bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Temporal Trends in Analgesic Use in Long‐Term Care Facilities: A Systematic Review of International Prescribing
Authors: La Frenais Francesca L. , Bedder Rachel , Vickerstaff Victoria , Stone Patrick , Sampson Elizabeth L. 
Published: December 2017

ObjectivesTo explore global changes in the prescription of analgesic drugs over time in the international long‐term care (LTC) population.DesignSystematic review.SettingWe included original research articles in English, published and unpublished, that included number of participants, country and year(s) of data collection, and prescription of analgesics (analgesics not otherwise specified, opioids, acetaminophen; scheduled only, or scheduled plus as needed (PRN)).ParticipantsLTC residents.MeasurementsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Web of Science, Google Scholar, using keywords for LTC facilities and analgesic medication; hand‐searched references of eligible papers; correspondence. Studies were quality rated using an adapted Newcastle‐Ottawa scale. Pearson correlation coefficients were generated between percentage of residents prescribed an analgesic and year of data collection. If available, we investigated changes in acetaminophen and opioid prescriptions.ResultsForty studies met inclusion criteria. A moderate correlation (0.59) suggested that scheduled prescription rates for analgesics have increased over time. Similar findings were reflected in scheduled prescriptions for acetaminophen and opioids. No increase was seen when analyzing scheduled plus PRN analgesics. Use of opioids (scheduled plus PRN) appears to have increased over time.ConclusionWorldwide, use of opioids and acetaminophen has increased in LTC residents. Research is needed to explore whether this reflects appropriate pain management for LTC residents and if PRN medication is used effectively.
The impact of Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses’ competence: An integrative literature review and synthesis
Authors: Jensen Jørghild Karlotte , Skår Randi , Tveit Bodil 
Published: December 2017

Aims and objectivesTo describe, interpret and synthesise the current research findings on the impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses’ competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients in general hospital wards.BackgroundAs patient safety initiatives designed to ensure the early identification and management of deteriorating patients, the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems have broad appeal. However, it is still unclear how these systems impact nurses’ competence when these systems are used in general hospital wards.MethodsCINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane,EMBASEand OvidMEDLINEdatabases were systematically searched for relevant articles. Articles were appraised, a thematic analysis was conducted, and similar and divergent perspectives on emergent themes and subthemes were extracted by a team of researchers.ResultsThirty‐six studies met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of findings showed how the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems impacted three competence areas: (i) Nurses’ competence in assessing and caring for patients related to the subthemes: (a) sensing clinical deterioration and (b) the development of skills and knowledge. (ii). Nurses’ competence in referring patients, related to the subthemes: (a) deciding whether to summon help and (b) the language and communication lines in the referral process. (ii) Nurses’ coping and mastery experiences.ConclusionThe impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses’ competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients is beneficial but also somewhat contradictory.Relevance to clinical practiceA greater understanding of nurses’ development of competence when using the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems will facilitate the design of implementation strategies and the use of these systems to improve practice.
Is aspirin necessary in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease?
Authors: Huang Xijing , Huang Ping , Zhang Li , Xie Xiaofei , Xia Shuliang , Gong Fang , Yuan Jia , Jin Liling 
Published: December 2017

AimTo explore whether aspirin is necessary for treatment in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease (KD).MethodsNine hundred ten patients who fulfilled the criteria of KD and maintained follow‐up for 2 years were included in this retrospective study. All patients initially received a single dose of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG, 2 g/kg) in the acute phase. Patients were classified into three groups according to the doses of aspirin. Group 1 included 152 cases treated with IVIG only in the acute phase. Group 2 included 672 cases treated with IVIG plus 3–5 mg/kg/day aspirin as the low‐dose group, and group 3 included 86 cases treated with IVIG plus 30–50 mg/kg/day aspirin as the moderate‐dose group. Changes in inflammatory indices and platelet count after treatment were compared by one‐way analysis of variance or analysis of covariance to analyse the clinical effect of aspirin in acute KD. The relationship between aspirin use and coronary artery lesion complications was analysed by logistic regression.ResultsThere was no significant difference among the three groups in terms of the anti‐inflammation effect revealed by C‐reactive protein level, white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils in white blood cells, decreasing platelet count or prevention of the formation of coronary artery lesion.ConclusionsThe role of aspirin in the treatment of the acute phase of KD should be questioned as a definite benefit has not been shown in our study. Further prospective studies incorporating large multicentre samples of patients are needed to confirm this finding.
Prophylactic supplement with melatonin successfully suppresses the pathogenesis of periodontitis through normalizing RANKL/OPG ratio and depressing the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway
Authors: Renn Ting‐Yi , Huang Yung‐Kai , Feng Sheng‐Wei , Wang Hsiao‐Wei , Lee Wei‐Fang , Lin Che‐Tong , Burnouf Thierry , Chen Li‐You , Kao Pan‐Fu , Chang Hung‐Ming 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPeriodontitis (PD) is an inflammatory disease characterized by gingival inflammation and resorption of alveolar bone. Impaired receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappa B ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/OPG) signaling caused by enhanced production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of PD. Considering melatonin possesses significant anti‐inflammatory property, this study aimed to determine whether prophylactic treatment with melatonin would effectively normalize RANKL/OPG signaling, depress toll‐like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (TLR4/MyD88)‐mediated pro‐inflammatory cytokine activation, and successfully suppress the pathogenesis of PD. PD was induced in adult rats by placing the ligature at molar subgingival regions. Fourteen days before PD induction, 10, 50, or 100 mg/kg of melatonin was intraperitoneally injected for consecutive 28 days. Biochemical and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect TLR4/MyD88 activity, RANKL, OPG, interleukin 1β, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor‐α levels, respectively. The extent of bone loss, bone mineral intensity, and calcium intensity was further evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, micro‐computed tomography, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Results indicated that high RANKL/OPG ratio, TLR4/MyD88 activity, and pro‐inflammatory cytokine levels were detected following PD. Impaired biochemical findings paralleled well with severe bone loss and reduced calcium intensity. However, in rats pretreated with melatonin, all above parameters were successfully returned to nearly normal levels with maximal change observed in rats receiving 100 mg/kg. As prophylactic treatment with melatonin effectively normalizes RANKL/OPG signaling by depressing TLR4/MyD88‐mediated pro‐inflammatory cytokine production, dietary supplement with melatonin may serve as an advanced strategy to strengthen oral health to counteract PD‐induced destructive damage.
Population genomic analysis suggests strong influence of river network on spatial distribution of genetic variation in invasive saltcedar across the southwestern United States
Authors: Lee Soo‐Rang , Jo Yeong‐Seok , Park Chan‐Ho , Friedman Jonathan M. , Olson Matthew S. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractUnderstanding the complex influences of landscape and anthropogenic elements that shape the population genetic structure of invasive species provides insight into patterns of colonization and spread. The application of landscape genomics techniques to these questions may offer detailed, previously undocumented insights into factors influencing species invasions. We investigated the spatial pattern of genetic variation and the influences of landscape factors on population similarity in an invasive riparian shrub, saltcedar (Tamarix L.) by analysing 1,997 genomewide SNP markers for 259 individuals from 25 populations collected throughout the southwestern United States. Our results revealed a broad‐scale spatial genetic differentiation of saltcedar populations between the Colorado and Rio Grande river basins and identified potential barriers to population similarity along both river systems. River pathways most strongly contributed to population similarity. In contrast, low temperature and dams likely served as barriers to population similarity. We hypothesize that large‐scale geographic patterns in genetic diversity resulted from a combination of early introductions from distinct populations, the subsequent influence of natural selection, dispersal barriers and founder effects during range expansion.
Candida glabrata prosthetic joint infection, successfully treated with anidulafungin: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Koutserimpas Christos , Samonis George , Velivassakis Emmanouil , Iliopoulou‐Kosmadaki Stylliani , Kontakis Georgios , Kofteridis Diamantis P. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryNon‐albicans Candida prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is extremely rare. A case of a Candida glabrata knee PJI is a 68‐year‐old splenectomised female smoker, suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alcoholism is reported. The patient presented with a peri‐prosthetic fracture, 15 years after total knee replacement surgery. Cultures of the intraoperative peri‐prosthetic tissue and materials yielded C. glabrata, as well as a methicillin‐resistant S. epidermitis. The patient was treated with anidulafungin and vancomycin. The knee prosthetic joint was removed and cement‐spacer with vancomycin and gentamycin was placed. Additionally, an external fixation was performed. A second stage revision surgery was planned, after completion of the antimicrobial and antifungal treatment. The patient is followed up for 4 months without signs, symptoms or findings of infection. PJI Candida infections require a high clinical suspicion index. It is of utmost importance to report these cases, since there is no consensus yet of the proper antifungal treatment. Furthermore, a literature review regarding treatment of those cases is provided. First‐line treatment with an echinocandin seems most proper, due to their fungicidal properties, their effectiveness against biofilm, as well as their minimal toxicity, making them ideal for long‐term use. Further experience is needed, for better understanding the disease's pathogenesis and optimal treatment.
Interactions between Candida albicans and Candida glabrata in biofilms: Influence of the strain type, culture medium and glucose supplementation
Authors: Hosida Thayse Yumi , Cavazana Thamires Priscila , Henriques Mariana , Pessan Juliano Pelim , Delbem Alberto Carlos Botazzo , Monteiro Douglas Roberto 
Published: December 2017

SummaryThe relationship among Candida species may be influenced by several factors. Thus, this study evaluated the interactions between Candida albicans and Candida glabrata in biofilms, varying the strain type, culture medium and glucose supplementation. Biofilms were formed for 48 hours in Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB) or RPMI 1640, supplemented with 0%, 1% or 5% glucose. Each strain of C. albicans was combined with two strains of C. glabrata, generating four biofilm associations, which were quantified by colony‐forming units (CFUs), total biomass and metabolic activity. Data were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test (α = 0.05). For CFUs, all associations were classified as indifferent for biofilms formed in RPMI 1640, while for SDB the interactions were antagonistic for C. albicans and indifferent for C. glabrata. The association of reference strains resulted in a dual‐species biofilm with biomass significantly higher than that observed for each single biofilm developed in SDB. The metabolic activity of dual‐species biofilms did not significantly differ from that found for single ones, except for co‐culture of the reference strains. Glucose supplementation and culture media had a significant influence on all parameters. In conclusion, the strain type, culture medium and glucose supplementation influenced the interactions between C. albicans and C. glabrata.
Biological processes dominate seasonality of remotely sensed canopy greenness in an Amazon evergreen forest
Authors: Wu Jin , Kobayashi Hideki , Stark Scott C. , Meng Ran , Guan Kaiyu , Tran Ngoc Nguyen , Gao Sicong , Yang Wei , Restrepo‐Coupe Natalia , Miura Tomoaki , Oliviera Raimundo Cosme , Rogers Alistair , Dye Dennis G. , Nelson Bruce W. , Serbin Shawn P. , Huete Alfredo R. , Saleska Scott R. 
Published: December 2017

Summary

Satellite observations of Amazon forests show seasonal and interannual variations, but the underlying biological processes remain debated.

Here we combined radiative transfer models (RTMs) with field observations of Amazon forest leaf and canopy characteristics to test three hypotheses for satellite‐observed canopy reflectance seasonality: seasonal changes in leaf area index, in canopy‐surface leafless crown fraction and/or in leaf demography.

Canopy RTMs (PROSAIL and FLiES), driven by these three factors combined, simulated satellite‐observed seasonal patterns well, explaining c. 70% of the variability in a key reflectance‐based vegetation index (MAIAC EVI, which removes artifacts that would otherwise arise from clouds/aerosols and sun–sensor geometry). Leaf area index, leafless crown fraction and leaf demography independently accounted for 1, 33 and 66% of FLiES‐simulated EVI seasonality, respectively. These factors also strongly influenced modeled near‐infrared (NIR) reflectance, explaining why both modeled and observed EVI, which is especially sensitive to NIR, captures canopy seasonal dynamics well.

Our improved analysis of canopy‐scale biophysics rules out satellite artifacts as significant causes of satellite‐observed seasonal patterns at this site, implying that aggregated phenology explains the larger scale remotely observed patterns. This work significantly reconciles current controversies about satellite‐detected Amazon phenology, and improves our use of satellite observations to study climate–phenology relationships in the tropics.
Ivan Illich’sMedical Nemesisand the ‘age of the show’: On the Expropriation of Death
Authors: Babich Babette 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhat Ivan Illich regarded in hisMedical Nemesisas the ‘expropriation of health’ takes place on the surfaces and in the spaces of the screens all around us, including our cell phones but also the patient monitors and (increasingly) the iPads that intervene between nurse and patient. To explore what Illich called the ‘age of the show’, this essay uses film examples, likeCreedand the controversial documentaryVaxxed, and the television seriesNurse Jackie. Rocky’s cancer in his last film (submitting to chemo to ‘fight’ cancer) highlights what Illich along with Petr Skrabanek called the ‘expropriation of death’. In contrast to what Illich denotes as‘Umsonstigkeit’– grace or gift, given undeservedly, i.e., gratuitously – medical science tends to be tempted by what Illich terms scientistic ‘black magic’, taking over (expropriating) the life and the death of the patient in increasingly technological ways, a point underscored in the concluding section on the commercial prospects of xenotransplants using factory farm or mass‐produced human‐pig mosaics or chimeras.
Improved Photophysical and Photochemical Properties of Thiopheneethoxy Substituted Metallophthalocyanines on Immobilization onto Gold‐speckled Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Dube Edith , Oluwole David O. , Nyokong Tebello 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis work reports on the synthesis of tetrakis‐[(thiophineethoxy) phthalocyaninato] indium(II) chloride (3). The photophysical behavior of complex 3 was compared to that of the Zn derivative (tetrakis‐[(thiophineethoxy) phthalocyaninato] zinc(II) (complex 2)). The compounds were interacted with gold‐speckled silica (GSS) nanoparticles via Au–S self assembly to afford the conjugates (2–GSS and 3–GSS). The photophysicochemical behavior of the compounds and their conjugates were assessed. The conjugates afforded a decrease in fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes with improved triplet and singlet oxygen quantum yields in comparison with complexes 2 and 3 alone. The complexes and their conjugates could serve as good candidates for photodynamic therapy.
Dihydrotestosterone enhances growth and infectivity of Leishmania Mexicana
Authors: Sánchez‐García L. , Wilkins‐Rodriguez A. , Salaiza‐Suazo N. , Morales‐Montor J. , Becker I. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryA strong sex‐associated susceptibility towards Leishmania has been reported in males, yet little is known on the effect of hormones in Leishmania physiopathogenicity. Due to the enhanced susceptibility of males to Leishmania mexicana infections, we were interested in analysing the effect exerted by the main androgen produced in males (DHT) on L. mexicana promastigotes. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the regulation exerted by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on L. mexicana replication, infectivity, survival and development of tissue lesions. Experiments included growth curves of L. mexicana promastigotes incubated with different doses of DHT, their infection rate, intracellular survival and lesion development in BALB/c mice. Our data show that DHT significantly enhances parasite replication, infection rate and survival in bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMMФ). Promastigotes in the presence of DHT produced significantly larger lesions in BALB/c earlobes. These results suggest that DHT probably plays a critical role during L. mexicana infections, and the higher susceptibility of males possibly relates to benefits gained by the parasite from host‐derived hormones. Our data shed new light on the physiopathology of Leishmania infections and are the first attempt to understand the direct interaction between Leishmania and androgens, particularly DHT. Understanding this trans‐regulation process employed by parasites to exploit host molecules sheds new light on L. mexicana physiopathogenesis and opens a possible field for studies on drug development.
The metabolic (under)groundwork of the lily bulb toward sprouting
Authors: Lazare Silit , Burgos Asdrubal , Brotman Yariv , Zaccai Michele 
Published: December 2017

Large bulbs of Lilium longiflorum have an obligatory cold requirement to flower. Bulb cooling is widely used to induce and accelerate flowering. However, in‐depth investigations of the effect of bulb cooling on major landmarks of plant development are lacking. It has been demonstrated that low temperature induces carbohydrate degradation, yet integrative studies on metabolic changes occurring in the bulb are not available. We detected that cold exposure mainly hastened bulb sprouting, rather than floral transition or blooming. Metabolite profiling of cooled and non‐cooled bulbs was carried out, revealing cold‐induced accumulation of soluble sugars, lipids and specific amino acids, and a significant reduction in tricarboxylic acid (TCA)‐cycle elements. We observed that metabolic pathways located in the cytosol – including glycolysis, lipid synthesis and part of the gamma‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt – were enhanced by cold exposure, while mitochondrial metabolism – namely the TCA cycle – was reduced by cold. We suggest a physiological model accounting for this metabolic discrepancy.
Impact of missed treatment opportunities on outcomes in hospitalised patients with heart failure
Authors: Walker Simon , Spackman Eldon , Conrad Nathalie , Emdin Connor A , Griffin Ed , Rahimi Kazem , Sculpher Mark 
Published: December 2017

ObjectiveMany patients with heart failure (HF) do not receive recommended treatments, resulting in suboptimal outcomes. We aimed to investigate the impact of implementing recommended HF therapies on health outcomes, and the costs and effectiveness of interventions for improving adherence.MethodsThe health benefits of ACE inhibitor (ACEi), beta blockers and optimal therapy (ACEi and beta blockers if not contraindicated) following hospitalisation for HF were combined with evidence on uptake. The aim was to examine how much health was lost as a result of failure to follow guidelines, and how much could be gained using strategies to promote uptake.The net health benefits of different treatments (measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALY)) were estimated using a decision-analytic model and treatment effectiveness from the literature. Data on the number of patients who would have benefitted from the additional treatments were estimated from 2010 to 2013 using the National Heart Failure Audit.ResultsEach recommended treatment was associated with positive net health benefit. In 2010, up to 4019 (38.3%) patients would have benefitted from additional treatments rising to 4886 patients in 2013 (although falling to 25.2% of patients). Failure to follow guidelines resulted in large health losses. In 2010, if all patients had received optimal therapy, 1569 QALYs would have been gained, implying a maximum justifiable investment in interventions to promote uptake of £31.4 million.ConclusionCurrent gaps in translation of evidence to practise in hospitals are associated with significant health losses. Strategies to encourage uptake of guidelines could be effective and cost-effective.