bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY USING SWEPT SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY
Authors: Cheung Chui Ming Gemmy , Yanagi Yasuo , Mohla Aditi , Lee Shu Yen , Mathur Ranjana , Chan Choi Mun , Yeo Ian , Wong Tien Yin 
Published: November 2016

Purpose:
To determine the correlation and agreement between swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCT-A) with fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) in characterizing polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and in differentiating eyes with typical age-related macular degeneration (t-AMD).

Methods:
This study included 32 and 54 eyes with t-AMD and PCV, respectively, who underwent SS-OCT-A, SD-OCT, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography. The images from these four techniques were compared.

Results:
On SS-OCT-A, flow signals with vascular network configuration were detected in 81.2% and 77.8% of eyes with t-AMD and PCV, respectively. 40.4% of polyps were detected as flow signals with polypoidal configuration. Compared with indocyanine green angiography, SS-OCT-A had sensitivity and specificity of 83.0% and 57.1%, respectively, for vascular network, and 40.5% and 66.7% for polyps. Longitudinal changes were in agreement between SS-OCT-A and SD-OCT in 90% of eyes. 88.2% of eyes with dry retina on SD-OCT had persistent vascular net on SS-OCT-A. In two cases with reactivation of PCV, SS-OCT-A was more sensitive at detecting recurrence than SD-OCT.

Conclusion:
Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography is effective at detecting vascular network that correlate to conventional angiography in eyes with t-AMD and PCV. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography is inferior to indocyanine green angiography in detecting polyps and cannot replace indocyanine green angiography for differentiating PCV from t-AMD; however, SS-OCT-A may be more sensitive than SD-OCT in detecting early recurrence.
Predictors and Outcomes of Sternotomy Conversion and Cardiopulmonary Bypass Assistance in Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Rodriguez Maria L. , Lapierre Harry R. , Sohmer Benjamin , Ruel Jean-Philippe , Ruel Marc A. 
Published: November 2016

Objective This work's objective was to identify the determinants of conversion of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting to sternotomy, with and without cardiopulmonary bypass assistance, and to compare clinical outcomes in patients who needed conversion. Methods This is a prospectively collected data on patients who underwent minimally invasive coronary bypass done by a single surgeon from February 2005 to September 2014. Statistical analyses were expressed as mean values ± standard deviation or proportions. Results The total number of patients was 266, with an average age of 62 years. The median number of grafted territories was 2, higher in those with pump assistance (median, 3 grafts; P ≤ 0.01). Predictors for use of cardiopulmonary bypass included diabetes, 3-vessel disease, left circumflex involvement, and small target vessels (P < 0.05). The rate for sternotomy conversion was 3.8%. Risk factors for conversion to sternotomy included smoking, preoperative bradycardia (<50 beats per minute), low intraoperative ejection fraction, inability to tolerate one-lung ventilation, inadequate surgical exposure, and hemodynamic instability. Postoperative complications included superficial thoracotomy infection (3%), sternotomy infection (10%), new atrial fibrillation (3%), and need for blood transfusion (14%). Twelve patients (5%) developed left-sided pleural effusion that required drainage. There were no perioperative deaths, major adverse cardiac event, or stroke. Conclusions Minimally invasive coronary bypass grafting with conversion to sternotomy and use of cardiopulmonary bypass is safe. Conversions may be alleviated by an effort to optimize modifiable risk factors and the adequacy of surgical exposure. These data may help develop objective selection criteria to identify patients who are excellent candidates for the procedure.
Viral Suppression and Retention in Care up to 5 Years After Initiation of Lifelong ART During Pregnancy (Option B+) in Rural Uganda
Authors: Koss Catherine A. , Natureeba Paul , Kwarisiima Dalsone , Ogena Mike , Clark Tamara D. , Olwoch Peter , Cohan Deborah , Okiring Jaffer , Charlebois Edwin D. , Kamya Moses R. , Havlir Diane V. 
Published: November 2016

Background:
Lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all HIV-infected pregnant women, but early studies suggest that women often drop out of care postpartum and data are limited on virologic outcomes.

Methods:
We evaluated viral suppression (primary outcome) and retention in care up to 5 years after ART initiation among HIV-infected women who started lifelong ART during pregnancy, irrespective of CD4 count, in a study in rural Uganda (NCT00993031). Participants were followed in the study for up to 1 year postpartum, then referred to clinics in surrounding communities. A random sample (N = 200) was invited to participate in a cross-sectional follow-up study after completing the trial, involving one visit for a questionnaire and pregnancy and HIV-1 RNA testing. Retention in care was defined as having attended an HIV clinic in the last 90 days. Logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA <400 copies/ml) at follow-up.

Results:
One hundred fifty women (75%) were successfully contacted for follow-up at a median of 4.2 years after starting ART; 135 were retained in care [90%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 84.0% to 94.3%] and 121 demonstrated viral suppression (80.7%, 95% CI: 73.4% to 86.7%). Women who had disclosed their HIV status to their primary partner had greater odds of viral suppression (adjusted odds ratio: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.02 to 19.8).

Conclusions:
High rates of viral suppression can be achieved up to 5 years after initiating ART during pregnancy among women retained in care. Interventions to facilitate disclosure may improve long-term outcomes among women who initiate ART during pregnancy under universal treatment.
Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of brain abscesses
Authors: Brouwer Matthijs C. , van de Beek Diederik 
Published: November 2016

Purpose of review
This article describes the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of brain abscesses focusing on studies published in the past 2 years.

Recent findings
In the recent literature, advances have been made in describing the disease, ancillary investigations, and treatment, mostly by combining previously available literature in meta-analyses. These studies identified Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species as the most frequent cause of brain abscess. New developments include the analysis of genetic risk factors for brain abscess, evaluation of shorter antibiotic courses, and the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment. However, many studies in this field are limited by methodology and results are less helpful for clinical practice. Nevertheless, there has been a gradual improvement in the outcome of patients with brain abscess over the past 50 years, which might be driven by improved brain imaging techniques, minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures, and protocoled antibiotic treatment. Multicenter prospective studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to further advance treatment and prognosis in brain abscess patients.

Summary
Our understanding of brain abscesses has increased by meta-analysis on clinical characteristics, ancillary investigations, and treatment modalities. Prognosis has improved over time, likely due to improved brain imaging techniques, minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures, and protocoled antibiotic treatment.
Stability and plasticity of contextual modulation in the mouse visual cortex
Authors: Ranson Adam 
Published: November 2016

SummaryActivity of neurons in primary sensory cortex is shaped by visual and behavioural context. However the long-term stability of the influence of contextual factors in the mature cortex remains poorly understood. To investigate this we used 2-photon calcium imaging to track the influence of surround suppression and locomotion on individual neurons over 14 days. We found that highly active excitatory neurons and PV+ interneurons exhibited relatively stable modulation by visual context. Similarly most neurons exhibited a stable yet distinct degree modulation by locomotion. In contrast less active excitatory neurons exhibited plasticity in visual context influence resulting in increased suppression. These findings suggest that the mature visual cortex possesses stable subnetworks of neurons, differentiated by cell-type and activity level, which have distinctive and stable interactions with sensory and behavioural context, as well as other less active and more labile neurons which are sensitive to visual experience.
Origin and Evolution of a Pandemic Lineage of the Kiwifruit PathogenPseudomonas syringaepv.actinidiae
Authors: McCann Honour C. , Li Li , Liu Yifei , Li Dawei , Hui Pan , Zhong Canhong , Rikkerink Erik , Templeton Matthew , Straub Christina , Colombi Elena , Rainey Paul B. , Huang Hongwen 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTRecurring epidemics of kiwifruit (Actinidiaspp.) bleeding canker disease are caused byPseudomonas syringaepv.actinidiae(Psa), whose emergence coincided with domestication of its host. The most recent pandemic has had a deleterious effect on kiwifruit production worldwide. In order to strengthen understanding of population structure, phylogeography and evolutionary dynamics ofPsa, we sampled 746Pseudomonasisolates from cultivated and wild kiwifruit across six provinces in China, of which 87 werePsa. Of 234Pseudomonasisolated from wildActinidiaspp. none were identified asPsa. Genome sequencing of fifty isolates and the inclusion of an additional thirty from previous studies show that China is the origin of the recently emerged pandemic lineage. However China harbours only a fraction of globalPsadiversity, with greatest diversity found in Korea and Japan. Distinct transmission events were responsible for introduction of the pandemic lineage ofPsainto New Zealand, Chile and Europe. Two independent transmission events occurred between China and Korea, and two Japanese isolates from 2014 cluster with New ZealandPsa. Despite high similarity at the level of the core genome and negligible impact of within-lineage recombination, there has been substantial gene gain and loss even within the single clade from which the global pandemic arose.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTBleeding canker disease of kiwifruit caused byPseudomonas syringaepv.actinidiae(Psa) has come to prominence in the last three decades. Emergence has coincided with domestication of the host plant and provides a rare opportunity to understand ecological and genetic factors affecting the evolutionary origins ofPsa. Here, based on genomic analysis of an extensive set of strains sampled from China and augmented by isolates from a global sample, we show, contrary to earlier predictions, that China is not the native home of the pathogen, but is nonetheless the source of the recent global pandemic. Our data identify specific transmission events, substantial genetic diversity and point to non-agricultural plants in either Japan or Korea as home to the source population.
Measuring the importance of annotation granularity to the detection of semantic similarity between phenotype profiles
Authors: Manda Prashanti , Balhoff James P. , Vision Todd J. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn phenotype annotations curated from the biological and medical literature, considerable human effort must be invested to select ontological classes that capture the expressivity of the original natural language descriptions, and finer annotation granularity can also entail higher computational costs for particular reasoning tasks. Do coarse annotations suffice for certain applications? Here, we measure how annotation granularity affects the statistical behavior of semantic similarity metrics. We use a randomized dataset of phenotype profiles drawn from 57,051 taxon-phenotype annotations in the Phenoscape Knowledgebase. We compared query profiles having variable proportions of matching phenotypes to subject database profiles using both pairwise and groupwise Jaccard (edge-based) and Resnik (node-based) semantic similarity metrics, and compared statistical performance for three different levels of annotation granularity: entities alone, entities plus attributes, and entities plus qualities (with implicit attributes). All four metrics examined showed more extreme values than expected by chance when approximately half the annotations matched between the query and subject profiles, with a more sudden decline for pairwise statistics and a more gradual one for the groupwise statistics. Annotation granularity had a negligible effect on the position of the threshold at which matches could be discriminated from noise. These results suggest that coarse annotations of phenotypes, at the level of entities with or without attributes, may be sufficient to identify phenotype profiles with statistically significant semantic similarity.
Neuromodulatory circuit effects onDrosophilafeeding behaviour and metabolism
Authors: Eriksson Anders , Raczkowska Marlena , Navawongse Rapeechai , Choudhury Deepak , Stewart James C. , Tang Yi Ling , Wang Zhiping , Claridge-Chang Adam 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAnimals have evolved to maintain homeostasis in a changing external environment by adapting their internal metabolism and feeding behaviour. Metabolism and behaviour are coordinated by neuromodulation; a number of the implicated neuromodulatory systems are homologous between mammals and the vinegar fly, an important neurogenetic model. We investigated whether silencing fly neuromodulatory networks would elicit coordinated changes in feeding, behavioural activity and metabolism. We employed transgenic lines that allowed us to inhibit broad cellular sets of the dopaminergic, serotonergic, octopaminergic, tyraminergic and neuropeptide F systems. The genetically-manipulated animals were assessed for changes in their overt behavioural responses and metabolism by monitoring eleven parameters: activity; climbing ability; individual feeding; group feeding; food discovery; both fed and starved respiration; fed and starved lipid content; and fed/starved body weight. The results from these 55 experiments indicate that individual neuromodulatory system effects on feeding behaviour, motor activity and metabolism are dissociated.
Predicting the phenotype of Mendelian disease missense mutations using amino acid conservation and protein stability change
Authors: Chavez Maria T. , Perlstein Ethan O. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractMany Mendelian diseases are caused by recessive, loss-of-function missense mutations. On a gene-by-gene basis, it has been demonstrated that missense mutations cause, among other defects, protein misfolding, protein instability, protein mistransport, which strongly suggests that pathogenic missense mutations do not occur at random positions. Based on those observations, we predicted that Mendelian disease missense mutations are enriched in evolutionarily-conserved amino acids. In a pilot set of 260 Mendelian diseases genes affecting cellular organelles we show that missense mutations indeed occur in amino acids that are significantly more conserved than the average amino acid in the protein based on three different scoring methods (Jensen Shannon Divergence p = 7.78E-03, Shannon Entropy p = 1.68E-13, Sum of Pairs p = 1.55E-17). In order to understand how these results might be related to clinical phenotypes in humans or preclinical phenotypes in model organisms, we calculated the protein stability change upon mutation (ΔΔGu) using EASE-MM and found that, on average, pathogenic mutations cause a stability change of greater magnitude than benign mutations (p = 4.414428E-23). Finally, we performed a computational case study on NPC1, the gene responsible for 95% of diagnosed cases of the lysosomal storage disorder Niemann-Pick Type C using a set of 411 missense mutations from the Exome Aggregation Consortium.
Does corporate governance influence the efficiency of working capital management of listed firms
Authors: Fiador Vera 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of corporate governance in the quest to attain organizational efficiency in the working capital management of listed firms. There is a consensus that efficiency of working capital management is vital for firm’s growth and survival, yet another consensus is the role of corporate governance in limiting managerial self-serving behavior and ultimately improving firm’s efficiency. If the foregoing views hold, then the empirical question “Is corporate governance important for firm-level working capital efficiency?” becomes important.

Design/methodology/approach
Panel data on 13 non-financial firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange were employed in a pooled OLS regression.

Findings
The results of the study indicate mostly a negative effect of internal governance mechanisms on the cash conversion cycle, the inventory, receivables’ periods and payables’ periods, implying that governance structures do affect the efficiency of working capital management. Firm characteristics like age, size and profitability also emerged as relevant influences on the efficiency of working capital management.

Research limitations/implications
Data for the study cut across several sectors thus limiting the specificity with which findings can be applied.

Originality/value
These findings have implications for board composition in the quest for firm-level efficiency while raising the need for more industry-specific enquiries.
Employee participation and turnover intention
Authors: Kumar Manish , Jauhari Hemang 
Published: November 2016

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the explanatory roles of organizational justice (OJ) and learning goal/need satisfaction (LGS/LNS) in the relationship between participation in decision-making (PDM) and turnover intention (TI) of employees. OJ was expected to mediate the relationship of PDM with LNS and TI. Further, LNS was expected to mediate the relationship of PDM and OJ with TI.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a rigorous design with 192 responses collected with temporal separation using snowball sampling technique. Responses on PDM, OJ and LNS were taken at one point of time, whereas responses on TI were taken at another point of time. Analysis was done using structural equation modeling approach in IBM SPSS AMOS 20.FindingsOJ partially mediates PDM and LNS relationship but fully mediates PDM and TI relationship. Further, LNS partially mediates OJ and TI relationship but fully mediates PDM and TI relationship. PDM does not have a direct effect on TI.Research limitations/implicationsEnsuring participation of employees on programs and policies including those on human resources by itself may not be able to reduce TI of employees. It is when employees are able to experience fairness for themselves and/or they are able to add value for themselves by enhancing relevant knowledge base that PDM has an impact on TI. Therefore, organizations must ensure all three aspects of concern to employees; ensuring participation, fairness and individual growth of the employees to address TI.Originality/valueAlthough there are studies relating TI separately with PDM, fairness and satisfaction, this study is able to contribute by specifying two-stage explanatory mechanism between PDM and TI. In addition, the authors believe that this study has brought in so far unexplored nuance of relevance of individual quest for learning in explaining TI. Further, through the use of robust design, the study contributes in corroborating research findings on TI.
Onboarding self-initiated expatriates
Authors: Guðmundsdóttir Svala , Lundbergsdóttir Linda M. 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to explore how Icelandic employees experienced the onboarding process when they started working for the Nordic co-operation.

Design/methodology/approach
A case study methodology was performed, where semi-structured interviews with Icelandic expatriates working for the Nordic co-operation were conducted, along with an open-ended questionnaire to the human resource manager. Relevant internet sites were analyzed along with job postings.

Findings
The results indicate that the Nordic co-operation could do better in relation to onboarding their new employees, particularly, in relation to the practical aspect of relocation. The expatriates reported to be satisfied with the work related onboarding and found a value in having a mentor or assigned individual who would take responsibility of introducing the new employee to work-related aspects.

Research limitations/implications
The number of interviews may be considered small when compared to other expatriate studies. Further, the results can only be considered as a first step in a longer process of mapping the ideal onboarding process for international assignees.

Practical implications
Based on the results, it was recommended that the Nordic co-operation should re-examine their onboarding, particularly, in relation to sharing practical information, and incorporating the spouse into the program, as suggested by a number of studies.

Social implications
By understanding the challenges self-initiated expatriates (SIE) face when taking up a new job in a new country, human resource departments will be in a better position to assist the assignee and family for a smoother transition.

Originality/value
In recent years, research on global carriers has been dominated by expatriate managers who are sent abroad on behalf of their company. However, far less is known about SIE and their onboarding process from the perspective of employee.
Assessing similarity: on homology, characters and the need for a semantic approach to non‐evolutionary comparative homology
Authors: Vogt Lars 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe problem of homology has been a consistent source of controversy at the heart of systematic biology, as has the step of morphological character analysis in phylogenetics. Based on a clear epistemic framework and a characterization of “characters” as diagnostic evidence units for the recognition of not directly identifiable entities, I discuss the ontological definition and empirical recognition criteria of phylogenetic, developmental and comparative homology, and how these three accounts of homology each contribute to an understanding of the overall phenomenon of homology. I argue that phylogenetic homologies are individuals or historical kinds that require comparative homology for identification. Developmental homologies are natural kinds that ultimately rest on phylogenetic homologies and also require comparative homology for identification. Comparative homologies on the other hand are anatomical structural kinds that are directly identifiable. I discuss pre‐Darwinian comparative homology concepts and their problem of invoking non‐material forces and involving the a priori assumption of a stable positional reference system. Based on Young's concept of comparative homology, I suggest a procedure for recognizing comparative homologues that lacks these problems and that utilizes a semantic framework. This formal conceptual framework provides the much needed semantic transparency and computer‐parsability for documenting, communicating and analysing similarity propositions. It provides an essential methodological framework for generalizing over individual organisms and identifying and demarcating anatomical structural kinds, and it provides the missing link to the logical chain of identifying phylogenetic homology. The approach substantially increases the analytical accessibility of comparative research and thus represents an important contribution to the theoretical and methodological foundation of morphology and comparative biology.