bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction and brain natriuretic peptide concentration in early‐ and late‐onset pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Borges V. T. M. , Zanati S. G. , Peraçoli M. T. S. , Poiati J. R. , Romão‐Veiga M. , Peraçoli J. C. , Thilaganathan B. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTObjectivePre‐eclampsia (PE) is associated with maternal cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess and compare maternal left ventricular structure and diastolic function and levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in women with early‐onset (< 34 weeks' gestation) vs those with late‐onset (≥ 34 weeks' gestation) PE.MethodsThis was a prospective, cross‐sectional, observational study of 30 women with early‐onset PE, 32 with late‐onset PE and 23 normotensive controls. Maternal cardiac structure and diastolic function were assessed by echocardiography and plasma levels of BNP were measured by enzyme immunoassay.ResultsEarly‐ and late‐onset PE were associated with increased left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness compared with normotensive controls. In women with early‐onset PE, the prevalence of concentric hypertrophy (40%) and diastolic dysfunction (23%) was also significantly higher (both P < 0.05) compared with women with late‐onset PE (16% for both). Maternal serum BNP levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in women with early‐onset PE and correlated with relative wall thickness and left ventricular mass index.ConclusionsEarly‐onset PE is associated with more severe cardiac impairment than is late‐onset PE, as evidenced by an increased prevalence of concentric hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and higher levels of BNP. These findings suggest that early‐onset PE causes greater myocardial damage, increasing the risk of both peripartum and postpartum cardiovascular morbidity. Although these cardiovascular effects are easily identified by echocardiographic parameters and measuring BNP, further studies are needed to assess their clinical utility. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The QUiPP App: a safe alternative to a treat‐all strategy for threatened preterm labor
Authors: Watson H. A. , Carter J. , Seed P. T. , Tribe R. M. , Shennan A. H. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of triaging women at risk of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) using the QUiPP App, which incorporates a predictive model combining history of sPTB, gestational age and quantitative measurements of fetal fibronectin, compared with a treat‐all policy (advocated by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) among women with threatened preterm labor before 30 weeks' gestation.MethodsProspectively collected data of pregnant women presenting with symptoms of preterm labor (abdominal pain or tightening) at 24–34 weeks' gestation were retrieved from the research databases of the EQUIPP and PETRA studies for subanalysis. Each episode of threatened preterm labor was retrospectively assigned a risk for sPTB within 7 days using the QUiPP App. A primary outcome of delivery within 7 days was used to model the performance accuracy of the QUiPP App compared with a treat‐all policy.ResultsUsing a 5% risk of delivery within 7 days according to the QUiPP App as the threshold for intervention, 9/9 women who presented with threatened preterm labor < 34 weeks would have been treated correctly, giving a sensitivity of 100% (one‐sided 97.5% CI, 66.4%) and a negative predictive value of 100% (97.5% CI, 98.9–100%). The positive predictive value for delivery within 7 days was 30.0% (95% CI, 11.9–54.3%) for women presenting before 30 weeks and 20.0% (95% CI, 12.7–30.1%) for women presenting between 30 + 0 and 34 + 0 weeks. If this 5% threshold had been used to triage women presenting between 24 + 0 and 29 + 6 weeks, 89.4% (n = 168) of admissions could have been safely avoided, compared with 0% for a treat‐all strategy. No true case of preterm labor would have been missed, as no woman who was assigned a risk of < 10% delivered within 7 days.ConclusionFor women with threatened preterm labor, the QUiPP App can accurately guide management at risk thresholds for sPTB of 1%, 5% and 10%, allowing outpatient management in the vast majority of cases. A treat‐all approach would not have avoided admission for any woman, and would have exposed 188 mothers and their babies to unnecessary hospitalization and steroid administration and increased the burden on network and transport services owing to unnecessary in‐utero transfers. Prediction of sPTB should be performed before 30 weeks to determine management until there is evidence that such a high level of unnecessary intervention, as suggested by the treat‐all strategy, does less harm than the occurrence of rare false negatives. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Anatomical subgroup analysis of the MERIDIAN cohort: failed commissuration
Authors: Griffiths P. D. , Brackley K. , Bradburn M. , Connolly D. J. A. , Gawne‐Cain M. L. , Griffiths D. I. , Kilby M. D. , Mandefield L. , Mooney C. , Robson S. C. , Vollmer B. , Mason G. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo assess the contribution of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fetuses of the MERIDIAN cohort diagnosed with either agenesis or hypogenesis of the corpus callosum (referred to collectively as failed commissuration) on antenatal ultrasound.MethodsThis was a subgroup analysis of the MERIDIAN study of fetuses with failed commissuration (with or without ventriculomegaly) diagnosed on ultrasound in women who had MRI assessment within 2 weeks of ultrasound and for whom outcome reference data were available. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and MRI was studied, as well as indicators of diagnostic confidence and effects on prognosis/clinical management. Appropriate diagnostic confidence was assessed by the score‐based weighted average method, which combines diagnostic accuracy with diagnostic confidence data.ResultsIn the MERIDIAN cohort, 79 fetuses were diagnosed with failed commissuration on ultrasound (55 with agenesis and 24 with hypogenesis of the corpus callosum). The diagnostic accuracy for detecting failed commissuration was 34.2% for ultrasound and 94.9% for MRI (difference, 60.7% (95% CI, 47.6–73.9%), P < 0.0001). The diagnostic accuracy for detecting hypogenesis of the corpus callosum as a discrete entity was 8.3% for ultrasound and 87.5% for MRI, and for detecting agenesis of the corpus callosum as a distinct entity was 40.0% for ultrasound and 92.7% for MRI. There was a statistically significant improvement in ‘appropriate’ diagnostic confidence when using MRI as assessed by the score‐based weighted average method (P < 0.0001). Prognostic information given to the women changed in 36/79 (45.6%) cases after MRI and its overall effect on clinical management was ‘significant’, ‘major’ or ‘decisive’ in 35/79 cases (44.3%).ConclusionsOur data suggest that any woman whose fetus has failed commissuration as the only intracranial finding detected on ultrasound should have MRI examination for further evaluation. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
24‐segment sphericity index: a new technique to evaluate fetal cardiac diastolic shape
Authors: DeVore G. R. , Klas B. , Satou G. , Sklansky M. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveBecause of parallel circulation in the fetus and the differential effect that various disease states may have on the shape of the right and left ventricles, this study was conducted to evaluate the sphericity index (SI) of 24 transverse segments distributed from the base to the apex of each of the ventricular chambers.MethodsTwo hundred control fetuses were examined between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation. The displacement of the ventricular endocardium during the cardiac cycle was computed using offline speckle‐tracking software. From the ASCII output of the analysis, we analyzed 24 end‐diastolic transverse segments, distributed from the base to the apex of each ventricle, as well as the end‐diastolic mid‐basal–apical length. The SI was computed for each of the 24 segments by dividing the mid‐basal–apical length by the transverse length for each segment. Regression analysis was performed against biometric measurements and gestational age according to last menstrual period and ultrasound. Eight fetuses, in which the four‐chamber view appeared subjectively to demonstrate chamber disproportion, were evaluated as examples to demonstrate the utility of this technology.ResultsThe SI for each segment was independent of gestational age and fetal biometric measurements. The SI of the right ventricle was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that of the left ventricle for segments 1–18, suggesting that the right ventricle was more globular in shape than was the left ventricle at the base, mid and a portion of the apical segments of the chamber. Fetuses with various cardiac structural abnormalities and abnormal fetal growth had abnormal SI values that reflected either a more globular or a more flattened ventricular chamber.ConclusionDetermination of SI for each of 24 segments of the fetal right and left ventricles provides a comprehensive method to examine the shape of the ventricular chambers. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
A “fractal” solution to the chopstick auction
Authors: Ewerhart Christian 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis paper constructs a novel equilibrium in the chopstick auction of Szentes and Rosenthal (Games Econ Behav 44(1):114–133, 2003a). In contrast to the existing solution, the identified equilibrium strategy allows a simple and intuitive characterization. Moreover, its best-response set has the same Hausdorff dimension as its support, which may be seen as a robustness property. The analysis also reveals some new links to the literature on Blotto games.
Plasma Phosphatidylethanolamine and Triacylglycerol Fatty Acid Concentrations are Altered in Major Depressive Disorder Patients with Seasonal Pattern
Authors: Otoki Yurika , Hennebelle Marie , Levitt Anthony J. , Nakagawa Kiyotaka , Swardfager Walter , Taha Ameer Y. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractDisturbances in peripheral and brain lipid metabolism, including the omega‐3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, these changes have yet to be confirmed in MDD with seasonal pattern (MDD‐s), a subtype of recurrent MDD. The present exploratory study quantified plasma plasmalogen and diacyl‐phospholipid species, and fatty acids within total phospholipids, cholesteryl esters, triacylglycerols and free fatty acids in non‐medicated MDD‐s participants (n = 9) during euthymia in summer or fall, and during depression in winter in order to screen for potential high sensitivity lipid biomarkers. Triacylglycerol alpha‐linolenic acid concentration was significantly decreased, and myristoleic acid concentration was significantly increased, during winter depression compared to summer‐fall euthymia. 1‐stearyl‐2‐docosahexaenoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine, a diacyl‐phospholipid containing stearic acid and DHA, was significantly decreased in winter depression. Concentrations of cholesteryl ester oleic acid and several polyunsaturated fatty acids between summer/fall and winter increased in proportion to the increase in depressive symptoms. The observed changes in lipid metabolic pathways in winter‐type MDD‐s offer new promise for lipid biomarker development.
Allometry varies among related families of Norway spruce
Authors: Chmura Daniel J. , Guzicka Marzenna , Rożkowski Roman , Chałupka Władysław 
Published: April 2017

Abstract
Key message
Slopes and intercepts of allometric equations for organs’ biomass varied among half-sib families of Norway spruce and between age categories in a family-dependent manner. Genetic variation should be accounted for when applying allometric analysis to mixtures of genetic groups.

Context
Genetic variation in relationships among plant biomass components was rarely addressed in trees, though depending on deployment strategies in tree improvement programs, variation among genetic groups in plant organs’ growth rates, and thus biomass allocation, would affect forest growth and carbon balance.

Aims
We investigated growth and biomass distribution in Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst) half-sib families. We assumed invariance among families in allometric relationships, and stability in growth rates of different organs between ages 2 and 8 years in the subset of those families. We also tested for ontogenetic trend in allometry using the independent dataset of biomass at age 21 years.

Methods
We analyzed allometric relationships among plant components using standardized major axis regression.

Results
Slopes and intercepts of allometric relationships varied among families, indicating variation in both organs’ growth rates and biomass partitioning at a given plant size. Variation in scaling exponents between age categories was also dependent on the family and plant organ considered.

Conclusion
Variation in slopes of allometric relationships indicates that a single scaling coefficient should not be applied when different genetic groups are compared. For the interpretation of age effect on biomass partitioning, both slopes and intercepts of allometric relationships should be examined.
Antipsychotic Prescribing to Patients Diagnosed with Dementia Without a Diagnosis of Psychosis in the Context of National Guidance and Drug Safety Warnings: Longitudinal Study in UK General Practice
Authors: Stocks S. Jill , Kontopantelis Evangelos , Webb Roger T. , Avery Anthony J. , Burns Alistair , Ashcroft Darren M. 
Published: April 2017

Abstract

Introduction
Policy interventions to address inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to older people diagnosed with dementia are commonplace. In the UK, warnings were issued by the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in 2004, 2009 and 2012 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance was published in 2006. It is important to evaluate the impact of such interventions.

Methods
We analysed routinely collected primary-care data from 111,346 patients attending one of 689 general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to describe the temporal changes in the prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to patients aged 65 years or over diagnosed with dementia without a concomitant psychosis diagnosis from 2001 to 2014 using an interrupted time series and a before-and-after design. Logistic regression methods were used to quantify the impact of patient and practice level variables on prescribing prevalence.

Results
Prescribing of first-generation antipsychotic drugs reduced from 8.9% in 2001 to 1.4% in 2014 (prevalence ratio 2014/2001 adjusted for age, sex and clustering within practices (0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.12–0.16), whereas there was little change for second-generation antipsychotic drugs (1.01, confidence interval 0.94–1.17). Between 2004 and 2012, several policy interventions coincided with a pattern of ups and downs, whereas the 2006 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance was followed by a gradual longer term reduction. Since 2013, the decreasing trend in second-generation antipsychotic drug prescribing has plateaued largely driven by the increasing prescribing of risperidone.

Conclusions
Increased surveillance and evaluation of drug safety warnings and guidance are needed to improve the impact of future interventions.
Vagal response in cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation and autonomic nervous system: Utility of epicardial adipose tissue location
Authors: Yanagisawa Satoshi , Inden Yasuya , Mizutani Yoshiaki , Fujii Aya , Kamikubo Yosuke , Kanzaki Yasunori , Ando Monami , Funabiki Junya , Murase Yosuke , Takenaka Masaki , Otake Noriaki , Hattori Tetsuyoshi , Shibata Rei , Murohara Toyoaki 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundMechanism and effects of vagal response (VR) during cryoballoon ablation procedure on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) are unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between VR during cryoballoon catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and ANS modulation by evaluating epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) locations and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis.MethodsForty‐one patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (11 with VR during the procedure and 30 without VR) who underwent second‐generation cryoballoon ablation were included. EAT locations and changes in HRV parameters were compared between the VR and non‐VR groups, using Holter monitoring before ablation, immediately after ablation and one month after ablation.ResultsThe total EAT volume surrounding the left atrium (LA) in the VR and non‐VR groups was 29.0±18.4 cm3 vs 27.7±19.7 cm3, respectively (p=0.847). The VR group exhibited greater EAT volume overlaying the LA‐left superior pulmonary vein (PV) junction (6.1±3.6 cm3 vs 3.6±3.3 cm3, p=0.039) than the non‐VR group. HRV parameters similarly changed following ablation in both the groups. EAT volume overlaying LA‐right superior PV junction was significantly correlated with the relative changes in root‐mean‐square successive differences (r=−0.317, p=0.043) and high frequency (r=−0.331, p=0.034), immediately after the ablation.ConclusionsChanges in HRV parameters following ablation were similarly observed in both the groups. EAT volume on the LA‐PV junction is helpful for interpretation of VR occurrence and ANS modulation.
Overhauling China’s Financial Stability Regulation: Policy Riddles and Regulatory Dilemmas
Authors: AVGOULEAS Emilios , XU Duoqi 
Published: April 2017

AbstractChina faces a number of important financial-stability risks. A persistent feature of the Chinese banking sector is the rapid formation of non-performing loans (NPLs) during each business cycle. Moreover, lending restrictions and interest-rate caps (“financial repression”) have, in part, given rise to an ever-expanding shadow-banking sector. The article highlights five cardinal sins within the Chinese financial system: (1) bad lending practices by the regulated sector, (2) lax governance, (3) a shadow-banking system that is dominated by short-term claims with no liquidity backstop, (4) stark lack of transparency in the shadow sector, and (5) very high levels of interconnectedness between the shadow and the regulated sector. The article suggests that some of these problems will be alleviated through a regulatory big bang that would abolish the current silo approach to financial regulation streamlining financial stability and conduct/consumer-protection supervision. Furthermore, we recommend the introduction of a binding and all-encompassing leverage ratio that will require banks to hold much higher capital buffers as a means to boost bank resilience, reduce NPLs, and battle interconnectedness with the shadow sector.
Of Meuse and Man: the geomorphogenetic and archaeological predictive maps of the Dutch Meuse valley
Authors: Isarin R.F.B. , Rensink E. , Ellenkamp G.R. , Heunks E. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractFor the first time, geomorphology and archaeology are combined for a 165 km long stretch of the Meuse river, resulting in a geomorphogenetic map (GKM) and a series of archaeological predictive maps (AVM). The maps cover the central part the Meuse valley, located in the province of Limburg between Mook in the north and Eijsden in the south. The area consists of fluvial and aeolian landforms of the Holocene Meuse floodplain and Younger Dryas aged terraces along it, spanning a period of approximately 15,000 years of landscape genesis and human habitation. The GKM more clearly discriminates between map units of Younger Dryas and early Holocene age than in previous mappings of the Meuse valley. The AVM series provide predictive information on the location of sites for four distinct consecutive archaeological periods and four main cultural themes. The maps contribute to a better understanding of landscape processes (fluvial and aeolian geomorphology and the impact of man on river behaviour), and the possibilities for human habitation and land use in prehistoric and historic times.
Direct and indirect resistance of sugarcane to Diatraea saccharalis induced by jasmonic acid
Authors: Sanches P.A. , Santos F. , Peñaflor M.F.G.V. , Bento J.M.S. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractTreating plants with synthetic jasmonic acid (JA) induces a defensive response similar to herbivore attack, and is a potential strategy for integrated pest management. Despite the importance of sugarcane, its JA-induced defences have not yet been studied. We investigated the effects of JA treatment on the direct and indirect resistance of sugarcane to the key-pest and specialist herbivore Diatraea saccharalis and the generalist Spodoptera frugiperda. Indirect defences were examined by testing the attraction of Cotesia flavipes, a sugarcane-borer parasitoid, to JA-induced volatile. The results showed that JA-treated sugarcane did not affect the weight gain of the two larvae. However, in dual-choice assays, both species preferred to feed on mock rather than JA-treated plants. Leaf colorimetric analyses showed that visual cues are unlikely to be involved in larval preference, whereas results from olfactometric assays revealed that D. saccharalis preferred JA-induced over mock plant volatiles. After 48 h of treatment, JA-treated plants emitted a volatile blend attractive to C. flavipes, comprised mainly of sesquiterpenes. However, the parasitoid did not discriminate JA-treated from host-damaged plant volatiles. When the wasps were given a choice between JA-treated and JA-treated + host-damaged plants, they preferred the latter, which emitted a more complex blend, suggesting that JA treatment likely does not hamper host-finding. We concluded that JA induces the emission of volatiles that are attractive to the sugarcane borer parasitoid, as well as an antixenosis type of resistance in sugarcane against the two pests, although neither volatiles nor visual cues alone are involved in the underlying mechanism.
The Distributional Consequences of Preferential Trade Liberalization: Firm-Level Evidence
Authors: Baccini Leonardo , Pinto Pablo M. , Weymouth Stephen 
Published: April 2017

AbstractWhile increasing trade and foreign direct investment, international trade agreements create winners and losers. Our paper examines the distributional consequences of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) at the firm level. We contend that PTAs expand trade among the largest and most productive multinationals by lowering preferential tariffs. We examine data covering the near universe of US foreign direct investment and disaggregated tariff data from PTAs signed by the United States. Our results indicate that US preferential tariffs increase sales to the United States from the most competitive subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating in partner countries. We also find increases in market concentration in partner countries following preferential liberalization with the United States. By demonstrating that the gains from preferential liberalization are unevenly distributed across firms, we shed new light on the firm-level, economic sources of political mobilization over international trade and investment policies.