bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Blood parameters of preterm neonates: postnatal evolution according to gestational age
Authors: Roudil P. , Vasselon C. , Trombert‐Paviot B. , Berger C. , Patural H. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryIntroductionThe blood count provides qualitative and quantitative essential information on bloodlines. Reference hematologic parameters have been established in children and neonates, but few data are available regarding the premature population during the first month of life. The main objective of this study was to establish normative values for blood parameters for premature infants born between 26 and <37 weeks of gestation, during the first month of life, taking into account gestational and postnatal age and treatments that can impact the threshold values.MethodsA single‐center retrospective study was conducted based on the clinical and laboratory data of preterm infants born between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013 and hospitalized in the intensive care, neonatal, and maternity units of University Hospital of Saint Etienne (France). Data were collected by crossing the PMSI database (date of birth and gestational age), the administrative patient database (IPP), and the pre‐analytical laboratory database. Anthropometric and clinical data were extracted for both mother and child. The samples were all made from central or peripheral venous blood. All blood parameters were taken into account.ResultsThe degree of prematurity is a factor greatly influencing the values of the blood parameters at birth. All three blood lines increase in proportion to gestational age. We were able to highlight for some blood parameters specific kinetic profiles according to gestational age.ConclusionBlood parameters of preterm neonates depend on both the degree of prematurity, postnatal age, and perinatal treatments. A good knowledge of these physiological variations may help target transfusion or therapeutic indications in everyday practice.
Clot wave analysis and thromboembolic score in liver cirrhosis: two opposing phenomena
Authors: Ruberto M. F. , Sorbello O. , Civolani A. , Barcellona D. , Demelia L. , Marongiu F. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryIntroductionProthrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) are abnormal but unreliable in cirrhotic patients to express their risk of bleeding. However, these patients may also suffer from thrombotic episodes. In order to investigate the dynamics of the formation of fibrin, the clot waveform analysis (CWA) of aPTT was studied together with a score for the evaluation of the thromboembolic risk.MethodsCWA in terms of velocity (1st derivative), acceleration (2nd derivatives) and density (Delta) of aPTT and the Padua Prediction Score (PPS) for venous thromboembolism were studied in 191 cirrhotic patients.ResultsCWA values were lower in the cirrhotic patients when compared to the control groups. However, Delta, 1st and 2nd derivatives were higher in cirrhotic patients with elevated PPS in comparison to those with a low PPS. The 1st derivative was significantly associated with a high PPS score (>4): OR: 2.66, CI: 95% 1.23–5.78.ConclusionsTwo opposing tendencies seem to be present in cirrhotic disease: the first shows a weakness of clot formation while the second a predisposition towards thrombosis, identified by the PPS.
A study of disseminated intravascular coagulation in acute leukemia reveals markedly elevated D‐dimer levels are a sensitive indicator of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors: Shahmarvand N. , Oak J. S. , Cascio M. J. , Alcasid M. , Goodman E. , Medeiros B. C. , Arber D. A. , Zehnder J. L. , Ohgami R. S. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryIntroductionWhile the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been implicated in worse clinical outcome in acute leukemia, the relationship between different subtypes of acute leukemia and the clinicopathologic features of DIC has not been systematically well studied.MethodsIn this study, we retrospectively reviewed 149 cases of newly diagnosed acute leukemia and assessed the utility of evaluating red blood cell morphologic features, and coagulation parameters in determining the presence of DIC as well as differentiating subtypes of acute leukemia.ResultsReview of our cohort demonstrates a novel finding, that elevated D‐dimer concentrations ≥19 000 ng/mL fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU) are a sensitive diagnostic indicator of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with moderate specificity, sensitivity 96%, specificity 92% in acute leukemia subtyping. Similar to other studies, APL showed an increased incidence of DIC (P < 0.01) compared to other subtypes of acute leukemia. Surprisingly, the presence of schistocytes on the peripheral blood smear was not a statistically significant indicator of DIC, sensitivity of 36% and specificity of 89%. Finally, the presence of DIC was not a significant indicator of poorer prognosis amongst all patients with AML.ConclusionOverall we identify elevated D‐dimer concentrations ≥19 000 ng/mL FEU are a sensitive indicator of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), with a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 92% in the subtyping of acute leukemias, and that the presence of schistocytes in peripheral blood smears is not a diagnostically sensitive screening test for DIC with a sensitivity of 36%.
The eurozone crisis, German hegemony and labour market reform in the GIPS countries
Authors: Currie Denise , Teague Paul 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis article argues that the eurozone crisis has led to Germany hegemony, a feature of which has been complete resistance to a genuinely European solution to the crisis. German political leaders have sought to make the eurozone a more stable currency area by demanding far reaching labour market adjustment in the debtor countries of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, GIPS countries. This article assesses why Germany's leaders elected to act as a coercive hegemon and examines the labour market reform pathways being travelled by GIPS countries. It argues that the austerity regime enacted under German hegemony has obliged the GIPS countries to introduce important labour market reforms. However, these reforms have not threatened the integrity of established national systems of industrial relations. As a result a Euro war of attrition has opened up between the European core and periphery.
Management of necrotising fasciitis secondary to abdominal liposuction using a combination of surgery, hyperbaric oxygen and negative pressure wound therapy in a patient with burn scars
Authors: Chiang I‐Han , Chang Shun‐Cheng , Wang Chih‐Hsin 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTLiposuction is the one of the most frequently performed cosmetic operations and usually has an easy recovery, with a reportedly low overall complication rate. Here, we report the case of a 60‐year‐old woman with type II diabetes mellitus and a previous burn injury of the abdomen who underwent abdominal liposuction and subsequently developed necrotising fasciitis. Following radical debridement, systemic antibiotic administration, negative pressure wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the wound healed completely. This case demonstrates the success of the combination treatment and highlights the need for clinicians to be aware of the risk of serious complications in selected patients.
Effect of international working experience of individual auditors on audit quality: Evidence from China
Authors: Chen Xiaolin , Dai Yunhao , Kong Dongmin , Tan Weiqiang 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThis paper investigates the effects of auditors with international working experience on audit quality in emerging markets. Such auditors are associated with better audit quality, a pattern that is further supported by an examination based on a propensity score matching sample that controls for endogeneity. Chief financial officers with international experience are more conservative in the client company of their auditors who have international working experience. Further, reviewer partners with international working experience provide better audit quality in terms of low accruals, less below‐the‐line items, and less audit reporting aggressiveness, while engagement partners with international working experience require high audit fees. Moreover, financial reports signed by auditors with international working experience significantly increase analyst forecast accuracy and decrease analyst forecast dispersion. Our results are robust to different specifications and alternative measures. Overall, this paper highlights the importance of human capital and provides direct evidence on how auditors with international working experience use their knowledge and audit skills in emerging markets.
North‐west Africa as a source and refuge area of plant biodiversity: a case study on Campanula kremeri and Campanula occidentalis
Authors: García‐Aloy Sara , Vitales Daniel , Roquet Cristina , Sanmartín Isabel , Vargas Pablo , Molero Julián , Kamau Peris , Aldasoro Juan José , Alarcón Marisa 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimNorth‐west Africa, because of its position at the crossroads between Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula, has played an important role on the emergence and maintenance of Mediterranean plant diversity. In this study, we reconstruct the phylogeographical history of a lineage of bellflowers comprising the north African‐south Iberian species Campanula kremeri and the Canarian Campanula occidentalis (Azorina‐group), to investigate the genetic imprints left by past climatic and palaeogeographical events on the northern African flora.LocationNorth‐west Africa, Iberian Peninsula, and the Canary Islands.MethodsWe reconstructed the biogeographical history of the Azorina‐group to provide a phylogenetic background. We then investigated the phylogeographical patterns within C. kremeri and C. occidentalis using the AFLP and sequence data. We integrated these results with the past species‐distribution modelling to understand the current biodiversity patterns within this lineage.ResultsThe ancestor of C. kremeri‐C. occidentalis diverged in the Late Miocene/Early Pliocene. Nuclear data supported species monophyly, whereas plastid data suggested that C. kremeri is paraphyletic. Maghrebian populations of C. kremeri showed high genetic diversity, whilst Iberian ones and those of C. occidentalis exhibited lower values.Main conclusionsRepeated expansion‐retraction events associated with Pleistocene climatic changes in North Africa facilitated gene flow across Maghrebian ranges in C. kremeri. Mountain massifs in north‐west Africa likely acted as refugia for Mediterranean plants during interglacial periods, whereas range expansion in cooler periods triggered dispersal to neighbouring regions. The range of C. kremeri expanded to the Iberian Peninsula by long‐distance dispersal across the Strait of Gibraltar during the Pleistocene. The relatively old age inferred for C. occidentalis together with its low genetic diversity point to a recent colonization of the Canary Islands from north‐west Africa followed by extinction in the mainland or an old lineage that underwent a recent genetic bottleneck.
Niche asymmetry of vascular plants increases with elevation
Authors: Dvorský Miroslav , Macek Martin , Kopecký Martin , Wild Jan , Doležal Jiří 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimSpecies distributions along an environmental gradient are often not symmetric but skewed towards one end of the gradient. Various explanations for this skewness have been proposed but the patterns of niche asymmetry along extensive environmental gradients have been rarely explored. In this study, we tested three predictions of asymmetric abiotic stress limitation (AASL) hypothesis that predicts a steeper decrease in the probability of occurrence towards the more stressful end of a plant distributional range.LocationLadakh, arid Himalayas, where drought stress dominates in the lower elevation, whilst the cold stress dominates in the upper elevations.MethodsUsing data from 4062 plots (2640–6150 m a.s.l.), we explored the shapes of response curves of 395 vascular plant species through Huisman‐Olff‐Fresco models. We compared the observed patterns of niche asymmetry along the elevational gradient with null models.ResultsSpecies with symmetric response curves (61.5%) prevailed at lower elevations, whilst species with left‐skewed responses (36.2%) were significantly underrepresented up to 3750 m a.s.l. and occurred significantly more frequently at 5150–5450 m a.s.l. Right‐skewed responses were rare (2.3%) along the whole gradient. The steepness of the response increased with elevation. Response types were found in similar proportions across different habitats and functional groups.Main conclusionsOur results support the predictions of AASL hypothesis for cold limits, but not for dry limits. The low proportion of right‐skewed responses over the entire gradient suggests an effective adaptation of the local flora to arid conditions, or sufficient opportunity to avoid drought stress through the presence of favourable habitat patches. The accumulation of skewed responses at high elevations likely reflects shared physiological limits of many steppe species, whose distribution abruptly ends at the transition between steppe and alpine zones. Cold, therefore, represents a stronger barrier to species distribution than drought.
Increased levels of soluble CD163 in periodontitis patients
Authors: Detzen Laurent , Chen Steven C. Y. , Cheng Bin , Papapanou Panos N. , Lalla Evanthia 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimSoluble CD163 (sCD163) has been implicated as a new biomarker in inflammatory conditions. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to assess CD163 levels systemically and locally in patients with chronic periodontitis.MethodssCD163 levels were measured by ELISA in serum samples from 70 periodontitis and 70 periodontally healthy subjects, and in saliva samples in a subset of the population. Two gingival biopsies were harvested per subject from 20 periodontitis patients: one from a periodontally affected site, the other from a healthy site, and the relative expression of CD163 mRNA was assessed by real‐time PCR.ResultsSerum sCD163 was significantly higher in periodontitis patients compared to periodontally healthy subjects (720.0 ± 330.6 ng/ml versus 510.7 ± 219.6 ng/ml, respectively; p < .001). Similarly, sCD163 levels in saliva were significantly increased in periodontitis compared to healthy subjects (3.01 ± 5.07 ng/ml versus 1.98 ± 4.95 ng/ml, respectively; p = .009). Serum and saliva sCD163 levels showed a positive correlation (Kendall's tau .27, p = .018). Importantly, CD163 gene expression was significantly higher in affected sites compared to unaffected sites in periodontitis patients, with a mean fold upregulation of 9.9 (STD: 15.3, p = .010).ConclusionOur findings suggest that CD163 may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis and its link with systemic conditions.
Antibiotic treatment of zebrafish mycobacteriosis: tolerance and efficacy of treatments with tigecycline and clarithromycin
Authors: Chang C T , Doerr K M , Whipps C M 
Published: April 2017

AbstractZebrafish (Danio rerio) are a popular model organism used in a growing number of research fields. Maintaining healthy, disease‐free laboratory fish is important for the integrity of many of these studies. Mycobacteriosis is a chronic bacterial infection caused by severalMycobacteriumspp. and is the second most common disease found in laboratory zebrafish. Current mycobacteriosis control measures recommend the removal of infected fish and in severe outbreaks, depopulation. These measures can be effective, but less disruptive measures should be assessed for controlling mycobacteriosis, particularly when valuable and rare lines of fish are affected. Here, thein vivoefficacy of two drug candidates, tigecycline (1 μg g−1) and clarithromycin (4 μg g−1), was tested in adult zebrafish experimentally infected withMycobacterium chelonae. We assessed both short (14 day)‐ and long‐term (30 day) treatments and evaluated fecundity and pathological endpoints. Fecundity and histology results show that zebrafish tolerated antibiotics. Antibiotic treatments did not significantly impact the prevalence of acid‐fast granulomas; however, the severity of infections (acid‐fast granuloma intensity) was significantly decreased following treatments.
In vivo and in vitro studies using larval and adult antigens from Neobenedenia melleni on immune response in yellowtail (Seriola lalandi)
Authors: Reyes‐Becerril M , Alamillo E , Trasviña A , Hirono I , Kondo H , Jirapongpairoj W , Ascencio‐Valle F , Angulo C 
Published: April 2017

AbstractNeobenedenia melleni is a monogenean parasite that causes significant mortality and economic losses in fish aquaculture. Changes in the antigenic composition of this parasite occur during its developmental stages. In this study, we evaluated humoral parameters in serum and transcriptional immune responses of yellowtail naturally infected with N. melleni. In addition, in vitro assays were performed to study the stimulatory effects of antigens from larvae and adults on spleen leucocytes from non‐infected fish at 6 and 24 h post‐stimulation. The results showed enhanced total protein, myeloperoxidase and antiprotease activities in N. melleni‐infected fish compared with non‐infected ones. The induction of Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in spleen leucocytes during natural infection with N. melleni suggests that these immune‐related genes play an important role in the initiation of the immune defence mechanism for controlling parasite infection. Interestingly, the magnitude of in vitro responses of spleen leucocytes was dependent on the parasitic stage. An important stimulation of gene expression by adult antigens on spleen leucocytes was observed. Differential expression patterns of TLRs and target cytokines in yellowtail leucocytes in both in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the quality of yellowtail immune response is conditioned by N. melleni development.
The effects of enteral feeding improvement massage on premature infants: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kim Hee‐young , Bang Kyung‐Sook 
Published: April 2017

Aims and objectivesTo prove the effects of an enteral feeding improvement massage for premature infants with regard to their feeding, growing and superior mesentery artery blood flow aspect by a randomised controlled trial.BackgroundPremature infants have feeding‐related problems related to eating and absorbing nutrition due to their immature gastrointestinal function. Studies regarding the effectiveness of premature infants’ enteral feeding improvement by tactile stimulation massage are rare.DesignThe study group was composed of 55 patients. Of the 55 patients, 26 were randomised into an experimental group and 29 were randomised into a control group.MethodsThey were all born <34 weeks of gestational age between 1 July 2011 and 30 March 2012. Premature infants in the experimental group received enteral feeding improvement massage twice a day for 14 days, and infants in the control group received a sham exercise. The collected data were analysed by spss 19.0, through t test, chi‐square test (Fisher's exact) and ANCOVA.Results(i) The experimental group had reached the day of full enteral feeding significantly faster. (ii) The experimental group had a higher superior mesentery artery peak velocity (Vmax) and lower RI (resistant index). (iii) The experimental group of the feeding‐intolerant subgroup had a higher superior mesentery artery Vmax and Vmin. (iv) The experimental group had a heavier weight and larger head circumference after 14 days.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that enteral feeding improvement massage can be helpful for achieving earlier full enteral feeding, more increased superior mesentery artery, and faster growing. In particular, it can be a therapeutic, independent and evidence‐based nursing intervention for feeding‐intolerant premature infants.Relevance to clinical practiceNeonatal nurses in neonatal intensive care unit can apply enteral feeding improvement massage massage for feeding‐intolerant infants.
Vagus nerve stimulation: a new promising therapeutic tool in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Bonaz B. , Sinniger V. , Pellissier S. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractInflammatory bowel disease (IBD), that is Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, affects about 1.5 million persons in the USA and 2.2 million in Europe. The pathophysiology of IBD involves immunological, genetic and environmental factors. The treatment is medico‐surgical but suspensive. Anti‐TNFα agents have revolutionized the treatment of IBD but have side effects. In addition, a non‐negligible percentage of patients with IBD stop or take episodically their treatment. Consequently, a nondrug therapy targeting TNFα through a physiological pathway, devoid of major side effects and with a good cost‐effectiveness ratio, would be of interest. The vagus nerve has dual anti‐inflammatory properties through its afferent (i.e. hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis) and efferent (i.e. the anti‐TNFα effect of the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway) fibres. We have shown that there is an inverse relationship between vagal tone and plasma TNFα level in patients with CD, and have reported, for the first time, that chronic vagus nerve stimulation has anti‐inflammatory properties in a rat model of colitis and in a pilot study performed in seven patients with moderate CD. Two of these patients failed to improve after 3 months of vagus nerve stimulation but five were in deep remission (clinical, biological and endoscopic) at 6 months of follow‐up and vagal tone was restored. No major side effects were observed. Thus, vagus nerve stimulation provides a new therapeutic option in the treatment of CD.
Desire for and to Avoid Pregnancy During the Transition to Adulthood
Authors: Weitzman Abigail , Barber Jennifer S. , Kusunoki Yasamin , England Paula 
Published: April 2017

AbstractUnintended pregnancies disproportionately occur among teenage women, yet little is known about the determinants of pregnancy desire among this group. The authors use a comprehensive baseline survey and data on pregnancy desires to investigate which unmarried 18‐ to 20‐year‐old women want a pregnancy, want to avoid pregnancy, and report consistent pregnancy desire and disinclination. Variables that positively predict pregnancy desire generally negatively predict desire to avoid pregnancy. Although most young women have no desire and strong disinclination in most weeks, childhood public assistance is a strong predictor of wanting pregnancy and not wanting to avoid it. Comparing nested models suggests that the effects of childhood disadvantage operate through social environments where early pregnancy is less stigmatized. Young women in serious relationships, who are depressed, and who are not pursuing postsecondary education have more desire for pregnancy and less disinclination, but little of childhood disadvantage is mediated by these factors.