bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Classification of normal screening mammograms is strongly influenced by perceived mammographic breast density
Authors: Ang Zoey ZY , Rawashdeh Mohammad A , Heard Rob , Brennan Patrick C , Lee Warwick , Lewis Sarah J 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIntroductionTo investigate how breast screen readers classify normal screening cases using descriptors of normal mammographic features and to assess test cases for suitability for a single reading strategy.MethodsFifteen breast screen readers interpreted a test set of 29 normal screening cases and classified them by firstly rating their perceived difficulty to reach a ‘normal’ decision, secondly identifying the cases' salient normal mammographic features and thirdly assessing the cases' suitability for a single reading strategy.ResultsThe relationship between the perceived difficulty in making ‘normal’ decisions and the normal mammographic features was investigated. Regular ductal pattern (Tb = −0.439, P = 0.001), uniform density (Tb = −0.527, P < 0.001), non‐dense breasts (Tb = −0.736, P < 0.001), symmetrical mammographic features (Tb = −0.474, P = 0.001) and overlapped density (Tb = 0.630, P < 0.001) had a moderate to strong correlation with the difficulty to make ‘normal’ decisions. Cases with regular ductal pattern (Tb = 0.447, P = 0.002), uniform density (Tb = 0.550, P < 0.001), non‐dense breasts (Tb = 0.748, P < 0.001) and symmetrical mammographic features (Tb = 0.460, P = 0.001) were considered to be more suitable for single reading, whereas cases with overlapped density were not (Tb = −0.679, P < 0.001).ConclusionThe findings suggest that perceived mammographic breast density has a major influence on the difficulty for readers to classify cases as normal and hence their suitability for single reading.
Behavioral Ecology, Technology, and the Organization of Labor: How a Shift from Spear Thrower to Self Bow Exacerbates Social Disparities
Authors: Grund Brigid Sky 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTSelf‐bows replaced spear throwers as primary terrestrial hunting weapons on nearly all continents at different time periods throughout human prehistory. Many scholars have debated whether this transition occurred because of a shift in resource exploitation toward smaller fauna or because of the bow's supposedly superior performance in warfare. Before causal hypotheses explaining this technological shift can be tested, performance characteristics of atlatls versus bows must be well understood. Studies of performance characteristics often address topics such as the range, accuracy, or maintainability of weapons systems, but this study quantitatively compares the learnability of each weapon. Learning curves for spear throwers and bows are established using contemporary data generated by archers from the Society for Creative Anachronism and atlatlists from the World Atlatl Association. The hypothesis that spear throwers are easier to learn and can be wielded effectively by a wider segment of human populations than bows is supported. Implications for the organization of labor are contextualized in light of socioecological changes generally characterizing the conditions under which shifts from atlatl to self‐bow technology occurred in prehistory. [learning curve, division of labor, atlatl, performance characteristics, skill]
Diaspora and the Afterlife of Violence: Eritrean National Narratives and What Goes Without Saying
Authors: Bernal Victoria 
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACTThis article explores the legacies of political violence, the workings of state power in mobilizing identities around collective suffering, and the effects of political culture that reside in people even after they have left the time and space of war. I interrogate the silence on Eritrean diaspora websites regarding personal suffering related to the war that produced Eritrea as an independent nation, elevated its current president and ruling party to government leadership, and established the Eritrean diaspora. I argue that national narratives of the Eritrean state that celebrate sacrifice for the nation operate on Eritreans as a secondary form of violence that renders their personal losses unspeakable. Eritrean websites reveal complex communicative terrains where power is constructed and contested in ways that cannot be captured by the opposition between the diaspora and the homeland, between online and offline, or between silence and speech. [political violence, suffering, diaspora, internet, war, Eritrea]
Prenatal prediction of significant intertwin birthweight discordance using standard second and third trimester sonographic parameters
Authors: Hehir Mark P. , Breathnach Fionnuala M. , Hogan Jennifer L. , Mcauliffe Fionnuala M. , Geary Michael P. , Daly Sean , Higgins John , Hunter Alyson , Morrison John J. , Burke Gerard , Mahony Rhona , Dicker Patrick , Tully Elizabeth , Malone Fergal D. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIntroductionOur study aim was to evaluate standard ultrasound‐derived fetal biometric parameters in the prediction of clinically significant intertwin birthweight discordance defined as ≥18%.Material and methodsThis was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 1028 unselected twin pairs recruited over a two‐year period. Dichorionic twins underwent two‐weekly ultrasonographic surveillance from 24 weeks’ gestation, with surveillance of monochorionic twins two‐weekly from 16 weeks. Ultrasonographic biometric data from 24 to 36 weeks were evaluated for the prediction of an intertwin birthweight discordance threshold ≥18%. Umbilical artery Doppler waveform data was also analyzed to evaluate whether it was predictive of birthweight discordance.ResultsOf the 956 twin pairs analyzed for discordance, 208 pairs were found to have a clinically significant birthweight discordance ≥18%. All biometric parameters were predictive of significant inter‐twin birthweight discordance at low cut‐offs, with low discriminatory powers when ROC curves were analyzed. Discordance in estimated fetal weight was predictive of a significant birthweight discordance at all gestational categories with cut‐offs between 8 and 11%. A low‐discriminatory power and poor sensitivity and specificity were also observed. An abnormal umbilical artery Doppler was predictive of birthweight discordance ≥18% between 28 and 32 weeks’ gestation, although with poor sensitivity and specificity.ConclusionsCalculation of estimated fetal weight and birthweight discordance between twins allows minimal margin for error. These margins make it difficult to accurately predict those who are at or above the discordance threshold of 18%. These findings highlight that small intertwin discrepancies in weight and biometry should not be overlooked and merit further investigation.
Elevated nitric oxide in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis – association with clinical findings
Authors: Alvendal Cathrin , Ehrström Sophia , Brauner Annelie , Lundberg Jon O. , Bohm‐Starke Nina 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIntroductionRecurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is defined as having three to four episodes per year and causes substantial suffering. Little is known about the mechanisms leading to relapses in otherwise healthy women. Nitric oxide is part of the nonspecific host defense and is increased during inflammation. Nitric oxide levels were measured and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase was analyzed in the vagina during an acute episode of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and after treatment with fluconazole.Material and methodsTwenty‐eight women with symptoms of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis were enrolled together with 31 healthy controls. Nitric oxide was measured with an air‐filled 25‐mL silicon catheter balloon incubated in the vagina for five minutes and then analyzed by chemiluminescence technique. Vaginal biopsies were analyzed for the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Symptoms and clinical findings were surveyed using a scoring system. The measurements and biopsies were repeated in patients after six weeks of fluconazole treatment.ResultsNitric oxide levels were increased during acute infection (median 352 ppb) compared with controls (median 6 ppb), p < 0.0001. The levels decreased after treatment (median 18 ppb) but were still higher than in controls. Increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase was observed in the epithelial basal layer in patients before and after treatment compared with controls. Before treatment, there were positive correlations between nitric oxide and symptom (rs = 0.644) and examination scores (rs = 0.677), p < 0.001.ConclusionsNitric oxide is significantly elevated in patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis during acute episodes of infection and decreases after antifungal treatment. The results illustrate the pronounced inflammatory response in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis correlating to symptoms of pain and discomfort.
Effects of enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. on growth performance and some blood parameters of broilers exposed to heat stress
Authors: Wan Xiaoli , Jiang Luyi , Zhong Haoran , Lu Yufang , Zhang Lili , Wang Tian 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTo evaluate the effects of enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) on growth performance and some blood parameters of broilers exposed to heat stress (HS), 320 22‐day‐old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly allotted into five groups with eight replicates of eight birds each. Broilers in the control group were housed at 22 ± 1°C and fed the basal diet. Broilers in the HS, HS‐EA0.75, HS‐EA1.00 and HS‐EA1.25 groups were reared under HS (34 ± 1°C for 8 h/day and 22 ± 1°C for 16 h/day), and fed basal diet with 0, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 g/kg EA, respectively. The experiment ended at 42 days. Dietary 1.00 and 1.25 g/kg EA decreased blood pH and elevated body weight gain, feed intake and carcass yield compared to the HS group. Broilers fed EA diets had lower serum concentrations of malondialdehyde and corticosterone and activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and higher serum total superoxide dismutase activity, tri‐iodothyronine concentration and tri‐iodothyronine/thyroxine than the HS group. Serum catalase activity in HS‐EA1.00 and HS‐EA1.25 groups and activity to inhibit hydroxyl in the HS‐EA1.00 group were higher than the HS group. In conclusion, dietary 0.75–1.25 g/kg EA addition alleviated HS induced impairments in broilers.
Ticagrelor Compared with Clopidogrel Increased Adenosine and Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Plasma Concentration in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Li Xiaoye , Wang Qibing , Xue Ying , Chen Jiahui , Lv Qianzhou 
Published: January 2017

AbstractTicagrelor produces a more potent antiplatelet effect than clopidogrel and inhibits cellular uptake of adenosine, which is associated with several cardiovascular consequences. We aimed to explore the correlation between adenosine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) plasma concentration and antiplatelet effect by clopidogrel or ticagrelor in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). We conducted a prospective, observational and single‐centre cohort study enrolling 68 patients with non‐ST‐segment elevation ACS from January 2016 to May 2016. We monitored the inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) and assessed adenosine, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and cAMP plasma concentrations by immunoassay on admission and 48 hr after coronary angiography. The demographic and clinical data were collected by reviewing their medical records. The two groups exhibited similar baseline characteristics including adenosine, ADA and cAMP. The mean IPA in patients receiving ticagrelor was significantly higher than that in patients receiving clopidogrel (93.5% versus 67.2%; p = 0.000). Also, we observed that patients treated with ticagrelor had a significantly higher increase in levels of adenosine and cAMP compared with those treated with clopidogrel (1.04 (0.86; 1.41) versus 0.04 (−0.25; 0.26); p = 0.029 and 0.78 (−1.67; 1.81) versus 0.60 (−1.91; 4.60); p = 0.037, respectively). And there was a weak correlation between IPA and adenosine as well as cAMP plasma concentration (r = 0.390, p = 0.001 and r = 0.335, p = 0.005, respectively). Ticagrelor increased adenosine and cAMP plasma concentration compared with clopidogrel in patients with ACS.
Canonical hedgehog signalling regulates hepatic stellate cell‐mediated angiogenesis in liver fibrosis
Authors: Zhang Feng , Hao Meng , Jin Huanhuan , Yao Zhen , Lian Naqi , Wu Li , Shao Jiangjuan , Chen Anping , Zheng Shizhong 
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEHepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are liver‐specific pericytes regulating angiogenesis during liver fibrosis. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which hedgehog signalling regulated HSC angiogenic properties and to validate the therapeutic implications.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHRats and mice were treated with carbon tetrachloride for in vivo evaluation of hepatic angiogenesis and fibrotic injury. Diversified molecular approaches including real‐time PCR, Western blot, luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and co‐immunoprecipitation were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms in vitro.KEY RESULTSAngiogenesis was concomitant with up‐regulation of Smoothened (SMO) and hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) in rat fibrotic liver. The SMO inhibitor cyclopamine and Gli1 inhibitor GANT‐58 reduced expression of VEGF and angiopoietin 1 in HSCs and suppressed HSC tubulogenesis capacity. HIF‐1α inhibitor PX‐478 suppressed HSC angiogenic behaviour, and inhibition of hedgehog decreased HIF‐1α expression. Furthermore, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was characterized as a direct target gene of canonical hedgehog signalling in HSCs. HSP90 inhibitor 17‐AAG reduced HSP90 binding to HIF‐1α, down‐regulated HIF‐1α protein abundance and decreased HIF‐1α binding to DNA. 17‐AAG also abolished 1‐stearoyl‐2‐arachidonoyl‐sn‐glycerol (SAG) (a SMO agonist)‐enhanced HSC angiogenic properties. Finally, the natural compound ligustrazine was found to inhibit canonical hedgehog signalling leading to suppressed angiogenic properties of HSCs in vitro and ameliorated liver fibrosis and sinusoidal angiogenesis in mice.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONSWe have provided evidence that the canonical hedgehog pathway controlled HSC‐mediated liver angiogenesis. Selective inhibition of HSC hedgehog signalling could be a promising therapeutic approach for hepatic fibrosis.
Resource variation in colorectal surgery: a national centre level analysis
Authors: Drake T. M. , Lee M. J. , Senapati A. , Brown S. R. 
Published: January 2017

AbstractAimDelivery of quality colorectal surgery requires adequate resources. We set out to assess the relationship between resources and outcomes in English colorectal units.MethodData were extracted from the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland resource questionnaire to profile resources. This was correlated with Hospital Episode Statistics outcome data including 90‐day mortality and readmissions. Patient satisfaction measures were extracted from the Cancer Experience Patient Survey and compared at unit level. Centres were divided by workload into low, middle and top tertile.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were received from 75 centres in England. Service resources were similar between low and top tertiles in access to Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (CEPOD) theatre, level two or three beds per 250 000 population or the likelihood of having a dedicated colorectal ward. There was no difference in staffing levels per 250 000 unit of population. Each 10% increase in the proportion of cases attempted laparoscopically was associated with reduced 90‐day unplanned readmission (relative risk 0.94, 95% CI 0.91−0.97, P < 0.001). The presence of a dedicated colorectal ward (relative risk 0.85, 95% CI 0.73−0.99, P = 0.040) was also associated with a significant reduction in unplanned readmissions. There was no association between staffing or service factors and patient satisfaction.ConclusionResource levels do not vary based on unit of population. There is benefit associated with increased use of laparoscopy and a dedicated surgical ward. Alternative measures to assess the relationship between resources and outcome, such as failure to rescue, should be explored in UK practice.
Fast life history traits promote invasion success in amphibians and reptiles
Authors: Allen William L. , Street Sally E. , Capellini Isabella 
Published: January 2017

AbstractCompeting theoretical models make different predictions on which life history strategies facilitate growth of small populations. While ‘fast’ strategies allow for rapid increase in population size and limit vulnerability to stochastic events, ‘slow’ strategies and bet‐hedging may reduce variance in vital rates in response to stochasticity. We test these predictions using biological invasions since founder alien populations start small, compiling the largest dataset yet of global herpetological introductions and life history traits. Using state‐of‐the‐art phylogenetic comparative methods, we show that successful invaders have fast traits, such as large and frequent clutches, at both establishment and spread stages. These results, together with recent findings in mammals and plants, support ‘fast advantage’ models and the importance of high potential population growth rate. Conversely, successful alien birds are bet‐hedgers. We propose that transient population dynamics and differences in longevity and behavioural flexibility can help reconcile apparently contrasting results across terrestrial vertebrate classes.
Phosphorus in agricultural soils: drivers of its distribution at the global scale
Authors: Ringeval Bruno , Augusto Laurent , Monod Hervé , van Apeldoorn Dirk , Bouwman Lex , Yang Xiaojuan , Achat David L. , Chini Louise P. , Van Oost Kristof , Guenet Bertrand , Wang Rong , Decharme Bertrand , Nesme Thomas , Pellerin Sylvain 
Published: January 2017

AbstractPhosphorus (P) availability in soils limits crop yields in many regions of the World, while excess of soil P triggers aquatic eutrophication in other regions. Numerous processes drive the global spatial distribution of P in agricultural soils, but their relative roles remain unclear. Here, we combined several global data sets describing these drivers with a soil P dynamics model to simulate the distribution of P in agricultural soils and to assess the contributions of the different drivers at the global scale. We analysed both the labile inorganic P (PILAB), a proxy of the pool involved in plant nutrition and the total soil P (PTOT). We found that the soil biogeochemical background corresponding to P inherited from natural soils at the conversion to agriculture (BIOG) and farming practices (FARM) were the main drivers of the spatial variability in cropland soil P content but that their contribution varied between PTOT vs. PILAB. When the spatial variability was computed between grid cells at half‐degree resolution, we found that almost all of the PTOT spatial variability could be explained by BIOG, while BIOG and FARM explained 38% and 63% of PILAB spatial variability, respectively. Our work also showed that the driver contribution was sensitive to the spatial scale characterizing the variability (grid cell vs. continent) and to the region of interest (global vs. tropics for instance). In particular, the heterogeneity of farming practices between continents was large enough to make FARM contribute to the variability in PTOT at that scale. We thus demonstrated how the different drivers were combined to explain the global distribution of agricultural soil P. Our study is also a promising approach to investigate the potential effect of P as a limiting factor for agroecosystems at the global scale.
Effectiveness of a multi‐layer foam dressing in preventing sacral pressure ulcers for the early acute care of patients with a traumatic spinal cord injury: comparison with the use of a gel mattress
Authors: Richard‐Denis Andréane , Thompson Cynthia , Mac‐Thiong Jean‐Marc 
Published: January 2017

AbstractIndividuals with spinal cord injury are at risk of sacral pressure ulcers due to, among other reasons, prolonged immobilisation. The effectiveness of a multi‐layer foam dressing installed pre‐operatively in reducing sacral pressure ulcer occurrence in spinal cord injured patients was compared to that of using a gel mattress, and stratified analyses were performed on patients with complete tetraplegia and paraplegia. Socio‐demographic and clinical data were collected from 315 patients admitted in a level‐I trauma centre following a spinal cord injury between April 2010 and March 2016. Upon arrival to the emergency room and until surgery, patients were transferred on a foam stretcher pad with a viscoelastic polymer gel mattress (before 1 October 2014) or received a multi‐layer foam dressing applied to their sacral‐coccygeal area (after 1 October 2014). The occurrence of sacral pressure ulcer during acute hospitalisation was similar irrespective of whether patients received the dressing or the gel mattress. It was found that 82% of patients with complete tetraplegia receiving the preventive dressing developed sacral ulcers as compared to only 36% of patients using the gel mattress. Although multi‐layer dressings were suggested to improve skin protection and decrease pressure ulcer occurrence in critically ill patients, such preventive dressings are not superior to gel mattresses in spinal cord injured patients and should be used with precaution, especially in complete tetraplegia.
Directional properties of ordered 3‐3 piezocomposites fabricated by sacrificial template
Authors: Sharifi Olyaei Nafiseh , Mohebi Mohammad Masoud , Kaveh Reza 
Published: January 2017

AbstractFabrication of piezoelectric composites with 3‐3 connectivity and their properties have attracted attention due to the application of these composites in acoustic transducers, medical imaging, and nondestructive testing. In this research, directional piezoelectric‐polymer composites with 3‐3 connectivity are prepared by a relatively simple fabrication process of dipping an ordered polymeric template (mesh) into lead zirconate titanate suspension followed by drying, pyrolysis, and sintering. The resulting porous ordered structures of lead zirconate titanate‐5A ranging from 18 to 32 vol% ceramic were subjected to polymer injection to form composites to be cut and polarized in different directions. In the composites, the effects of (i) polarization direction and (ii) active piezoelectric phase content on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated. The results showed that the dielectric constant and the piezoelectric properties are significantly dependent on the direction in composites of directional structure. In these composites, dielectric constant values were found to be higher in the direction parallel to ceramic ligaments. Moreover, the highest values for piezoelectric charge and voltage coefficient and figure of merit were found in the direction 45° to ceramic ligaments. In all composites, both dielectric constant and piezoelectric property values were proportional to the active piezoelectric phase content.
Structural study of β‐SiC(001) films on Si(001) by laser chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Zhu Peipei , Xu Qingfang , Chen Ruyi , Zhang Song , Yang Meijun , Tu Rong , Zhang Lianmeng , Goto Takashi , Yan Jiasheng , Li Shusen 
Published: January 2017

Abstractβ‐SiC thin films have been epitaxially grown on Si(001) substrates by laser chemical vapor deposition. The epitaxial relationship was β‐SiC(001){111}//Si(001){111}, and multiple twins {111} planes were identified. The maximum deposition rate was 23.6 μm/h, which is 5‐200 times higher than that of conventional chemical vapor deposition methods. The density of twins increased with increasing β‐SiC thickness. The cross section of the films exhibited a columnar structure, containing twins at {111} planes that were tilted 15.8° to the surface of substrate. The growth mechanism of the films was discussed.