bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a carers' information programme culturally adapted for South Asian families
Authors: Parveen Sahdia , Blakey Heather , Oyebode Jan R. 
Published: August 2017

ObjectivesThe Alzheimer's Society has culturally adapted an Information Programme for South Asian families (IPSAF) who support an individual living with dementia. The objectives of this evaluation were to establish whether IPSAF had an immediate and medium‐term impact on those who attended and how it impacted on the wider family and the person with dementia.MethodsAn inclusive, pluralistic approach was adopted. Seven focus groups were conducted with 42 participants, and 37 participated in a pre‐post knowledge quiz. Seven family interviews were conducted with 17 participants, and 3 families were followed up after 6 months. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data.FindingsThe IPSAF was found to improve participants' knowledge of dementia leading to increased understanding of the person with dementia. Participants became more aware of available services and accessed services to make use of practical support. IPSAF was reported to have an impact for people living with dementia, with carers' newfound understanding resulting in some changes in care practice that promoted empowerment and independence for people living with dementia. There was also some evidence to suggest that IPSAF had an impact on the wider family, with participants sharing information about dementia with family members who had not attended the programme. Families were continuing to make changes to improve the lives of people living with dementia 6 months later, suggesting IPSAF had a sustained impact.ConclusionThis culturally adapted programme was found to have a significant impact on carers, the person with dementia, and the wider family.
Does baseline depression increase the risk of unexplained and accidental falls in a cohort of community‐dwelling older people? Data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)
Authors: Briggs Robert , Kennelly Sean P. , Kenny Rose Anne 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundDepression independently increases the risk of falls in older people, but the mechanism for this relationship, as well as the specific falls type involved, remains unclear.Accidental falls (AFs) are due to slips or trips, while the cause of unexplained falls (UFs) is not immediately apparent and can include unrecognised syncope.MethodThis longitudinal study examines the relationship between baseline depression and subsequent falls, both accidental and unexplained, at 2‐year follow‐up in a cohort of community dwelling adults aged ≥50 years.Baseline depression was defined as a score ≥16 on The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. At follow‐up, participants were assessed regarding falls since last interview.ResultsOne‐third (228/647) of the depressed group had fallen at follow‐up, compared with 22% (1388/6243) of the nondepressed group (P < .001).Multiple logistic regression models demonstrated that depression was associated with an odds ratio of 1.58 (1.31‐1.89) P < .001; 1.24 (1.00‐1.52), P = .046; and 1.89 (1.45‐2.46), P < .001 for total falls, AFs and UFs, respectively, after controlling for relevant covariates.Participants with depression who fell were more likely to have prior falls, functional impairment and slower gait when compared with depressed participants who did not fall.DiscussionThe risk of falls associated with depression in older adults is more marked for UFs, with the association for AFs approaching borderline significance only.This finding is important because UFs require focused clinical assessment with attention to potential causes such as cardiac arrhythmia or orthostatic hypotension.
Are Transplant Recipients Human Subjects When Research Is Conducted on Organ Donors?
Authors: Heffernan Kate Gallin , Glazier Alexandra K. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractInterventional research on deceased organ donors and donor organs prior to transplant holds the promise of reducing the number of patients who die waiting for an organ by expanding the pool of transplantable organs and improving transplant outcomes. However, one of the key challenges researchers face is an assumption that someone who receives an organ that was part of an interventional research protocol is always a human subject of that same study. The consequences of this assumption include the need for oversight by an institutional review board and for research‐level informed consent from transplant recipients, all within the complex practical realities of the organ donation and transplantation process in the United States. The current national focus on this issue provides an opportunity to think critically about the policy goals of the human subjects regulations and their application to the nascent field of deceased organ donor intervention research. We propose that for donor research where the transplant recipient does not fall under the definition of human subject, the clinical consent model—rather than the consent model used for human research subjects—best facilitates the policy objectives of balancing clinical innovation, transparency, and protection of patients in an ethically responsible and legally compliant manner.
Research gaps in routine health information system design barriers to data quality and use in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A literature review
Authors: Kumar Manish , Gotz David , Nutley Tara , Smith Jason B. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryDespite the potential impact of health information system (HIS) design barriers on health data quality and use and, ultimately, health outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), no comprehensive literature review has been conducted to study them in this context. We therefore conducted a formal literature review to understand system design barriers to data quality and use in LMICs and to identify any major research gaps related understanding how system design affects data use. We conducted an electronic search across 4 scientific databases—PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Global Health—and consulted a data use expert. Following a systematic inclusion and exclusion process, 316 publications (316 abstracts and 18 full papers) were included in the review. We found a paucity of scientific publications that explicitly describe system design factors that hamper data quality or data use for decision making. Although user involvement, work flow, human‐computer interactions, and user experience are critical aspects of system design, our findings suggest that these issues are not discussed or conceptualized in the literature. Findings also showed that individual training efforts focus primarily on imparting data analysis skills. The adverse impact of HIS design barriers on data integrity and health system performance may be even bigger in LMICs than elsewhere, leading to errors in population health management and clinical care. We argue for integrating systems thinking into HIS strengthening efforts to reduce the HIS design‐user reality gap.
Stable isotope‐based mean catchment altitudes of springs in the Lebanon Mountains
Authors: Koeniger Paul , Margane Armin , Abi‐Rizk Jean , Himmelsbach Thomas 
Published: August 2017

AbstractStable isotopes of water are known to provide information on mean altitudes of spring recharge areas, which is an important parameter for groundwater resources management especially in karstic environments. Very often, a lack of precipitation input data limits the possibility for an appropriate estimation of mean catchment altitudes. In the Jeita spring catchment, Lebanon, a characterization of precipitation input was possible with samples collected at six stations at varying altitudes (88 amount‐weighted monthly samples). A local meteoric water line for the Jeita spring catchment was characterized as δ2H = 6.04 * δ18O + 8.45 (R2 = .92) for a 2‐year observation period between October 2012 and September 2014. Integral samples from the snow layer were collected at 22 sites at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 2,300 m above sea level at the end of February 2012 and February 2013, when snow height reached a maximum of more than 6 m at the highest peak in the catchment. Water samples were continuously collected from six springs (Jeita, Kashkoush, Labbane, Assal, Afqa, and Rouaiss). Jeita spring water samples were collected additionally in daily time steps during the snowmelt season in 2012. Mean isotope values of the sampled springs range from −6.8‰ to −8.2‰, and from −33‰ to −44‰, for δ18O and δ2H, respectively. The stable isotope data show that input variability (space and time, snow cover, and rainfall) has direct impacts on mean altitude estimates of spring catchments. A more profound interpretation of spring response to rainfall for six local springs in the Lebanon Mountains was possible in comparison to four earlier described springs collected in the Anti‐Lebanon Mountains in Syria.
Crosstalk Between MLO‐Y4 Osteocytes and C2C12 Muscle Cells Is Mediated by the Wnt/β‐Catenin Pathway
Authors: Huang Jian , Romero‐Suarez Sandra , Lara Nuria , Mo Chenglin , Kaja Simon , Brotto Leticia , Dallas Sarah L , Johnson Mark L , Jähn Katharina , Bonewald Lynda F , Brotto Marco 
Published: August 2017

AbstractWe examined the effects of osteocyte secreted factors on myogenesis and muscle function. MLO‐Y4 osteocyte‐like cell conditioned media (CM) (10%) increased ex vivo soleus muscle contractile force by ∼25%. MLO‐Y4 and primary osteocyte CM (1% to 10%) stimulated myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, but 10% osteoblast CMs did not enhance C2C12 cell differentiation. Because WNT3a and WNT1 are secreted by osteocytes, and the expression level of Wnt3a is increased in MLO‐Y4 cells by fluid flow shear stress, both were compared, showing WNT3a more potent than WNT1 in inducing myogenesis. Treatment of C2C12 myoblasts with WNT3a at concentrations as low as 0.5 ng/mL mirrored the effects of both primary osteocyte and MLO‐Y4 CM by inducing nuclear translocation of β‐catenin with myogenic differentiation, suggesting that Wnts might be potential factors secreted by osteocytes that signal to muscle cells. Knocking down Wnt3a in MLO‐Y4 osteocytes inhibited the effect of CM on C2C12 myogenic differentiation. Sclerostin (100 ng/mL) inhibited both the effects of MLO‐Y4 CM and WNT3a on C2C12 cell differentiation. RT‐PCR array results supported the activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway by MLO‐Y4 CM and WNT3a. These results were confirmed by qPCR, showing upregulation of myogenic markers and two Wnt/β‐catenin downstream genes, Numb and Flh1. We postulated that MLO‐Y4 CM/WNT3a could modulate intracellular calcium homeostasis as the trigger mechanism for the enhanced myogenesis and contractile force. MLO‐Y4 CM and WNT3a increased caffeine‐induced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of C2C12 myotubes and the expression of genes directly associated with intracellular Ca2+ signaling and homeostasis. Together, these data show that in vitro and ex vivo, osteocytes can stimulate myogenesis and enhance muscle contractile function and suggest that Wnts could be mediators of bone to muscle signaling, likely via modulation of intracellular Ca2+ signaling and the Wnt/ β‐Catenin pathway. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Formatting an experiential learning education module to encourage dysphagia assessment in apheresis patients
Authors: West James , Stutzman Sonja E. , Atem Folefac , Olson DaiWai M. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundDysphagia screening is oftentimes a focus of hospitalized patients, but dysphagia can also occur in outpatient settings. Dysphagia can be overlooked by nurses and clinicians, and it is therefore important to educate nurses on the importance of dysphagia screenings.MethodsThis was a randomized prospective pilot study to compare the effect of experiential learning versus traditional PowerPoint learning regarding nurses' attitudes towards performing dysphagia screening in an outpatient setting. Twelve pre and post‐test surveys were collected from nurses working in outpatient apheresis about their attitudes towards dysphagia screening. Additionally, 128 electronic medical records (EMR) were reviewed to determine if education increased the occurrence of dysphagia screening.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in the pre vs. post‐test group scores (P < .001), but due to small sample size, there was insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis that nurses had changed their attitudes towards dysphagia screening. Comparing documentation of dysphagia assessment in the EMR, there was not a significant difference in practice before or after the educational intervention (P = 0.18).ConclusionsThe study results showed that the both types of teaching strategies are possible with nurses and they were receptive to both. Although the results of this study did not show a significant difference in practice, more research is needed to determine how to raise awareness and put this into practice.
Discrimination of tumor from normal tissues in a mouse model of breast cancer using CARS spectroscopy combined with PC‐DFA methodology
Authors: Huang Xi , Yuan Ye , Bielecki Timothy A. , Mohapatra Bhopal C. , Luan Haitao , Silva‐Lopez Edibaldo , West William W. , Band Vimla , Lu Yongfeng , Band Hamid , Zhang Tian C. 
Published: August 2017

Objective methodologies to discriminate tumor from normal tissue in biopsies and resection specimens are of great interest as complementary approaches to existing pathological diagnosis of tumors. In the present study, coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy was applied as an approach to discriminate resected tumor from normal mammary tissue in murine mammary tumor virus‐Wnt‐1 transgenic mouse model of breast cancer. Due to the dense CH molecular vibration in the range from 2500 to 3100 cm−1, the classification was performed by using principal component‐discriminant function analysis to discriminate tumor from the normal tissue. A total of 240 training and 40 testing CARS spectra were acquired. The overall accuracy of CARS, based on cross‐validation and external validation method, was 98% and 95%, respectively. The present study demonstrates a diagnostic method with a 1‐s spectral acquirement rate, using a CARS spectroscopic technique. Our results suggest that CARS combined with the principal component‐discriminant function analysis is a potentially useful tool for identification and classification of breast cancer tissues. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensing carbon allotropes in protective coatings on optical fibers with far‐ and near‐field Raman spectroscopy and microscopy
Authors: Kharintsev Sergey S. , Saparina Svetlana V. , Stolov Andrei A. , Li Jie , Fishman Alexandr I. 
Published: August 2017

Hermetic carbon coatings of different thicknesses ranging from 1 to 100 nm on a series of optical fibers are characterized with confocal Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Standard far‐field Raman spectra in the region of 1,000–2,000 cm−1 were fitted and well reproduced using 5 individual components assigned to different species of graphite‐like and disordered phases. Based on the fitting, a new spectroscopic indicator was proposed:
, where G* and D* and Δ are intensities at the maxima of the graphite‐like G peak and the disorder‐induced D peak and the dip between them, respectively. This indicator provides a measure of soot fraction in carbonaceous materials. A tip‐enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) technique confirmed the complex structure of the first‐order Raman D band assigned to disordered graphitic lattice vibrations. In addition, the TERS method provided convincing evidence for the formation of carbon allotropes, such as carbon nanotubes in the coatings. Possible effects of allotropes on hydrogen and water permeation through carbon coating are discussed in the view of the obtained results.
Change in HER2 status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the prognostic impact in patients with primary breast cancer
Authors: Yoshida Atsushi , Hayashi Naoki , Suzuki Koyu , Takimoto Masafumi , Nakamura Seigo , Yamauchi Hideko 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundWe aimed to assess change in HER2 status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with primary breast cancer and the prognostic impact of such changes.Patients and MethodsThe study comprised 588 patients with a non‐pathologic complete response who received anthracycline and/or taxane‐based regimens in NAC setting. HER2 status was assessed before NAC and in residual invasive tumor of the surgical specimens. The associations between the change in HER2 status and clinicopathological factors were assessed.ResultsBefore NAC, 489 (83%) of the 588 patients had HER2‐negative tumors and 99 patients (17%) had HER2‐positive tumors. Eleven (2.2%) of the HER2‐negative tumors changed to HER2‐positive, while 33 (33%) of the HER2‐positive tumors changed to HER2‐negative. ER and PR‐positivity before NAC were associated with loss of HER2‐positivity, whereas receiving trastuzumab was not. In terms of disease‐free survival, there was no difference between patients with and those without change in HER2 status after NAC in either the patients with HER2‐negative tumors (P = 0.26) or with HER2‐positive tumors before NAC (P = 0.23).ConclusionOur results showed that changes in HER2 status did not affect patients’ prognosis. Further studies are needed to determine whether HER2‐targeting agents can be omitted when loss of HER2‐positivity is confirmed after NAC.
A prognostic mutation panel for predicting cancer recurrence in stages II and III colorectal cancer
Authors: Sho Shonan , Court Colin M. , Winograd Paul , Russell Marcia M. , Tomlinson James S. 
Published: August 2017

Background and ObjectivesApproximately 20‐40% of stage II/III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients develop relapse. Clinicopathological factors alone are limited in detecting these patients, resulting in potential under/over‐treatment. We sought to identify a prognostic tumor mutational profile that could predict CRC recurrence.MethodsWhole‐exome sequencing data were obtained for 207 patients with stage II/III CRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Mutational landscape in relapse‐free versus relapsed cohort was compared using Fisher's exact test, followed by multivariate Cox regression to identify genes associated with cancer recurrence. Bootstrap‐validation was used to examine internal/external validity.ResultsWe identified five prognostic genes (APAF1, DIAPH2, NTNG1, USP7, and VAV2), which were combined to form a prognostic mutation panel. Patients with ≥1 mutation(s) within this five‐gene panel had worse prognosis (3‐yr relapse‐free survival [RFS]: 53.0%), compared to patients with no mutation (3‐yr RFS: 84.3%). In multivariate analysis, the five‐gene panel remained prognostic for cancer recurrence independent of stage and high‐risk features (hazard ratio 3.63, 95%CI [1.93‐6.83], P < 0.0001). Furthermore, its prognostic accuracy was superior to the American Joint Commission on Cancer classification (concordance‐index: 0.70 vs 0.54).ConclusionsOur proposed mutation panel identifies CRC patients at high‐risk for recurrence, which may help guide adjuvant therapy and post‐operative surveillance protocols.
Analysis of nifH‐RNA reveals phylotypes related to Geobacter and Cyanobacteria as important functional components of the N2‐fixing community depending on depth and agricultural use of soil
Authors: Calderoli Priscila A. , Collavino Mónica M. , Behrends Kraemer Filipe , Morrás Héctor J. M. , Aguilar O. Mario 
Published: August 2017

AbstractIn this survey, a total of 80 787 reads and 28 171 unique NifH protein sequences were retrieved from soil RNA. This dataset extends our knowledge about the structure and diversity of the functional diazotrophic communities in agricultural soils from Argentinean Pampas. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU)‐based analyses showed that nifH phylotypes related to Geobacter and Anaeromyxobacter (44.8%), Rhizobiales (29%), Cyanobacteria (16.7%), and Verrucomicrobiales (8%) are key microbial components of N2 fixation in soils associated with no‐till management and soil depth. In addition, quantification of nifH gene copies related to Geobacter and Cyanobacteria revealed that these groups are abundant in soils under maize–soybean rotation and soybean monoculture, respectively. The correlation of physicochemical soil parameters with the diazotrophic diversity and composition showed that soil stability and organic carbon might contribute to the functional signatures of particular nifH phylotypes in fields under no‐till management. Because crop production relies on soil‐borne microorganism's activities, such as free N2 fixation, the information provided by our study on the diazotrophic population dynamics, associated with the edaphic properties and land‐use practices, represents a major contribution to gain insight into soil biology, in which functionally active components are identified.
Similarity of Involuntary Postures between Different Children with Dystonia
Authors: Sanger Terence D. , Ferman Diana 
Published: August 2017

AbstractView Supplementary Video 1View Supplementary Video 2View Supplementary Video 3View Supplementary Video 4View Supplementary Video 5View Supplementary Video 6View Supplementary Video 7BackgroundAbnormal involuntary postures are characteristic of dystonia, but the specific postures observed clinically have not previously been categorized or enumerated. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a set of specific postures that are common between different children with dystonia.MethodsVideotapes were examined from all children who were seen in a pediatric movement disorders clinic over a 4‐year period and had a diagnosis of nonpsychogenic dystonia. In total, 179 children were included in the video review.ResultsVisually similar postures were identified in 152 different children. Seven different common postures were identified. All 152 children exhibited at least 1 of these postures, and most had more than 1.ConclusionsInvoluntary postures in childhood dystonia exhibit unexpected similarities despite a wide range of underlying etiology, severity, and developmental experience. This is consistent with the hypothesis that childhood dystonia is a symptom that reflects a shared pathway of expression for multiple anatomic and functional abnormalities.
Harnessing CXCR4 antagonists in stem cell mobilization, HIV infection, ischemic diseases, and oncology
Authors: Tsou Lun Kelvin , Huang Ying‐Huey , Song Jen‐Shin , Ke Yi‐Yu , Huang Jing‐Kai , Shia Kak‐Shan 
Published: August 2017

AbstractCXCR4 antagonists (e.g., PlerixaforTM) have been successfully validated as stem cell mobilizers for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Applications of the CXCR4 antagonists have heralded the era of cell‐based therapy and opened a potential therapeutic horizon for many unmet medical needs such as kidney injury, ischemic stroke, cancer, and myocardial infarction. In this review, we first introduce the central role of CXCR4 in diverse cellular signaling pathways and discuss its involvement in several disease progressions. We then highlight the molecular design and optimization strategies for targeting CXCR4 from a large number of case studies, concluding that polyamines are the preferred CXCR4‐binding ligands compared to other structural options, presumably by mimicking the highly positively charged natural ligand CXCL12. These results could be further justified with computer‐aided docking into the CXCR4 crystal structure wherein both major and minor subpockets of the binding cavity are considered functionally important. Finally, from the clinical point of view, CXCR4 antagonists could mobilize hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with long‐term repopulating capacity to the peripheral blood, promising to replace surgically obtained bone marrow cells as a preferred source for stem cell transplantation.