bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Body Mass on Oxygenation and Intra-Abdominal Pressure When Using a Jackson Surgical Table in the Prone Position During Lumbar Surgery
Authors: Ni Liya , Fan Yuhua , Bian Jinjun , Deng Xiaoming , Ma Yu 
Published: December 2017

Study Design.
Prospective observational study.

Objective.
To test the hypothesis that different types of surgical frame and the patient's body mass index (BMI) can affect pulmonary compliance, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), and oxygenation.

Summary of Background Data.
The oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2) and IAP are known to be associated with BMI when patients are in the supine position. However, there are few reports on the correlation between BMI, the oxygenation index, and IAP in the prone position, especially when a Jackson surgical table is used.

Methods.
Thirty-seven adult patients were divided into two groups according to BMI: normal-weight patients (n = 19, BMI: 18.5–24.9 kg m−2) and overweight patients (n = 18, BMI ≥ 25 kg m−2). After the induction of general anesthesia, patients were turned to the prone position onto either a Jackson surgical table (Mizuho OSI) or a general surgical table (MAQUET; foam pad, China). The patient's IAP, peak airway pressure, pulmonary dynamic compliance (Cdyn), and oxygenation index were recorded.

Results.
In overweight patients, there was a greater increase in peak airway pressure and a greater decrease in Cdyn observed when a general surgical table was used compared with the Jackson surgical table. When the Jackson surgical table was used, there was a greater increase in the oxygenation index and a greater decrease in IAP. There was a significant negative correlation between the oxygenation index and BMI and a significant positive correlation between IAP and BMI in the prone position.

Conclusion.
Turning patients from the supine to the prone position during anesthesia results in an increase in the oxygenation index and a decrease in IAP. Both of these factors are dependent upon the type of surgical frame used and the patient's BMI. The reduction in IAP was particularly significant when a Jackson surgical table was used for overweight patients.

Level of Evidence: 4
Glucose Homeostasis and Effect of Chelation on β Cell Function in Children With β-Thalassemia Major
Authors: Gomber Sunil , Dabas Aashima , Bagmar Shilpa , Madhu Sri Venkata 
Published: December 2017

Objective:
To assess the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in β-thalassemia major and correlate it with chelation therapy.

Materials and Methods:
Sixty-seven subjects with β-thalassemia major, aged 1 to 20 years, were enrolled in our prospective cohort. Clinical details were recorded. Baseline oral glucose tolerance test, serum insulin, C peptide, and insulin resistance were measured. The biochemical profile was repeated after 6 months.

Results:
The mean age of subjects was 7.43±4.48 years. Eight (11.9%) subjects had impaired fasting glucose, 7 (10.4%) had impaired glucose tolerance, and 1 (1.4%) subject had diabetes at baseline. Subjects with abnormal glucose profile had longer disease duration (95% confidence interval [CI] of difference=−6.64 to −0.68; P=0.019) and higher fasting blood glucose (95% CI of difference=−32.1 to −10.5; P=0.001) and serum ferritin (95% CI of difference=−219.8 to −3.4; P=0.001) than normoglycemic subjects. Insulin resistance and serum ferritin showed significant increase at 6 months (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). Patients on deferiprone alone significantly improved glucose homeostasis on follow-up than those on desferrioxamine or combination therapy of desferrioxamine and deferiprone (P<0.05).

Conclusions:
Prolonged disease duration and higher serum ferritin adversely affects glucose homeostasis in thalassemic children. Deferiprone was the most effective chelator to improve glucose homeostasis in chronically transfused thalassemics.
Patient-Physician Communication on Medication Cost during Glaucoma Visits
Authors: Slota Catherine , Davis Scott A. , Blalock Susan J. , Carpenter Delesha M. , Muir Kelly W. , Robin Alan L. , Sleath Betsy 
Published: December 2017

SIGNIFICANCE
This article is the first to investigate the nature of medication cost discussions between ophthalmologists and glaucoma patients. Only 87 of the 275 office visits analyzed had a discussion of medication cost. Providers should consider discussing medication cost with patients to identify potential cost-related barriers to medication use.

PURPOSE
Glaucoma is an incurable chronic eye disease affecting a growing portion of the aging population. Some of the most commonly utilized treatments require lifelong use, requiring high patient adherence to ensure effectiveness. There are numerous barriers to glaucoma treatment adherence in the literature, including cost. The aim of this secondary analysis was to describe the frequency and nature of patient-physician communication regarding medication cost during glaucoma office visits.

METHODS
This was a mixed-methods secondary analysis of video-recorded participant office visits (n = 275) from a larger observational study of glaucoma communication. We analyzed medical information, demographic characteristics, and interviewer-administrated questionnaires, as well as verbatim transcripts of interviews.

RESULTS
Only 87 participants discussed medication cost during their glaucoma office visit. The majority of the subjects who discussed cost had mild disease severity (51%), took one glaucoma medication (63%), and had Medicare (49%) as well as a form of prescription insurance (78%). The majority of glaucoma office visits did not discuss medication cost, and providers often did not ask about cost problems. Of the few conversations related to cost, most focused on providers offering potential solutions (n = 50), medical and prescription service coverage (n = 41), and brand or generic medication choices (n = 41).

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings are similar to previous studies showing few patients have conversations with providers about the cost of glaucoma medications. Providers should consider bringing up medication cost during glaucoma office visits to prompt a discussion of potential cost-related barriers to medication use.
Promoter boundaries for theluxCDABEandbetIBA-proXWVoperons inVibrio harveyidefined by the method RAIL: Rapid Arbitrary PCR Insertion Libraries
Authors: Hustmyer Christine M. , Simpson Chelsea A. , Olney Stephen G. , Bochman Matthew L. , van Kessel Julia C. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractExperimental studies of transcriptional regulation in bacteria require the ability to precisely measure changes in gene expression, often accomplished through the use of reporter genes. However, the boundaries of promoter sequences required for transcription are often unknown, thus complicating construction of reporters and genetic analysis of transcriptional regulation. Here, we analyze reporter libraries to define the promoter boundaries of theluxCDABEbioluminescence operon and thebetIBA-proXWVosmotic stress operon inVibrio harveyi. We describe a new method called RAIL (RapidArbitrary PCRInsertionLibraries) that combines the power of arbitrary PCR and isothermal DNA assembly to rapidly clone promoter fragments of various lengths upstream of reporter genes to generate large libraries. To demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of RAIL, we analyzed the promoters driving expression of theluxCDABEandbetIBA-proXWVoperons and created libraries of DNA fragments from these loci fused to fluorescent reporters. Using flow cytometry sorting and deep sequencing, we identified the DNA regions necessary and sufficient for maximum gene expression for each promoter. These analyses uncovered previously unknown regulatory sequences and validated known transcription factor binding sites. We applied this high-throughput method togfp, mCherry, andlacZreporters and multiple promoters inV. harveyi. We anticipate that the RAIL method will be easily applicable to other model systems for genetic, molecular, and cell biological applications.ImportanceGene reporter constructs have long been essential tools for studying gene regulation in bacteria, particularly following the recent advent of fluorescent gene reporters. We developed a new method that enables efficient construction of promoter fusions to reporter genes to study gene regulation. We demonstrate the versatility of this technique in the model bacteriumVibrio harveyiby constructing promoter libraries for three bacterial promoters using three reporter genes. These libraries can be used to determine the DNA sequences required for gene expression, revealing regulatory elements in promoters. This method is applicable to various model systems and reporter genes for assaying gene expression.
Constrained Instruments and their Application to Mendelian Randomization with Pleiotropy
Authors: Jiang Lai , Oualkacha Karim , Didelez Vanessa , Ciampi Antonio , Rosa Pedro , Benedet Andrea L. , Mathotaarachchi Sulantha , Richards J. Brent , Greenwood Celia M.T. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn Mendelian randomization (MR), genetic variants are used to construct instrumental variables, which enable inference about the causal relationship between a phenotype of interest and a response or disease outcome. However, standard MR inference requires several assumptions, including the assumption that the genetic variants only influence the response through the phenotype of interest. Pleiotropy occurs when a genetic variant has an effect on more than one phenotype; therefore, a pleiotropic genetic variant may be an invalid instrumental variable. Hence, a naive method for constructing instrumental variables may lead to biased estimation of the causality between the phenotype and the response. Here, we present a set of intuitive methods (Constrained Instrumental Variable methods [CIV]) to construct valid instrumental variables and perform adjusted causal effect estimation when pleiotropy exists, focusing particularly on the situation where pleiotropic phenotypes have been measured. Our approach includes an automatic and valid selection of genetic variants when building the instrumental variables. We also provide details of the features of many existing methods, together with a comparison of their performance in a large series of simulations.CIVmethods performed consistently better than many comparators across four different pleiotropic violations of the MR assumptions. We analyzed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Mueller et al. (2005) to disentangle causal relationships of several biomarkers with AD progression. The results showed that CIV methods can provide causal effect estimates, as well as selection of valid instruments while accounting for pleiotropy.
Can agricultural credit scoring for microfinance institutions be implemented and improved by weather data?
Authors: Römer Ulf , Musshoff Oliver 
Published: December 2017

PurposeIn recent years, the application of credit scoring in urban microfinance institutions (MFIs) became popular, while rural MFIs, which mainly lend to agricultural clients, are hesitating to adopt credit scoring. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether microfinance credit scoring models are suitable for agricultural clients, and if such models can be improved for agricultural clients by accounting for precipitation.Design/methodology/approachThis study merges two data sets: 24,219 loan and client observations provided by the AccèsBanque Madagascar and daily precipitation data made available by CelsiusPro. An in- and out-of-sample splitting separates model building from model testing. Logistic regression is employed for the scoring models.FindingsThe credit scoring models perform equally well for agricultural and non-agricultural clients. Hence, credit scoring can be applied to the agricultural sector in microfinance. However, the prediction accuracy does not increase with the inclusion of precipitation in the agricultural model. Therefore, simple correlation analysis between weather events and loan repayment is insufficient for forecasting future repayment behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThe results should be verified in different countries and climate contexts to enhance the robustness.Social implicationsBy applying scoring models to agricultural clients as well, all clients can benefit from an improved risk assessment (e.g. faster decision making).Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating the potential of microfinance credit scoring for agricultural clients in general and for Madagascar in particular. Furthermore, this is the first study that incorporates a weather variable into a scoring model.
Regional knowledge economies and global innovation networks – the case of Southeast Asia
Authors: Degelsegger-Márquez Alexander , Remøe Svend Otto , Trienes Rudie 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the prospects of a Southeast Asian knowledge economy in light of regional integration processes and the participation of Southeast Asia in global innovation networks.

Design/methodology/approach
The evidence base is a combination of quantitative data on R&D investments, patent applications and publications, with qualitative data from 40 semi-structured expert interviews conducted with innovation experts, research managers and policymakers in six ASEAN Member States.

Findings
Despite economic growth and increases in R&D inputs and outputs in individual ASEAN Member States, innovation policy at regional ASEAN level remains weak. In addition, the economic integration of the ASEAN Economic Community is progressing slowly. In this environment, evidence is presented for a certain level of regional integration when it comes to the exploitation of knowledge produced within and outside of ASEAN. While a regional market for knowledge exploitation is conceivable, this is not accompanied by the regional integration of knowledge production.

Practical implications
The main practical implication of this argument is the need for ASEAN policymakers to appreciate the disconnection between regional knowledge production and exploitation. This paper offers conceptual tools to engage in ASEAN-level policy discussions on this issue that can help facilitate the best possible regional outcome.

Originality/value
Despite several studies on the ASEAN Economic Community process, there has been no contribution so far that combines a discussion of the economic integration process with a look at the regional knowledge economy and innovation systems. This perspective does not only contribute to innovation systems literature, but also entails important policy lessons.
Markers of the progression of kidney damage analyzed by soft computing approach
Authors: Tasic Danijela 
Published: December 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze markers of the progression of kidney damage by a soft computing approach.

Design/methodology/approach
Because markers of the progression of kidney damage, namely, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and highly sensitive troponin T (cTnhsT), are complex parameters, a soft computing approach was used for the assessment of functional glomerular reserves, through the use of the Modification of the Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula based on serum creatinine and EPI creatinine-cystatin C formula (chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration).

Findings
The soft computing approach was used to detect which factors (PAI-1, IL-8 and cTnhsT) are the most important for the MDRD formula based on serum creatinine or the EPI creatinine–cystatin C formula.

Originality/value
Markers of the progression of kidney damage were analyzed by the soft computing approach.
STR Genotyping from a Dry‐Cleaned Skirt in a Sexual Assault Case
Authors: Ogawa Hisae , Hiroshige Yuuji , Yoshimoto Takashi , Ishii Akira , Yamamoto Toshimichi 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn this sexual assault case, the standard preliminary semen examinations could not confirm physically or biochemically whether the accused's semen had stained the victim's skirt because the skirt had been dry‐cleaned for stain removal and had been worn for more than a year after the assault. Fortunately, however, a photograph taken just after the assault was found in the court records that showed white stains on the checkered skirt. The locations of the stains were estimated based on the checkered pattern of the fabric, and microscopic examination using Baecchi's staining revealed the presence of spermatozoa. Further analysis indicated the male DNA profile generated from the sperm cells was consistent with the suspect's DNA using three multiplex STR typing systems for a total of 21 autosomal and 17 Y chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs). Ultimately, the result of the DNA profile played a very useful role as additional evidence.
Detection and Identification of Psilocybe cubensis DNA Using a Real‐Time Polymerase Chain Reaction High Resolution Melt Assay,
Authors: Cowan Ashley F. , Elkins Kelly M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPsilocybe cubensis, or “magic mushroom,” is the most common species of fungus with psychedelic characteristics. Two primer sets were designed to target Psilocybe DNA using web‐based software and NBCI gene sequences. DNA was extracted from eighteen samples, including twelve mushroom species, using the Qiagen DNeasy® Plant Mini Kit. The DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the primers and a master mix containing either a SYBR® Green I, Radiant™ Green, or LCGreen Plus® intercalating dye; amplicon size was determined using agarose gel electrophoresis. The PCR assays were tested for amplifiability, specificity, reproducibility, robustness, sensitivity, and multiplexing with primers that target marijuana. The observed high resolution melt (HRM) temperatures for primer sets 1 and 7 were 78.85 ± 0.31°C and 73.22 ± 0.61°C, respectively, using SYBR® Green I dye and 81.67 ± 0.06°C and 76.04 ± 0.11°C, respectively, using Radiant™ Green dye.
‘Seafood from Slaves’: The Pulitzer Prize in the Light of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Authors: Bonfanti Angelica , Bordignon Marta 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe present paper aims at analysing the case ‘Seafood from Slaves’ – first published in March 2015 by The Associated Press (AP) – in light of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (hereinafter UNGPs), focusing on both the State duty to protect human rights (HR) and the corporate responsibility to respect HR. As regards the former aspect, the main domestic legal instruments recently adopted and the reaction of the international community to this case will be analysed. As regards the second aspect, according to the UNGPs, corporations have the responsibility to respect human rights throughout their operations and their value chains. Some lawsuits involving seafood suppliers especially in the US and UK will be considered, as well as the main actions carried out by all the relevant stakeholders, in order to comply with the UNGPs and the national provisions on a transparent and sustainable supply chain. Having focused on the most critical issues, the authors aim at assessing whether the measures taken by the involved corporations and States are either adequate or insufficient to grant consistency with the principles enshrined in the UNGPs. In this latter case the authors will submit suggestions and recommendations.
Carnelian, agate, and other types of chalcedony: the prehistory of Jebel al‐Ma'taradh and its semi‐precious stones, Emirate of Ra's al‐Khaimah
Authors: Charpentier Vincent , Brunet Olivier , Méry Sophie , Velde Christian 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe Jebel al‐Ma'taradh and its surroundings contain exceptional deposits of lithic raw materials, including flint and chert, but especially chalcedony, agate, carnelian, and chrysoprase. These deposits were intensively exploited during the Neolithic, and some of the artefacts produced entered the trade network that included settlements on the coast and inland, sometimes as far as 300 km. During earlier periods, probably as early as the Pleistocene, only flint was used. Between the sixth and the fourth millennia, carnelian and agate were exploited to make beads, which are found in the necropolises and settlements of the UAE.
An early Christian Arabic graffito mentioning ‘Yazīd the king’
Authors: al‐Shdaifat Younis , Al‐Jallad Ahmad , al‐Salameen Zeyad , Harahsheh Rafe 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis article is an edition and commentary on an early Christian Arabic inscription discovered near Qaṣr Burquʿ in northeastern Jordan. The text mentions a certain yzydw ʾl‐mlk ‘Yazid the king’ and could date to the sixth or seventh century. We discuss the text's palaeography, its relevance for the history of the Arabic script, and attempt to identify the historical figure to which it refers.
The genetic diversity and population structures of indigenous pig breeds in Zhejiang Province revealed by GGRS sequencing
Authors: Chen J. , Peng J. , Xiao Q. , Pan Y. , Zhang X. , Lo L. J. , Xu N. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryChinese indigenous pigs in Zhejiang Province are well known for their high fecundity. In order to verify breed subdivision at the genomic level, we investigated genetic diversity and population structure of seven breeds and made comparisons with three Western pig breeds using next‐generation sequencing data. Parameters obtained from allelic richness and proportion of polymorphic markers indicated that the genetic diversity of the Chinese indigenous pigs was higher than that of the Western pigs, with the highest and lowest values found in the Chaluand and the Landrace pigs respectively. Both neighbor‐joining tree and principal components analysis could distinguish breeds from one another and structure analysis showed less differentiation among Western pigs than among the Chinese pigs. The average linkage disequilibrium decay over distance was significantly less in the Chinese pigs compared with the Western pigs, ranging from 188.2 to 280.6 kb for the Chinese pigs and 680.3 to 752.8 kb for the Western breeds and showing an average r2 threshold value of 0.3. Results obtained from high‐density SNP comparison over the whole genome on genetic diversity and population structure were in agreement with the current breed classification of the pigs in Zhejiang Province. More importantly, the results presented here advances our current understanding of the genomic biology of Chinese indigenous pigs in Zhejiang Province and allows for implementation of conservation strategies in additional breeds.
Beak and feather disease virus carriage by Knemidocoptes pilae in a sulphur‐crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Authors: Portas T , Jackson B , Das S , Shamsi S , Raidal SR 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundThis paper describes the pathology associated with psittacine beak and feather disease in a wild sulphur‐crested cockatoo with concurrent knemidocoptic mange, cestodiasis and mycotic encephalitis.Methods & ResultsLarge numbers of Knemidocoptes pilae Lavoipierre and Griffiths, 1951 (Acari: Epidermoptidae, Knemidokoptinae) were identified in affected skin associated with enhanced expression of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) determined by immunohistochemistry. Also, BFDV antigen was demonstrated in high concentration in the gut and faecal sacs of mites, raising the possibility of ectoparasites as fomites and vectors of BFDV transmission. Large numbers of Raillietina spp. cestodes were present in the intestines. Within the brain there was a focally extensive region of necrosis and inflammation associated with branching, septate, pigmented hyphae consistent with zygomycete fungal infection.ConclusionThis case highlights the potential immunosuppressive effects of BFDV infection and its potential as a keystone pathogen in the Australian environment.