published: November 2017

SUMMARYObjectivesTo describe the ‘Resuscitation with Pre‐HospItaL bLood products’ trial (RePHILL) – a multi‐centre randomised controlled trial of pre‐hospital blood product (PHBP) administration vs standard care for traumatic haemorrhage.BackgroundPHBP are increasingly used for pre‐hospital trauma resuscitation despite a lack of robust evidence demonstrating superiority over crystalloids. Provision of PHBP carries additional logistical and regulatory implications, and requires a sustainable supply of universal blood components.MethodsRePHILL is a multi‐centre, two‐arm, parallel group, open‐label, phase III randomised controlled trial currently underway in the UK. Patients attended by a pre‐hospital emergency medical team, with traumatic injury and hypotension (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg or absent radial pulse) believed to be due to traumatic haemorrhage are eligible. Exclusion criteria include age <16 years, blood product receipt on scene prior to randomisation, Advanced Medical Directive forbidding blood product administration, pregnancy, isolated head injury and prisoners. A total of 490 patients will be recruited in a 1 : 1 ratio to receive either the intervention (up to two units of red blood cells and two units of lyophilised plasma) or the control (up to four boluses of 250 mL 0.9% saline). The primary outcome measure is a composite of failure to achieve lactate clearance of ≥20%/h over the first 2 hours after randomisation and all‐cause mortality between recruitment and discharge from the primary receiving facility to non‐acute care. Secondary outcomes include pre‐hospital time, coagulation indices, in‐hospital transfusion requirements and morbidity.ResultsPilot study recruitment began in December 2016. Approval to proceed to the main trial was received in June 2017. Recruitment is expected to continue until 2020.ConclusionsRePHILL will provide high‐quality evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of PHBP resuscitation for trauma.
In premature infants there is no decrease in 24‐hour posttransfusion allogeneic red blood cell recovery after 42 days of storage
Authors: Nalbant Demet , Cancelas José A. , Mock Donald M. , Kyosseva Svetlana V. , Schmidt Robert L. , Cress Gretchen A. , Zimmerman M. Bridget , Strauss Ronald G. , Widness John A. 
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUNDCritically ill preterm very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) neonates (birthweight ≤ 1.5 kg) frequently develop anemia that is treated with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Although RBCs transfused to adults demonstrate progressive decreases in posttransfusion 24‐hour RBC recovery (PTR24) during storage—to a mean of approximately 85% of the Food and Drug Administration—allowed 42‐day storage—limited data in infants indicate no decrease in PTR24 with storage.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe hypothesized that PTR24 of allogeneic RBCs transfused to anemic VLBW newborns: 1) will be greater than PTR24 of autologous RBCs transfused into healthy adults and 2) will not decrease with increasing storage duration. RBCs were stored at 4°C for not more than 42 days in AS‐3 or AS‐5. PTR24 was determined in 46 VLBW neonates using biotin‐labeled RBCs and in 76 healthy adults using 51Cr‐labeled RBCs. Linear mixed‐model analysis was used to estimate slopes and intercepts of PTR24 versus duration of RBC storage.RESULTSFor VLBW newborns, the estimated slope of PTR24 versus storage did not decrease with the duration of storage (p = 0.18) while for adults it did (p < 0.0001). These estimated slopes differed significantly in adults compared to newborns (p = 0.04). At the allowed 42‐day storage limit, projected mean neonatal PTR24 was 95.9%; for adults, it was 83.8% (p = 0.0002).CONCLUSIONSThese data provide evidence that storage duration of allogeneic RBCs intended for neonates can be increased without affecting PTR24. This conclusion supports the practice of transfusing RBCs stored up to 42 days for small‐volume neonatal transfusions to limit donor exposure.
Evaluation of a lateral flow–based technology card for blood typing using a simplified protocol in a model of extreme blood sampling conditions
Authors: Clavier Benoît , Pouget Thomas , Sailliol Anne 
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUNDLife‐threatening situations requiring blood transfusion under extreme conditions or in remote and austere locations, such as the battlefield or in traffic accidents, would benefit from reliable blood typing practices that are easily understood by a nonscientist or nonlaboratory technician and provide quick results.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA simplified protocol was developed for the lateral flow–based device MDmulticard ABO‐D‐Rh subgroups‐K. Its performance was compared to a reference method (PK7300, Beckman Coulter) in native blood samples from donors. The method was tested on blood samples stressed in vitro as a model of hemorrhage cases (through hemodilution using physiologic serum) and dehydration (through hemoconcentration by removing an aliquot of plasma after centrifugation), respectively.RESULTSA total of 146 tests were performed on 52 samples; 126 in the hemodilution group (42 for each native, diluted 1/2, and diluted 1/4 samples) and 20 in the hemoconcentration group (10 for each native and 10% concentrated samples). Hematocrit in the tested samples ranged from 9.8% to 57.6% while hemoglobin levels ranged from 3.2 to 20.1 g/dL. The phenotype profile detected with the MDmulticard using the simplified protocol resulted in 22 A, seven B, 20 O, and three AB, of which nine were D– and five were Kell positive. No discrepancies were found with respect to the results obtained with the reference method.CONCLUSIONThe simplified protocol for MDmulticard use could be considered a reliable method for blood typing in extreme environment or emergency situations, worsened by red blood cell dilution or concentration.
Molecular adaptations of adipose tissue to 6 weeks of morning fasting vs. daily breakfast consumption in lean and obese adults
Authors: Gonzalez Javier T. , Richardson Judith D. , Chowdhury Enhad A. , Koumanov Francoise , Holman Geoffrey D. , Cooper Scott , Thompson Dylan , Tsintzas Kostas , Betts James A. 
Published: November 2017

Key points
In lean individuals, 6 weeks of extended morning fasting increases the expression of genes involved in lipid turnover (ACADM) and insulin signalling (IRS2) in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue.
In obese individuals, 6 weeks of extended morning fasting increases IRS2 expression in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue.
The content and activation status of key proteins involved in insulin signalling and glucose transport (GLUT4, Akt1 and Akt2) were unaffected by extended morning fasting. Therefore, any observations of altered adipose tissue insulin sensitivity with extended morning fasting do not necessarily require changes in insulin signalling proximal to Akt.
Insulin‐stimulated adipose tissue glucose uptake rates are lower in obese versus lean individuals, but this difference is abolished when values are normalised to whole‐body fat mass. This suggests a novel hypothesis which proposes that the reduced adipose glucose uptake in obesity is a physiological down‐regulation to prevent excessive de novo lipogenesis.
AbstractThis study assessed molecular responses of human subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SCAT) to 6 weeks of morning fasting. Forty‐nine healthy lean (n = 29) and obese (n = 20) adults provided SCAT biopsies before and after 6 weeks of morning fasting (FAST; 0 kcal until 12.00 h) or daily breakfast consumption (BFAST; ≥700 kcal before 11.00 h). Biopsies were analysed for mRNA levels of selected genes, and GLUT4 and Akt protein content. Basal and insulin‐stimulated Akt activation and tissue glucose uptake rates were also determined. In lean individuals, lipid turnover and insulin signalling genes (ACADM and IRS2) were up‐regulated with FAST versus BFAST (ACADM: 1.14 (95% CI: 0.97–1.30) versus 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64–0.96), P = 0.007; IRS2: 1.75 (95% CI: 1.33–2.16) versus 1.09 (95% CI: 0.67–1.51), P = 0.03, respectively). In obese individuals, no differential (FAST versus BFAST) expression was observed in genes involved in lipid turnover (all P > 0.1). GLUT4, Akt protein content and insulin‐stimulated Akt phosphorylation were unaffected by FAST versus BFAST in both lean and obese cohorts (all P > 0.1). Lower insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake rates in obese versus lean individuals were eradicated when normalised to whole‐body fat mass (P = 0.416). We conclude that morning fasting up‐regulates lipid turnover genes in SCAT of lean individuals. Secondly, altered SCAT insulin sensitivity with morning fasting is unlikely to be explained by signalling proximal to Akt. Finally, lower insulin‐stimulated SCAT glucose uptake rates in obese individuals are proportional to whole‐body fat mass, suggesting a compensatory down‐regulation, presumably to prevent excessive de novo lipogenesis in adipose tissue. This trial was registered as ISRCTN31521726.