bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Potential Role of Lung Ultrasound B‐Lines for Detection of Lung Radio‐Induced Toxicity in Breast Cancer Patients after Radiation Therapy
Authors: Petruzzelli Maria Fonte , Vasti Maria Pia , Tramacere Francesco , D'Errico Maria Patrizia , Gianicolo Emilio A.L. , Andreassi Maria Grazia , Picano Eugenio , Portaluri Maurizio 
Published: April 2016

Background and PurposeBreast cancer patients exposed to doses of radiation after radiotherapy could develop toxicity to lung. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is able to detect interstitial lung disease by the evaluation of B‐lines. The aim of our study was to assess the number of B‐lines to diagnose lung involvement after chest radiotherapy.Materials and MethodsWe measured LUS B‐lines in the treated and contralateral lung of 20 breast cancer patients, 1–3 months after the end of radiotherapy and 1 year after previous LUS. The sum of the B‐lines number in the 72 sites on anterior and posterior chest yielded a global B‐lines score.ResultsB‐lines were more numerous in treated (median: 21; 1st–3rd quartiles: 11–31) versus untreated hemithorax (median: 3; 1st–3rd quartiles: 1–5) in both examination at T1–3 months (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test P < 0.001) and T1 year (median: 21; 1st–3rd quartiles: 12–28 vs. median: 4; 1st–3rd quartiles: 1–10; Kolmogorov–Smirnov test P < 0.01). Within the treated hemithorax, B‐lines were more frequent in the anterior than in the posterior chest in both examination at T1–3 months (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test: P < 0.0001) and T1 year (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test: P < 0.01). Abnormal scores (B‐lines>5) were present in 17/20 treated versus 7/20 untreated hemithoraxes (85.0 vs. 35.0%, P < 0.01) in the first LUS and likewise in 16/17 treated versus 7/17 in untreated hemithorax (94.1% vs. 41.2%, P < 0.01) after 1‐year follow‐up.ConclusionAmong women receiving radiotherapy after breast cancer, B‐lines are present predominantly in the irradiated lung. These data suggest that B‐lines by LUS could provide, at a subclinical stage, a radiation‐free biomarker of radiotherapy‐induced lung damage.
Community structure and abundance of insects in response to early‐season aphid infestation in wild cabbage populations
Authors: LI YEHUA , STAM JELTJE M. , POELMAN ERIK H. , DICKE MARCEL , GOLS RIETA 
Published: April 2016

1. Changes in the arthropod community structure can be attributed to differences in constitutively expressed plant traits or those that change depending on environmental conditions such as herbivory. Early‐season herbivory may have community‐wide effects on successive insect colonisation of host plants and the identity of the initially inducing insect may determine the direction and strength of the effects on the dynamics and composition of the associated insect community.2. Previous studies have addressed the effect of early infestation with a chewing herbivore. In the present study, the effect of early infestation was investigated with a phloem‐feeding aphid [Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera, Aphididae)] on the insect community associated with three wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) populations, which are known to differ in defence chemistry, throughout the season in field experiments.3. Aphid infestation had asymmetric effects on the associated insect community and only influenced the abundance of the natural enemies of aphids, but not that of chewing herbivores and their natural enemies. The effect size of aphid infestation further depended on the cabbage population.4. Aphid feeding has been previously reported to promote host‐plant quality for chewing herbivores, which has been attributed to antagonism between the two major defence signalling pathways controlled by the hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), respectively. Our results show no effects of early infestation by aphids on chewing herbivores, suggesting the absence of long‐term JA–SA antagonism.5. Investigating the effects of the identity of an early‐season coloniser and genotypic variation among plant populations on insect community dynamics are important in understanding insect–plant community ecology.
Contest Duration and Dynamics are Affected by Body Size in a Potentially Subsocial Crayfish (Crustacea: Decapoda)
Authors: Costa Juliana R. , Dalosto Marcelo M. , Palaoro Alexandre V. , Santos Sandro 
Published: April 2016

AbstractFighting is a costly behavior, consuming both time and energy. As a result, the benefits of acquiring resources must outweigh these costs. Resource value will thus influence willingness to invest in a contest through its objective (the intrinsic properties of the resource) and subjective value (context/state dependent). In burrowing crayfish, subjective resource value may vary with life stage: adults, subadults, and juveniles differ in their ability to obtain resources. As juveniles cannot dig their own burrows, we hypothesize that earlier life stages will exhibit lower aggression than later life stages. To test this, we evaluated contests between paired individuals according to their cephalothorax length (CL), encompassing different life stages of Parastacus brasiliensis. To quantify aggression levels, we recorded contest duration, the frequency of low and highly aggressive behaviors, the time to escalate to highly aggressive behaviors, the probability of initiating contests with highly aggressive behaviors, and the latency to initiate a contest. We examined the relationship between these dependent variables and CL (independent variable) using GLMs to test how aggressive behaviors develop. Contest duration increased with pair mean, winner's and loser's CL. Frequency of low aggressive behaviors increased with CL, whereas highly aggressive behaviors, latency, and time to reach highly aggressive behaviors were unrelated to CL. Smaller individuals had a higher probability of initiating contests with highly aggressive behaviors. Self‐assessment explains the contest dynamics of P. brasiliensis, with smaller individuals giving up sooner, probably due to lower energy and time budgets.
The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men attending cardiac rehabilitation: an audit in East London
Authors: Williams Paul , Bandhoo Swallay , McBain Hayley , Mulligan Kathleen , Steggall Martin J. 
Published: April 2016

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), how it is perceived and the percentage seeking treatment for the condition in a population of men with cardiovascular disease (CVD) attending a cardiac rehabilitation programme in East London, UK. One hundred male subjects aged between 30 and 88 years attending a cardiac rehabilitation centre in East London participated in the study. An audit of men attending a cardiac rehabilitation programme was conducted. Participants completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5) to ascertain the severity of ED, an adapted ‘bother score’ item from the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) to investigate the extent to which participants were bothered by the symptoms of their ED and questions related to both ED treatment‐seeking and beliefs about the impact of cardiac medication on ED. Demographic and clinical data were also collected. The audit was carried out between January and September 2014. Out of 117 male participants, 100 were audited (85·5% uptake). Prevalence of ED in this cohort was 80%, and 38% were suffering with moderate or severe ED. Older men had significantly higher levels of ED, and participants with severe ED were significantly more bothered by their condition. Those of Asian or British Asian descent reported significantly higher levels of ED severity than men from white ethnic backgrounds. Sixty‐five percent of men with ED had never spoken to a health care professional (HCP) about the condition, and 35% believed that their medication had a deleterious effect on erectile function. High incidences of ED remain undetected in this patient population. The study stresses the importance for HCPs to discuss ED with patients within primary care and cardiac rehabilitation programmes, which in turn could reduce mortality in those at risk of a future cardiac event as well as facilitate access to ED treatment.
Banking Efficiency in the Enlarged European Union: Financial Crisis and Convergence
Authors: Gallizo José L. , Moreno Jordi , Salvador Manuel 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyse whether the great shock occasioned by the financial crisis and the reaction from national governments have compromised the process of financial integration in the EU. This question is important because banking union is a cornerstone of the European integration process. We estimated the evolution of cost and profit efficiency in the enlarged EU during the period from 2000 to 2013 using Bayesian frontier stochastic models (SFA), and analysed the convergence among countries using the beta and sigma convergence tests. Our results show that the outbreak of the financial crisis interrupted the convergence and gave rise to a new divergence process. These results suggest that major reforms in European banking should be adopted by EU regulators in order to strengthen financial integration.
Piezopotential‐Induced Schottky Behavior of Zn1−xSnO3 Nanowire Arrays and Piezophotocatalytic Applications
Authors: Wang Ya‐Ting , Chang Kao‐Shuo 
Published: April 2016

This article presents the piezotronic‐ and piezophototronic effect‐enhanced photocatalysis (piezophotocatalysis) of Zn1−xSnO3 (ZTO) nanowires fabricated through a two‐step hydrothermal reaction. The highlights of this research include (1) tailoring hydrothermal synthesis parameters to obtain well‐aligned LN‐type single‐crystalline ZTO nanowire arrays; (2) exploring the piezopotential‐driven piezotronic and piezophototronic effects of ZTO nanowires; (3) identifying Schottky barrier height variations; and (4) exploiting synergistic piezophotocatalysis for decomposing methylene blue (MB). Transmission electron microscopy, electron probe energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses reveal highly crystalline Zn‐deficient ZTO nanowires. The band gap is estimated to be approximately 3.8 eV. The ZTO nanowires exhibit piezopotential‐modulated piezotronic and piezophototronic effects. The corresponding Schottky barrier height variation is calculated using thermionic emission‐diffusion theory. The calculated photodegradation rate constant k of the sample, under pressure from ultrasonic vibration and a piece of glass, is approximately 1.5 × 10−2 min−1, approximately four times higher than that of ZTO nanowires in the absence of stress. The observed synergistic piezophotocatalysis is attributed to (1) band bending of ZTO nanowires; (2) application of alternating ultrasonic vibration; (3) MB mass transfer enhancement; and (4) abundant active reaction sites generated from ZTO nanowire surface sweeping.
Hosts and transmission of the crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci: a review
Authors: Svoboda J , Mrugała A , Kozubíková‐Balcarová E , Petrusek A 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe crayfish plague pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci Schikora, has become one of the most well‐studied pathogens of invertebrates. Since its introduction to Europe in the mid‐19th century, it has caused mass crayfish mortalities, resulting in drastic declines of local populations. In contrast, North American crayfish usually serve as latent carriers, although they may also be negatively affected by A. astaci infections under some circumstances. Recent research benefiting from molecular tools has improved our knowledge about various aspects of A. astaci biology. In this review, we summarize these advances, particularly with respect to the host range and transmission. We highlight several aspects that have recently received particular attention, in particular newly confirmed or suspected A. astaci hosts, latent A. astaci infections in populations of European crayfish, and the relationship between A. astaci genotype groups and host taxa.
Exophthalmia in wild‐caught cod (Gadus morhua L.): development of a secondary barotrauma effect in captivity
Authors: Humborstad O‐B , Ferter K , Kryvi H , Fjelldal P G 
Published: April 2016

AbstractCapture‐based aquaculture (CBA) of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) has become increasingly important in recent years, and increased attention is being paid to animal welfare issues linked to these activities. Earlier studies showed that some cod develop secondary exophthalmia in captivity. This study investigated the development of secondary exophthalmia in two groups of wild‐caught cod, one of which was exposed to rapid decompression causing acute barotrauma (treatment group) while the other was not (control group). Photographs and radiographs before and up to 33 days after barotrauma revealed a significant increase in overall eye protrusion caused by an accumulation of gas in the orbita in the treatment group, first observed on day 9 after decompression, while no protrusions were observed in the control group. Barotrauma was thus identified as an important trigger for the development of secondary uni‐ or bilateral exophthalmia of wild‐caught cod. Two underlying mechanisms are suggested, where the more likely is residual swim bladder gas taking the route of least resistance, while the less likely is the exsolution of gas from the blood. Our results have implications for a wide range of contexts in which cod are rapidly brought to the surface from great depth.
Functional characterization of 22 novel CYP2D6 variants for the metabolism of Tamoxifen
Authors: Hu Xiao-Xia , Zhou Quan , Lan Tian , Huang Xiang-Xin , Liang Bing-qing , Dai Da-Peng , Cai Jian-Ping , Hu Guo-Xin 
Published: April 2016

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to assess the catalytic characteristics of 24 CYP2D6 allelic isoforms found in Chinese Han population on the metabolism of tamoxifen in vitro.

Methods
Recombinant CYP2D6 microsomes of distinguished genotypes were used to characterize the corresponding enzyme activity towards tamoxifen. About 5–2500 μm tamoxifen was incubated for 30 min at 37 °C. Using high-performance liquid chromatography to detect the products, the kinetic parameters Km, Vmax and intrinsic clearance (Vmax/Km) of N-desmethyltamoxifen were determined.

Key findings
Of the 24 tested allelic variants, the differences of intrinsic clearance value were shown as follows: CYP2D6.89 was much higher than wild-type CYP2D6.1, 2 allelic isoforms (CYP2D6.88 and D336N) exhibited similar intrinsic clearance values as the wild-type enzyme, two variants displayed weak or no activity, while the rest 19 variants showed significantly reduced intrinsic clearance values ranging from 7.46 to 81.11%.

Conclusion
The comprehensive assessment of CYP2D6 variants provides significant insights into allele-specific activity towards tamoxifen in vitro, suggesting that most of the carriers of these alleles might be paid more attention when using CYP2D6-mediated drugs clinically.
Multi‐methods approach to characterizing the magnitude, impact, and spatial risk of Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) bycatch in small‐scale fisheries in Malampaya Sound, Philippines
Authors: Whitty Tara Sayuri 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAddressing the urgent conservation threat of marine mammal bycatch in small‐scale fisheries requires information on bycatch magnitude, gear types, population impacts, and risk. However, data on these proximate attributes are widely lacking in developing countries. This study used a multi‐methods approach integrating boat surveys and interviews with fishermen (n = 526) to assess proximate attributes of bycatch for the Critically Endangered subpopulation of Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in Malampaya Sound, Philippines. Given an updated population estimate of 35 individuals (CV = 22.9%), the estimated rate of bycatch fatalities exceeds the potential biological removal rate. Spatial overlap scores were calculated to characterize overlap between dolphins and fisheries as a proxy of bycatch risk. These scores identified particularly high risk areas that could be prioritized for gear bans. However, completely reducing bycatch risk would require more widespread bans beyond these high risk areas. Implementing gear restrictions will be immensely challenging, given serious obstacles to fisheries management at this site. The multi‐methods approach describes the urgency of the bycatch problem and the changes required for mitigation, setting the stage for identifying and evaluating potential solutions. It can be readily applied to developing country sites to guide more efficient and complete data collection and conservation efforts.
Evaluation of the Explorer Endoscopy Mask© for esogastroduodenoscopy in children: a retrospective study of 173 cases
Authors: Potié Arnaud , Prégardien Caroline , Pirotte Thierry , Stephenne Xavier , Scheers Isabelle , Wanty Catherine , Smets Françoise , Sokal Etienne , Veyckemans Francis 
Published: April 2016

SummaryAimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and safety of the Explorer Endoscopy Mask® (EM) as an alternative to endotracheal intubation in children undergoing elective esogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) under general anesthesia (GA).MethodsThis study was a retrospective observational study. The study was undertaken at the pediatric digestive endoscopy suite in the Cliniques universitaires Saint‐Luc, Brussels, Belgium. We retrospectively analyzed the occurrence of minor and major airway‐related adverse effects during pediatric EGD procedures performed under GA with the EM between June 2014 and March 2015.ResultsDuring the study period, 173 patients underwent EGD. Their mean age was 8.4 years (median: 9.1 years, range 4 months to 16 years). Mean duration of endoscopy (from insertion to removal of the endoscope) was 12.6 min (median: 12 min, range 3–47 min). The use of EM was uneventful in 159 (92%) cases. There were 24 airway‐related adverse events in 14 children. Hypoxemia (SpO2 <90%) (13 events, 7.5%) was the most commonly encountered complication followed by laryngo‐ or bronchospasm (five events, 2.89%), cough (five events, 2.89%), and intubation (one event, 0.58%). No cases of regurgitation/aspiration were observed.ConclusionsOur data support the EM use in pediatric EGD. There were few transient respiratory adverse events which were easily solved with minor interventions.
Encountering the Body at the Site of the Suicide: A Population‐Based Survey in Sweden
Authors: Omerov Pernilla , Pettersen Rossana , Titelman David , Nyberg Tommy , Steineck Gunnar , Dyregrov Atle , Nyberg Ullakarin 
Published: April 2016

Encountering the body of a child who died by suicide at the site of death is believed to be especially harmful for bereaved parents. We investigated the association between encountering the body at the site of the suicide and psychological distress in 666 suicide‐bereaved parents. Parents who had encountered their child's body at the site of the suicide (n = 147) did not have a higher risk of nightmares (relative risk [RR] 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67–1.35), intrusive memories (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.84–1.13), avoidance of thoughts (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.74–1.27), avoidance of places or things (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.66–1.25), anxiety (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.64–1.33), or depression (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.63–1.42) compared with parents who had not encountered the body (n = 512). Our results suggest that losing a child by suicide is sufficiently disastrous by itself to elicit posttraumatic responses or psychiatric morbidity whether or not the parent has encountered the deceased child at the site of death.
Phasal Syntax = Cyclic Phonology?
Authors: Cheng Lisa Lai‐Shen , Downing Laura J. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThis paper addresses three central questions in the phonology–syntax interface: What does phonology know about syntax? Does phrasal phonology “know” about syntax directly or indirectly (i.e., mediated by prosodic constituents such as Intonation Phrase)? When does the phonology–syntax interaction take place? Most current phase‐based theories of the interface assume a strict cyclic model of derivation, in which the output of each spell‐out domain directly feeds the phonology. We argue instead for an indirect model in which phonology is mainly conditioned by phase edges and accesses syntax only when the syntactic derivation is complete. We motivate the model mainly with data from Bantu languages that have played a leading role in the development of current theories of the phonology–syntax interface.
Are the ‘rules’ for times in set up and duration of red cell transfusion too strict?
Authors: Foley K. , Poles D. , Mistry H. , Gray A. , Bolton‐Maggs P. H. B. 
Published: April 2016

SUMMARYObjectivesTo discover if any adverse clinical effects have been reported to the UK haemovigilance scheme, Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) relating to delays in set up of transfusion or extended transfusion time for red cell units.BackgroundCurrent guidance for duration of transfusion is based on outdated studies that do not reflect current UK Blood Service practices. Recent evidence suggests that the ‘30‐min rule’ could be extended without adverse effects.MethodsAggregated data from reports to SHOT covering a 5‐year period (2010–2014) were reviewed in order to identify adverse clinical outcomes related to delay in set up of a red cell transfusion of more than 30 min after removal from cold storage, or total transfusion time of longer than 5 h.ResultsFive years of data from SHOT shows that there were no adverse clinical events related to delays in setting up transfusion or extended transfusion time between 2010 and 2014. There were a total of 382 reports which included 143 delays in set‐up, and 239 episodes where transfusion took longer than 5 h.ConclusionsDelays in set up of transfusion and extended transfusion time did not result in any adverse clinical outcomes. Current guidance may be too stringent and lead to increased wastage.
Imiquimod treatment for Equus caballus papillomavirus infection in equine aural plaques
Authors: Zakia Luiza S. , Olivo Giovane , Basso Roberta M. , Mira Juliana , Herman Mariana , Araujo Joao P. , Borges Alexandre S. , Oliveira‐Filho José P. 
Published: April 2016

BackgroundAural plaques are a dermatopathy associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus (EcPV). This disease affects horses of all ages, genders and breeds, and causes sensitivity of the ears.Hypothesis/ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream for the treatment of aural plaques and to compare the PCR detection of EcPV 3, 4, 5 and 6 before and after treatment.AnimalsEight horses diagnosed with aural plaques (14 ears) were used. Three mares with unilateral aural plaques were used as untreated controls.MethodsImiquimod cream was applied every 48 h until complete resolution of the aural plaques was observed. Animals were evaluated clinically for 180 days after the end of treatment. PCR for detecting EcPV 3, 4, 5 and 6 was performed using aural plaque biopsies collected before and at 90 days after the end of treatment.ResultsClinical resolution was observed in 93% of the treated ears. Imiquimod treatment promoted the clearance of EcPV in 71.4% of the treated ears. Clinical remission of the aural plaques and changes in EcPV DNA positivity between the first and second biopsies were not observed in the control group. In 75% of horses, sedation was required in order to carry out pretreatment cleaning.ConclusionsThe results of this study support the hypothesis that 5% imiquimod cream may be used as an effective treatment for aural plaques in horses.