bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of a webcast on nurses' delivery of tobacco dependence treatment
Authors: Sarna Linda , Bialous Stella A , Wells Marjorie , Brook Jenny 
Published: May 2017

Aims and objectivesTo evaluate an educational programme about nurses' role in tobacco dependence treatment, and its webcast component, on the long‐term impact of increasing the frequency of nurses' self‐reported changes in practice related to delivery of smoking cessation interventions.BackgroundHealthcare professionals' knowledge about evidence‐based tobacco dependence treatment using the 5As framework (Ask about tobacco use, Advise users to quit, Assess willingness to quit, Assist in making a quit plan and Arrange for follow‐up, including referral to a quitline) is essential to increase smoking cessation rates in the United States.DesignA 6‐month pre–post design.MethodsA convenience sample of nurses (N = 283) from Kentucky and Louisiana was provided access to the webcast and printed toolkit. Responses from those who completed an online survey at baseline, and at 3 or 6 months postimplementation of the educational programme were included in an analysis of changes in the consistent (always/usually) delivery of the 5As plus referral to the quitline.ResultsAfter 3 months, the intervention had a significant impact on increasing nurses' reports of consistently providing the 5As to patients who smoked, which was largely sustained at 6 months. Nurses who viewed the webcast were three times more likely to refer smokers to a quitline at 3 months; and four times more likely at 6 months than those who did not.ConclusionsAn online educational programme, plus printed toolkit about tobacco dependence treatment increased nurses' delivery of smoking cessation interventions over time. This study provided preliminary evidence that including a webcast in a nurse‐targeted educational programme could significantly increase the proportion of nurses who referred smokers to a quitline beyond the benefit of access to printed materials and web‐based resources.Relevance to clinical practiceDistance learning is a feasible mechanism for enhancing nurses' involvement in tobacco dependence treatment and promoting evidence‐based clinical practice.
Contemporary transcatheter aortic valve replacement with third‐generation balloon‐expandable versus self‐expanding devices
Authors: Rogers Toby , Steinvil Arie , Buchanan Kyle , Alraies M. Chadi , Koifman Edward , Gai Jiaxiang , Torguson Rebecca , Okubagzi Petros , Ben‐Dor Itsik , Pichard Augusto , Satler Lowell , Waksman Ron 
Published: May 2017

ObjectivesTo evaluate balloon‐expandable and self‐expanding third‐generation transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) devices according to patient selection criteria and outcomes.BackgroundTwo competing third‐generation TAVR technologies are currently commercially available in the US. There are no published head‐to‐head comparisons of the relative performance of these two devices.Methods257 consecutive patients undergoing TAVR with a third‐generation balloon‐expandable (Edwards Sapien 3) or self‐expanding device (Medtronic CoreValve Evolut R) at a single US medical center were included. Choice of TAVR device was at the discretion of the multidisciplinary Heart Team. Baseline clinical characteristics, echocardiographic and CT imaging, procedural and 30‐day outcomes were prospectively collected.Results74 patients received a self‐expanding valve (SEV) and 183 received a balloon‐expandable valve (BEV). Patients selected for SEV were more frequently women, with lower body surface area and smaller calcified iliofemoral arteries. Three SEV patients required implantation of a second valve to successfully treat paravalvular leak. Only one BEV patient had moderate paravalvular regurgitation. There was no difference in the rate of stroke, major vascular complication or bleeding. Permanent pacemaker implantation rate was significantly higher with SEV (12.7% vs 4.7%, P = 0.49) and hospital length of stay was longer (8.3% vs 6.5%, P = 0.043), but 30‐day mortality was comparable (1.4% vs 1.6%, P = 1.00).ConclusionsShort‐term outcomes were equivalent between the two technologies. Clinically significant paravalvular regurgitation was rare. SEV were more frequently selected in women and patients with challenging transfemoral access, but were associated with higher permanent pacemaker implantation rate and longer hospital length of stay.
Credit and Systemic Risks in the Financial Services Sector: Evidence From the 2008 Global Crisis
Authors: Bégin Jean‐François , Boudreault Mathieu , Doljanu Delia Alexandra , Gauthier Geneviève 
Published: May 2017

AbstractWe develop a portfolio credit risk model that includes firm‐specific Markov‐switching regimes as well as individual stochastic and endogenous recovery rates. Using weekly credit default swap premiums for 35 financial firms, we analyze the credit risk of each of these companies and their statistical linkages, putting emphasis on the 2005–2012 period. Moreover, we study the systemic risk affecting both the banking and insurance subsectors.
Impact of hyperlipidaemia on intermediary metabolism, faecal microbial metabolites and urinary characteristics of lipoprotein lipase deficient vs. normal cats
Authors: Paßlack N. , Zentek J. , Larsen J. A. , Westropp J. L. , Fascetti A. J. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryFindings in humans and rats indicate that hyperlipidaemia may be associated with enhanced endogenous oxalate (Ox) synthesis, which may be relevant for calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolith formation. Moreover, changes in lipid metabolism are proposed to negatively affect gut microbiota. This study aimed to investigate those potential interactions in hyperlipidaemic cats. Therefore, 10 normal control cats and seven lipoprotein lipase (LPL)‐deficient cats were fed a low‐fat diet for seven weeks. During the last week of the study, cats were housed in metabolic cages to collect urine and faeces. Blood was taken on the last day of the study. The LPL‐deficient cats had significantly higher serum triglyceride concentrations than normal cats, while lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was not different. Urinary relative supersaturation with CaOx, urinary Ox, calcium, and citrate excretions, and urine pH did not differ between groups. Lower faecal acetic, propionic and total short‐chain fatty acid concentrations were observed in the LPL‐deficient cats. In conclusion, hyperlipidaemia does not appear to be a specific risk factor for CaOx urolith formation in cats. In contrast to results in rats, hyperlipidaemia was not accompanied by elevated serum LDH activity. As LDH can synthesise Ox from glycolate or other precursors, this might be one possible explanation for the similar urinary parameters in the LPL‐deficient and normal cats. Non‐diet‐induced hyperlipidaemia was not associated with marked changes in faecal microbial metabolites, suggesting no differences in the composition of the intestinal microbiota.
No effect of targeted memory reactivation during slow‐wave sleep on emotional recognition memory
Authors: Ashton Jennifer E. , Cairney Scott A. , Gaskell M. Gareth 
Published: May 2017

SummaryRecent work has suggested that the benefits of sleep for memory consolidation are enhanced for highly salient (versus non‐salient) memories. Using a technique known as targeted memory reactivation, it is possible to selectively strengthen newly learned memories by re‐exposing the sleeping brain to auditory cues. The aim of the current study was to examine whether emotionally salient memories are also more responsive to targeted memory reactivation in slow‐wave sleep than neutral memories. In an initial training phase, participants memorised emotionally negative and neutral pictures, which were each paired with a semantically related sound. Recognition for the pictures was assessed before and after a 90‐min nap opportunity, during which half the sounds were re‐presented during slow‐wave sleep (as assessed via online polysomnographic sleep monitoring). We observed no effect of targeted memory reactivation on the recognition of emotionally negative or neutral memories. Our results highlight the importance of the memory paradigm used to assess targeted memory reactivation, and suggest that the robust and durable nature of recognition memory may make it an insensitive measure of behavioural targeted memory reactivation benefits. To fully assess the impacts of targeted memory reactivation on emotional memory processing in sleep, future studies should adopt experimental paradigms that maximise the salience of emotional stimuli while also providing a sensitive index of memory accuracy.
Level‐specific amputations and resulting regenerative outcomes in the mouse distal phalanx
Authors: Chamberlain Connie S. , Jeffery Justin J. , Leiferman Ellen M. , Yildirim Tugrul , Sun Xin , Baer Geoffrey S. , Murphy William L. , Vanderby Ray 
Published: May 2017

AbstractMouse digit tip regeneration involves an intricate coordinated regrowth of the terminal phalanx, nail, dermis and epidermis. During this time, regenerating digits undergo wound healing, blastema formation, and differentiation. However, the regenerative response of the digit is dependent on the level of the amputation. Amputation of <30% of the distal phalanx (P3), with part of the base nail remaining, results in extensive digit regeneration. In contrast, >60% P3 removal results in no regeneration. This level‐dependent regenerative ability of the mouse digit provides a comparative model between regeneration and non‐regeneration that may enable identification of specific factors critical to regeneration. Although the ability to create regenerating and non‐regenerating conditions has been well established, the regenerative response between these regions (“intermediate” zone) has received less scrutiny, and may add insight to the regenerative processes, including the degree of histolysis, and the level of blastema formation. The objective of this study is then to compare the regeneration capacity between amputation levels within the regenerating (<30%), intermediate (40–59%), and non‐regenerating (>60%) regions. Results indicated that regenerative and intermediate amputations led to significant histolysis and blastema formation of the distal phalanx 14 days post‐amputation. Unlike the regenerating digits, intermediate amputations led to incomplete regeneration whereby regrowth of the digits were not to the levels of the intact or regenerating digits. Non‐regenerating amputations did not exhibit significant histolysis or blastema formation. Remarkably, the histolytic process resulted in day 14 P3 lengths that were similar regardless of the initial amputation over 19%. The differences in histolysis, blastema formation and injury outcomes were also marked by changes in the number of proliferating cells and osteoclasts. Altogether, these results indicate that although intermediate amputations result in histolysis and blastema formation similar to regenerating digits, the resulting cellular composition of the blastema differs, contributing to incomplete regeneration.
Effectiveness of topical skin products in the treatment and prevention of incontinence-associated dermatitis: a systematic review
Authors: Pather Priscilla , Hines Sonia , Kynoch Kate , Coyer Fiona 
Published: May 2017

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background
Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is inflammation of the skin resulting from repeated contact with urine and/or feces. It causes pain, redness, swelling and excoriation, and may lead to complications such as fungal skin infections and pressure injuries. It is important to prevent and treat IAD to avoid complications and improve patient outcomes. A number of products are available for protecting skin, but evidence on their effectiveness is limited.

Objectives
The current review aimed to establish the effectiveness of topical skin products in reducing the occurrence and/or severity of IAD.

Inclusion criteria Types of participants
Adult patients over the age of 18 years with incontinence and/or diarrhea.

Types of intervention
Topical skin products as individual interventions or part of a skin care regimen.

Types of studies
Both published and unpublished study designs including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, before and after, prospective and retrospective cohort, case-control, analytical cross-sectional, descriptive study designs including case series, individual case reports and descriptive cross-sectional studies across all care settings for inclusion.

Outcomes
The primary outcome of interest was the absence or non-development, reduction or resolution, new development or increase in the occurrence of IAD or the increase in severity of IAD. The secondary outcome was any adverse effect caused by the skin care products used.

Search strategy
A three-step search strategy to find both published and unpublished papers was utilized in this review. Studies were limited to those published in English from 1980 to 2016.

Methodological quality
Papers selected were assessed by two independent reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI).

Data extraction
Data were extracted using the standardized data extraction tool in JBI-MAStARI. The data extracted included specific details about the interventions, populations, study methods and outcomes.

Data synthesis
Studies were assessed for methodological quality and statistical significance to determine validity and generalizability of study results. It was not possible to pool studies to conduct meta-analysis or test for heterogeneity.

Results
There were a limited number of clinical trials that compared products for efficacy in preventing and treating IAD. Assessment tools and severity scores used to measure skin damage outcomes were dissimilar and prone to subjectivity. It was difficult to ascertain superiority of any individual product.

Conclusion
Information on barrier protective efficacy, side effects and cost can be valuable to both clinicians and care providers. More randomized controlled trials on product effectiveness for prevention and treatment of IAD are highly recommended.
Exact Closed-Form Fractional Spectral Moments for Linear Fractional
Oscillators Excited by a White Noise
Authors: Artale Valeria , Navarra Giacomo , Ricciardello Angela , Barone Giorgio 
Published: May 2017

Abstract
In the last decades, the research community has shown an increasing interest in the engineering applications of fractional calculus, which allows to accurately characterize the static and dynamic behavior of many complex mechanical systems, e.g., the nonlocal or nonviscous constitutive law. In particular, fractional calculus has gained considerable importance in the random vibration analysis of engineering structures provided with viscoelastic damping. In this case, the evaluation of the dynamic response in the frequency domain presents significant advantages, once a probabilistic characterization of the input is provided. On the other hand, closed-form expressions for the response statistics of dynamical fractional systems are not available even for the simplest cases. Taking advantage of the residue theorem, in this paper the exact expressions of the spectral moments of integer and complex orders (i.e., fractional spectral moments of linear fractional oscillators driven by acceleration time histories obtained as samples of stationary Gaussian white noise processes are determined.
Performance of lung ultrasonography for the diagnosis of communityacquired pneumonia in hospitalized children
Authors: Man Sorin Claudiu , Fufezan Otilia , Sas Valentina , Schnell Cristina 
Published: May 2017

Aims: The objective of the study was to assess the performance of lung ultrasonography (LUS) as compared to chest radiography and the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study in which data were collected from medical files of 81 children admitted with a clinical suspicion of pneumonia in which both an LUS and a chest radiograph during the hospitalization were performed. Reference standard used for the diagnosis of pneumonia were chest radiographs (consolidation, parenchymal infiltrates, and interstitial infiltrate) and clinical criteria. LUSfindings were reported as normal, parenchymal consolidations and pleural effusions. Results: Radiological pneumonia was reported in 72 of the 81 patients (88.9%). LUS identified parenchymal consolidations in 62 cases. LUS correctly identified radiological pneumonia with a sensitivity of 79.2% and a specificity of 44.4%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 91.9% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 21.0%. When clinical criteria were used as reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of correctly identifying clinical pneumonia cases by LUS (only consolidations) were 80.0%, 66.7%, 96.8% and 21.0%. When indicative for the presence of pneumonia either the ultrasound consolidation or the ultrasound detected pleural effusion were considered when the sensitivity, PPV and NPV increased to 96.0% (95%CI: 88.8-99.2), 97.3% (95%CI: 92.0-99.1), and 57.1% (95%CI: 27.7-82.2), respectively.Conclusions: In our opinion, our findings together withprevious ones available in the literature recommend LUS as a valuable investigation for the diagnosis of community-acquiredpneumonia in children.
A novel ultrasound-based technique to establish a correlation between disease activity and local carotid stiffness parameters in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Şirin Özcan Ayşe Nur , Aslan Abdullah Nabi , Ünal Özlem , Ercan Karabekir , Küçükşahin Orhan 
Published: May 2017

Aim: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the reason for most mortality cases in RA and cannot be explained only by the presence of traditional CV risk factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between local carotid stiffness (CS) parameters measured by a novel ultrasound method and inflammatory disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Material and methods: The study was conducted with 70 RA patients and 35 control subjects. According to their disease activity score (DAS-28), the RA patients were classified into active RA (n = 36; DAS-28 > 3.2) and inactive RA (n = 34; DAS-28 ≤ 3.2) groups. A novel non-invasive echo-tracking system was used to measure carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT), diameter, pulsatile strain, distensibility, and carotid pulse wave velocity (PWV) on 128 sites of the common carotid artery. Erythrocytesedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were also determined.Results: Carotid PWV and IMT were significantly higher in the active RA patients (8.20±1.47 m/s and 6.88±1.50 mm, respectively) compared to the inactive group (6.06±1.21 mm and 7.32±1.19 m/s, respectively) and the control subjects (0.68±0.12 mm and 6.41±0.98, respectively). In all RA patients, a statistically significant correlation was found between carotid PWV and age (r=0.435, p<0.001), ESR (r=0.257, p=0.033), and DAS-28 (r=0.314, p=0.009). According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, DAS-28, and ESR were independent predictors of CS.Conclusion: A strong correlation was found between disease activity and local CS parameters in patients with RA. We also demonstrated that both active and inactive RA patients showed increased PWV values compared with the control subjects. This easily applicable and previously confirmed method can be used in future to assess cardiovascular risk in broad study populations from different risk groups.
Investigating Clinical Issues by Genotyping of Medically Important Fungi: Why and How?
Authors: Alanio Alexandre , Desnos-Ollivier Marie , Garcia-Hermoso Dea , Bretagne Stéphane 
Published: May 2017

SUMMARY

Genotyping studies of medically important fungi have addressed elucidation of outbreaks, nosocomial transmissions, infection routes, and genotype-phenotype correlations, of which secondary resistance has been most intensively investigated. Two methods have emerged because of their high discriminatory power and reproducibility: multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and microsatellite length polymorphism (MLP) using short tandem repeat (STR) markers. MLST relies on single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the coding regions of housekeeping genes. STR polymorphisms are based on the number of repeats of short DNA fragments, mostly outside coding regions, and thus are expected to be more polymorphic and more rapidly evolving than MLST markers. There is no consensus on a universal typing system. Either one or both of these approaches are now available for
Candida
spp.,
Aspergillus
spp.,
Fusarium
spp.,
Scedosporium
spp.,
Cryptococcus neoformans
,
Pneumocystis jirovecii
, and endemic mycoses. The choice of the method and the number of loci to be tested depend on the clinical question being addressed. Next-generation sequencing is becoming the most appropriate method for fungi with no MLP or MLST typing available. Whatever the molecular tool used, collection of clinical data (e.g., time of hospitalization and sharing of similar rooms) is mandatory for investigating outbreaks and nosocomial transmission.
Heparanase Upregulation Contributes to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Release
Authors: Guo Chunhe , Zhu Zhenbang , Guo Yang , Wang Xiaoying , Yu Piao , Xiao Shuqi , Chen Yaosheng , Cao Yongchang , Liu Xiaohong 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACT
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) continues to cause substantial economic losses to the pig industry worldwide. Heparan sulfate (HS) is used by PRRSV for initial attachment to target cells. However, the role of HS in the late phase of PRRSV infection and the mechanism of virus release from host cells remain largely unknown. In this study, we showed that PRRSV infection caused a decrease in HS expression and upregulated heparanase, the only known enzyme capable of degrading HS. We subsequently demonstrated that the NF-κB signaling pathway and cathepsin L protease were involved in regulation of PRRSV infection-induced heparanase. In addition, we found that ablation of heparanase expression using small interfering RNA duplexes increased cell surface expression of HS and suppressed PRRSV replication and release, whereas overexpression of heparanase reduced HS surface expression and enhanced PRRSV replication and release. These data suggest that PRRSV activates NF-κB and cathepsin L to upregulate and process heparanase, and then the active heparanase cleaves HS, resulting in viral release. Our findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanism of PRRSV egress from host cells, which might help us to further understand PRRSV pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes great economic losses each year to the pig industry worldwide. The molecular mechanism of PRRSV release from host cells largely remains a mystery. In this study, we demonstrate that PRRSV activates NF-κB and cathepsin L to upregulate and process heparanase, and then the active heparanase is released to the extracellular space and exerts enzymatic activity to cleave heparan sulfate, resulting in viral release. Our findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanism of PRRSV egress from host cells, which might help us to further understand PRRSV pathogenesis.