bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What are the clinically important outcome measures in the surgical management of nasal obstruction?
Authors: Lodder Wouter L. , Leong Samuel C. 
Published: October 2017

ObjectivesTo assess the correlation between the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) measurement, and to determine which outcome variable correlates with patient satisfaction and thereby, provide an indication of successful surgical outcome.DesignProspective case seriesSettingTertiary rhinology service (Liverpool, U.K)ParticipantsPatients having surgery (septoplasty, turbinoplasty) for nasal obstruction.Main outcome measuresNOSE, PNIF, 5‐point Likert scale (weighted from “very satisfied” to “not at all satisfied”) and a 10‐cm visual analogue scale (0 = not at all satisfied, 10 = very satisfied).ResultsForty‐five (15 female) had complete data sets available for analysis. The mean preoperative NOSE score was 78.4 (standard deviation, SD 14.8) and improved significantly to 23.0 (SD 19.1) postoperatively. A similar trend was observed where the mean preoperative PNIF improved significantly by 40% from 91.8 L/min (SD 28.2) to 139.9 (SD 27.9) following surgery. The mean improvement in NOSE score of the overall study cohort was 55.4 (SD 22.3) while the mean improvement in PNIF was 48.0 (SD 31.1). Although no correlation was observed between pre‐ and postoperative NOSE and PNIF, a significant (P = .01) but weak positive correlation (r = .39) was observed between the magnitude of change in NOSE and PNIF. The mean change in NOSE score of patients who were “very satisfied” with their nasal operation was 64.0 (SD 18.5), significantly higher compared to 39.2 (SD 17.9) in patients who were “satisfied.”ConclusionsPatients who rate being either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” demonstrated significant improvement in NOSE and PNIF following their nasal surgery; the magnitude being twice the calculated minimal clinically important difference.
Social fit of coral reef governance varies among individuals
Authors: Turner Rachel A , Forster Johanna , Fitzsimmons Clare , Gill David , Mahon Robin , Peterson Angelie , Stead Selina 
Published: October 2017

AbstractImproved natural resource governance is critical for the effective conservation of ecosystems, and the well‐being of societies that depend on them. Understanding the social fit of institutional arrangements in different contexts can help guide the design of effective environmental governance. This empirical study assessed individual‐level variation in institutional acceptance of coral reef governance among 652 respondents in 12 fishing and tourism‐oriented communities in the Wider Caribbean. High institutional acceptance was strongly associated with perceptions of community cohesiveness, underlining the potential contribution of civil society to effective governance processes. Institutional acceptance was also influenced by reef use, awareness of rules, perceived trends in reef fish populations, education, and contextual community‐level factors. Understanding what influences diverse perceptions of coral reef governance among individuals can help to assess the likelihood of support for conservation measures. This study highlights how knowledge of institutional acceptance can inform the design of more targeted interventions that enhance the social fit of conservation governance to local contexts and diverse resource users.
Family intervention for caregivers of people with recent‐onset psychosis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ma Chak Fai , Chien Wai Tong , Bressington Daniel Thomas 
Published: October 2017

AimWe aimed to systematically review the evidence of the effectiveness of family interventions for caregivers of people with recent‐onset psychosis compared with usual psychiatric care. A secondary objective was to directly compare the effects of different types of family interventions.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL Complete and EBSCOhost were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials. Trial data were extracted following the procedures described in the Cochrane Handbook of systematic reviews. Random‐effects models were used to pool the intervention effects.ResultsTwelve studies including 1644 participants were included in this review. With the exception of a high risk of performance bias inherent to the nature of the psychosocial interventions, the studies had an overall low or unclear risk of bias, suggesting that sources of bias are unlikely to lower confidence in the estimate of intervention effects. Meta‐analyses were conducted for 4 different participant outcomes reported in 9 studies. Compared with usual psychiatric care, family intervention was more effective in reducing care burden over all follow‐up periods. Family intervention was also superior to usual care with regards to caregiving experience in the short term and improved utilization of formal support and family functioning over longer‐term follow up. Mutual support is more effective than psychoeducation in improving family functioning when measured 1 to 2 years after the intervention but had equivalent effects on utilization of formal support services.ConclusionsThis review provides evidence that family intervention is effective for caregivers of recent‐onset psychosis, especially for care burden where the positive effects are enhanced over time.
Negative symptoms of psychosis: A life course approach and implications for prevention and treatment
Authors: Lyne John , O'Donoghue Brian , Roche Eric , Renwick Laoise , Cannon Mary , Clarke Mary 
Published: October 2017

AimNegative symptoms are a cause of enduring disability in serious mental illness. In spite of this, the development of effective treatments for negative symptoms has remained slow. The challenge of improving negative symptom outcomes is compounded by our limited understanding of their aetiology and longitudinal development.MethodsA literature search was conducted for life course approach of negative symptoms using PubMed. Further articles were included following manual checking of reference lists and other search strategies. The paper contains a theoretical synthesis of the literature, summarized using conceptual models.ResultsNegative symptom definitions are compared and considered within a context of the life course. Previous studies suggest that several illness phases may contribute to negative symptoms, highlighting our uncertainty in relation to the origin of negative symptoms.ConclusionsSimilar to other aspects of schizophrenia, negative symptoms likely involve a complex interplay of several risk and protective factors at different life phases. Concepts suggested in this article, such as “negative symptom reserve” theory, require further research, which may inform future prevention and treatment strategies.
Increasing the speed of fuzzy k‐nearest neighbours algorithm
Authors: Nikdel Hamed , Forghani Yahya , Mohammad Hosein Moattar S. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractFuzzy k‐nearest neighbour (FKNN) is one of the most convenient classification approaches. The main challenge of this method is associated with finding the optimal values of its two hyperparameters. The present study attempts to decrease the running time of this approach by reducing the number of its hyperparameters through omitting the hyperparameter k. In the training phase of FKNN approach, the membership degree of each training data is refined by crisp KNN voting whereas a fuzzy voting is used in the training phase of our proposed approach. Training and test phases time complexities of our proposed approach are better than those of FKNN approach. The experiments on real data sets indicate that the accuracy of our proposed approach called ultra FKNN is higher than FKNN approach due to applying fuzzy voting instead of crisp voting in training phase. In addition, the training, test, and running time of our proposed approach are considerably less than those of FKNN.
Trehalose acts as a uridine 5′‐diphosphoglucose‐competitive inhibitor of trehalose 6‐phosphate synthase in Corynebacterium glutamicum
Authors: Oide Shinichi , Inui Masayuki 
Published: October 2017

Trehalose is a compatible solute widely distributed in nature. The most prevalent pathway for its synthesis starts from condensation of glucose 6‐phosphate (Glc6P) and uridine 5′‐diphosphoglucose (UDP‐Glc) catalyzed by trehalose 6‐phosphate synthase (TPS). A previous laboratory evolution experiment with the bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum generated strains adapted to supraoptimal temperatures, and the R328H substitution of the TPS encoded by otsA was shown to be associated with thermotolerance acquired by the evolved strains. In this study, we found that the OtsA:R328H substitution promotes both intra‐ and extracellular trehalose accumulation and demonstrated that build‐up of intracellular trehalose accounts for the OtsAR328H‐dependent thermotolerance, using the mycobacterial trehalose‐specific transporter. Counterintuitively, characterization of the recombinant OtsA proteins revealed that the mutation downshifts the temperature optimum of OtsA. A search for the molecular basis of OtsAR328H‐dependent enhancement of trehalose synthesis led to the unexpected findings that trehalose is an effective inhibitor of OtsA and that OtsAR328H is highly tolerant to the trehalose‐mediated inhibition. The only available report on such feedback regulation of TPS is for the silk moth from over 50 years ago [Murphy TA and Wyatt GR (1965) J Biol Chem 240, 1500–1508]. While trehalose acts as a Glc6P‐competitive inhibitor in the silk moth, the disaccharide was found to inhibit OtsA in a UDP‐Glc‐competitive manner in C. glutamicum, suggesting independent origins of the negative feedback regulations found for the two species. We showed that overexpression of the wild‐type OtsA counteracts the trehalose‐dependent regulation and restores the evolved strain‐like phenotype to the isogenic wild‐type otsA revertant, demonstrating that thermotolerance conferred by OtsAR328H is attributable to its feedback‐resistant property.
Is the temperature plateau of a self‐heating test a robust parameter to investigate the fatigue limit of steels with thermography?
Authors: de Finis R. , Palumbo D. , da Silva M.M. , Galietti U. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractA critical aspect of standard test methods for fatigue characterization is that they do not provide any information on heat dissipation in the material and involve very expensive experimental campaigns in time and costs. In recent years, thermographic methods capable of reducing testing time have been developed, also providing more information on damage occurring in the material. A commonly used approach is based on the assessment of the temperature plateau during a stepwise loading procedure. At times, however, this approach can fail if temperature stabilization is not achieved. In this regard, in this paper, a new approach based on the assessment of 3 different thermal indexes was proposed to estimate the fatigue limit of 3 stainless steels: AISI 316, 17‐4PH, and ASTMA890 grade 4a, respectively, exhibiting fully austenitic, fully martensitic, and duplex biphasic microstructure. The fatigue tests were carried out by using a stepwise loading procedure, under loading ratio of 0.5.The analysis demonstrated the possibility to further reduce testing time and, consequently, the fatigue experimental campaign. Moreover, some ideas are discussed about how to justify the different thermal behaviour of a biphasic stainless steel, in total temperature variation.Moreover, a discussion of results regarding the various thermal behaviours of the investigated steels and a possible correlation with the microstructure has been proposed.
Variability in carbon uptake and (re)cycling in Antarctic cryptoendolithic microbial ecosystems demonstrated through radiocarbon analysis of organic biomarkers
Authors: Brady A. L. , Goordial J. , Sun H. J. , Whyte L. G. , Slater G. F. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractCryptoendolithic lichens and cyanobacteria living in porous sandstone in the high‐elevation McMurdo Dry Valleys are purported to be among the slowest growing organisms on Earth with cycles of death and regrowth on the order of 103–104 years. Here, organic biomarker and radiocarbon analysis were used to better constrain ages and carbon sources of cryptoendoliths in University Valley (UV; 1,800 m.a.s.l) and neighboring Farnell Valley (FV; 1,700 m.a.s.l). Δ14C was measured for membrane component phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and glycolipid fatty acids, as well as for total organic carbon (TOC). PLFA concentrations indicated viable cells comprised a minor (<0.5%) component of TOC. TOC Δ14C values ranged from −272‰ to −185‰ equivalent to calibrated ages of 1,100–2,550 years old. These ages may be the result of fractional preservation of biogenic carbon and/or sudden large‐scale community death and extended period(s) of inactivity prior to slow recolonization and incorporation of 14C‐depleted fossil material. PLFA Δ14C values were generally more modern than the corresponding TOC and varied widely between sites; the FV PLFA Δ14C value (+40‰) was consistent with modern atmospheric CO2, while UV values ranged from −199‰ to −79‰ (calibrated ages of 1,665–610 years). The observed variability in PLFA Δ14C depletions is hypothesized to reflect variations in the extent of fixation of modern atmospheric CO2 and the preservation and recycling of older organic carbon by the community in various stages of sandstone recolonization. PLFA profiles and microbial community compositions as determined by molecular genetic characterizations and microscopy differed between the two valleys (e.g., predominance of biomarker 18:2 [>50%] in FV compared to UV), representing microbial communities that may reflect distinct stages of sandstone recolonization and/or environmental conditions. It is thus proposed that Dry Valley cryptoendolithic microbial communities are faster growing than previously estimated.
Ag/M‐seed/AZO/glass structures for low‐E glass: Effects of metal seeds
Authors: Akin Sonmez Nihan , Donmez Meltem , Comert Buse , Ozcelik Suleyman 
Published: October 2017

AbstractIn this work, continuous and conductive ultrathin Ag films with highly infrared reflective and highly visible transmittance were achieved using several metal seeds (Ti, Nb, Cr, Ni, Mo, Pt, Cu, and Ru), having ~1‐2 nm in thickness, deposited between Ag and dielectric AZO layers on glass substrate by magnetron sputtering with confocal target geometry. The optical properties in the visible and infrared ranges and conductivity of Ag/M‐seed/AZO/glass structures were compared in order to determine the influence of the seeds. It was observed that all M‐Seeds increased both visible transmittance and infrared reflectance. But also, it was shown that Nb and Ti seed layers which help on coalesced of Ag and AZO layers are more effective on the electro‐optical characteristics of the Ag thin films than the other seeds. Ag/Nb/AZO/glass and Ag/Ti/AZO/glass structures showed 2.81 and 2.84 sheet resistance and low surface roughness, respectively, which are the best film structures. In addition, these films have homogeneous and defect‐free surfaces that do not cause any electrical breakdown. Besides, Nb and Ti seeded structures have the low‐emissivity both 780‐2500 nm and long wavelength (λ > 3 μm) spectral region as 0.0357 and 0.0361, respectively.
Lichen planus pigmentosus and its variants: review and update
Authors: Robles‐Méndez Juan Carlos , Rizo‐Frías Paulina , Herz‐Ruelas Maira Elizabeth , Pandya Amit G. , Ocampo Candiani Jorge 
Published: October 2017

AbstractLichen planus pigmentosus (LPP) is considered a rare variant of lichen planus (LP). It is characterized by acquired dark brown to gray macular pigmentation located on sun‐exposed areas of the face, neck, and flexures, commonly found in dark‐skinned patients. In patients with LPP, an inflammatory lichenoid response results in marked pigmentary incontinence. It has been associated with hepatitis C virus, sun exposure, and contactants such as mustard oil and nickel. LPP‐inversus affects fair and dark skin, predominantly involving flexural and intertriginous areas, while sun‐exposed areas are spared; friction is an associated trigger. LPP along Blaschko's lines has been associated with susceptibility to genetic mosaicisms. LPP can present concomitantly with other variants of LP such as frontal fibrosing alopecia, as well as endocrinopathies, and autoimmune diseases. Treatment is difficult and consists of avoidance of triggers and topical and systemic medications in order to stop the inflammatory reaction and reduce pigmentation, improving aesthetic appearance and quality of life.
Healthcare Reforms and the Creation of Ex‐/Included Categories of Patients — “Irregular Migrants” and the “Undesirable” in the French Healthcare System
Authors: Geeraert Jérémy 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThis article reconstructs the socio‐historical processes that have led to the formal inclusion and marginalization of “irregular migrants” in the French public health insurance system and the parallel legal production of exclusion of a share of this group. It interrogates the binary inclusion/exclusion in the field of healthcare linking it to the logic of sovereignty and governmentality in a stratified society. It shows how these processes have led to unequal health practices and increased obstacles to accessing health insurance and healthcare providers, and, consequently, has resulted in the exclusion of a share of this group from the regular healthcare system. These two levels of discrimination are illustrated using empirical research on departments in French public hospitals that have been designed to enable access to care for individuals without insurance (Permanence d'accès aux soins de santé,orPASS: health care access units).
Dielectric nonlinear behavior of (Ba0.95Ca0.05)(Ti0.83Zr0.17)O3‐based multi‐layer ceramic capacitor
Authors: Yoon Seok‐Hyun , Kim Mi‐Yang 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe influence of temperature on the variation in dielectric nonlinearity and domain structures was investigated for the (Ba0.95Ca0.05)(Ti0.83Zr0.17)O3 (BCTZ)‐based multilayer ceramic capacitor that shows a diffuse phase transition. Whereas the dielectric constant (εr) vs temperature shows a broadened maximum peak at low ac driving field, such a peaked behavior disappears at high ac driving field due to an abrupt increase in dielectric constants at low temperatures. Such low temperature effect can be associated with an enhanced spontaneous polarization (PS) and a significant increase in irreversible domain wall contribution to polarization representing normal ferroelectric behavior based on the Preisach analysis. No ferroelectric domain contrasts were observed at room temperature through transmission electron microscopy. However, they appeared and became more and more distinct with the decrease in temperature, and the crystal structure also changed from cubic to rhombohedral with increased lattice constants. It demonstrates that the dramatic increase in the dielectric nonlinearity with decreasing temperatures originates from the corresponding changes in domain and crystal structure, where the polar‐micro‐regions of BCTZ at room temperature change to normal ferroelectric domains at low temperatures.
Autophagy promotes fibrosis and apoptosis in the peritoneum during long‐term peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Wu Jingjing , Xing Changying , Zhang Li , Mao Huijuan , Chen Xuguan , Liang Mingxing , Wang Fang , Ren Haibin , Cui Hongqing , Jiang Aiqin , Wang Zibin , Zou Meijuan , Ji Yong 
Published: October 2017

AbstractLong‐term peritoneal dialysis is accompanied by functional and histopathological alterations in the peritoneal membrane. In the long process of peritoneal dialysis, high‐glucose peritoneal dialysis solution (HGPDS) will aggravate the peritoneal fibrosis, leading to decreased effectiveness of peritoneal dialysis and ultrafiltration failure. In this study, we found that the coincidence of elevated TGF‐β1 expression, autophagy, apoptosis and fibrosis in peritoneal membrane from patients with peritoneal dialysis. The peritoneal membranes from patients were performed with immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Human peritoneal mesothelial cells were treated with 1.5%, 2.5% and 4.25% HGPDS for 24 hrs; Human peritoneal mesothelial cells pre‐treated with TGF‐β1 (10 ng/ml) or transfected with siRNA Beclin1 were treated with 4.25% HGPDS or vehicle for 24 hrs. We further detected the production of TGF‐β1, activation of TGF‐β1/Smad2/3 signalling, induction of autophagy, EMT, fibrosis and apoptosis. We also explored whether autophagy inhibition by siRNA targeting Beclin 1 reduces EMT, fibrosis and apoptosis in human peritoneal mesothelial cells. HGPDS increased TGF‐β1 production, activated TGF‐β1/Smad2/3 signalling and induced autophagy, fibrosis and apoptosis hallmarks in human peritoneal mesothelial cells; HGPDS‐induced Beclin 1‐dependent autophagy in human peritoneal mesothelial cells; Autophagy inhibition by siRNA Beclin 1 reduced EMT, fibrosis and apoptosis in human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Taken all together, these studies are expected to open a new avenue in the understanding of peritoneal fibrosis, which may guide us to explore the compounds targeting autophagy and achieve the therapeutic improvement of PD.
Inhibition of MD2‐dependent inflammation attenuates the progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Zhang Yali , Wu Beibei , Zhang Hailing , Ge Xiangting , Ying Shilong , Hu Mengwei , Li Weixin , Huang Yi , Wang Li , Chen Chao , Shan Xiaoou , Liang Guang 
Published: October 2017

AbstractNon‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress to the more serious non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by inflammatory injury and fibrosis. The pathogenic basis of NAFLD progressing to NASH is currently unknown, but growing evidence suggests MD2 (myeloid differentiation factor 2), an accessory protein of TLR4, is an important signalling component contributing to this disease. We evaluated the effectiveness of the specific MD2 inhibitor, L6H21, in reducing inflammatory liver injury in a relevant high‐fat diet (HFD) mouse model of NASH and in the palmitic acid (PA)‐stimulated human liver cell line (HepG2). For study, genetic knockout (MD2−/−) mice were fed a HFD or control diet for 24 weeks, or wild‐type mice placed on a similar diet regimen and treated with L6H21 for the last 8 or 16 weeks. Results indicated that MD2 inhibition with L6H21 was as effective as MD2 knockout in preventing the HFD‐induced hepatic lipid accumulation, pro‐fibrotic changes and expression of pro‐inflammatory molecules. Direct challenge of HepG2 with PA (200 μM) increased MD2‐TLR4 complex formation and expression of pro‐inflammatory and pro‐fibrotic genes and L6H21 pre‐treatment prevented these PA‐induced responses. Interestingly, MD2 knockout or L6H21 increased expression of the anti‐inflammatory molecule, PPARγ, in liver tissue and the liver cell line. Our results provide further evidence for the critical role of MD2 in the development of NASH and conclude that MD2 could be a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD/NASH treatment. Moreover, the small molecule MD2 inhibitor, L6H21, was an effective and selective investigative agent for future mechanistic studies of MD2.