bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological trends of HIV‐1 infection in blood donors from Catalonia, Spain (2005‐2014)
Authors: Bes Marta , Piron Maria , Casamitjana Natàlia , Gregori Josep , Esteban Juan Ignacio , Ribera Esteban , Quer Josep , Puig Lluís , Sauleda Sílvia 
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUNDHuman immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV‐1) subtype B is predominant in Spain. However, the recent arrival of immigrant populations has increased the prevalence of non‐B subtypes and circulating recombinant forms. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV‐1 subtypes and transmitted drug‐resistance mutations in blood donors from the Catalonian region (northeastern Spain).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSHIV‐1–positive blood donors identified in Catalonia from 2005 to 2014 were included. Demographic variables and risk factors for HIV‐1 acquisition were recorded. HIV‐1 subtyping was carried out by HIV‐1 DNA polymerase region sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses were performed using the neighbor‐joining method.RESULTSDuring the study period, 2.8 million blood donations were screened, and 214 HIV‐1–positive donors were identified, yielding an overall prevalence of 7.7 per 100,000 donations (89% men; mean age, 34 ± 10 years). Most HIV‐1–positive donors were native to Spain (81%), and 61% were regular blood donors. When risk factors were known, 62% reportedly were men who had sex with men. HIV‐1 subtyping was possible in 176 HIV‐1–positive individuals: 143 (81%) had HIV‐1 subtype B, and 33 (19%) had non‐B subtypes. Most HIV‐1 non‐B subtypes were circulating recombinant forms (n = 20; 61%). Factors associated with HIV‐1 subtype B were male sex (p = 0.007) and men who had sex with men (p < 0.001). The overall prevalence of transmitted drug‐resistance mutations was 14%.CONCLUSIONNon‐B subtypes, circulating recombinant forms, and transmitted drug‐resistance mutation sequences circulate among HIV‐1–positive blood donors in Catalonia. Continuous local epidemiological surveillance is required to implement optimal prevention strategies for controlling transfusion‐transmitted HIV and to improve health policies regarding HIV infection.
Optimal hematocrit in an artificial microvascular network
Authors: Piety Nathaniel Z. , Reinhart Walter H. , Stutz Julianne , Shevkoplyas Sergey S. 
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUNDHigher hematocrit increases the oxygen‐carrying capacity of blood but also increases blood viscosity, thus decreasing blood flow through the microvasculature and reducing the oxygen delivery to tissues. Therefore, an optimal value of hematocrit that maximizes tissue oxygenation must exist.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe used viscometry and an artificial microvascular network device to determine the optimal hematocrit in vitro. Suspensions of fresh red blood cells (RBCs) in plasma, normal saline, or a protein‐containing buffer and suspensions of stored red blood cells (at Week 6 of standard hypothermic storage) in plasma with hematocrits ranging from 10 to 80% were evaluated.RESULTSFor viscometry, optimal hematocrits were 10, 25.2, 31.9, 37.1, and 37.5% for fresh RBCs in plasma at shear rates of 3.2 or less, 11.0, 27.7, 69.5, and 128.5 inverse seconds. For the artificial microvascular network, optimal hematocrits were 51.1, 55.6, 59.2, 60.9, 62.3, and 64.6% for fresh RBCs in plasma and 46.4, 48.1, 54.8, 61.4, 65.7, and 66.5% for stored RBCs in plasma at pressures of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 cm H2O.CONCLUSIONAlthough exact optimal hematocrit values may depend on specific microvascular architecture, our results suggest that the optimal hematocrit for oxygen delivery in the microvasculature depends on perfusion pressure. Therefore, anemia in chronic disorders may represent a beneficial physiological response to reduced perfusion pressure resulting from decreased heart function and/or vascular stenosis. Our results may help explain why a therapeutically increasing hematocrit in such conditions with RBC transfusion frequently leads to worse clinical outcomes.
Herbicide efficacy for aquatic Alternanthera philoxeroides management in an early stage of invasion: integrating above‐ground biomass, below‐ground biomass and viable stem fragmentation
Authors: Clements D , Dugdale T M , Butler K L , Florentine S K , Sillitoe J 
Published: July 2017

SummaryAlternanthera philoxeroides is a problematic invasive plant in many regions of the world that is difficult to control once naturalised. It poses a threat to agricultural productivity, biodiversity and social amenity values of aquatic environments. Significant research has been conducted internationally, regarding the efficacy of different herbicides for control of A. philoxeroides. However, no studies have looked at key aspects of control for effective management in an early stage of invasion of aquatic environments, hindering eradication and control programmes. This study evaluates the efficacy of herbicides and surfactants on key A. philoxeroides response metrics, including control of above‐ground biomass, below‐ground biomass and production of viable stem fragments. This study concluded that glyphosate (isopropylamine salt) minimises viable stem fragment production post‐herbicide application, compared with imazapyr and metsulfuron, thus reducing the potential for dispersal throughout catchments and waterways. In contrast, imazapyr and metsulfuron provided more effective control than glyphosate for A. philoxeroides growing on exposed embankments. We propose that an effective management strategy for early invasion of aquatic A. philoxeroides, using herbicides, would be to conduct initial applications of glyphosate to control overwater biomass and limit dispersal of viable stem fragments. Once infestations have been forced back to the embankment, imazapyr or metsulfuron treatments will provide longer term control.
The Impact of Low Accelerometer Wear Time on the Estimates and Application of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Data in Adults
Authors: McGrath Ryan , Vella Chantal A. , Scruggs Philip W. , Peterson Mark D. , Williams Christopher J. , Paul David R. 
Published: July 2017

Background: This investigation sought to determine how accelerometer wear (1) biased estimates of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA), (2) affected misclassifications for meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and (3) impacted the results of regression models examining the association between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and a clinically relevant health outcome. Methods: A total of 100 participants [age: 20.6 (7.9) y] wore an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 15.9 (1.6) hours per day (reference dataset) on the hip. The BOD POD was used to determine body fat percentage. A data removal technique was applied to the reference dataset to create individual datasets with wear time ranging from 15 to 10 hours per day for SB and each intensity of PA. Results: Underestimations of SB and each intensity of PA increased as accelerometer wear time decreased by up to 167.2 minutes per day. These underestimations resulted in Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans misclassification rates of up to 42.9%. The regression models for the association between MVPA and body fat percentage demonstrated changes in the estimates for each wear-time adherence level when compared to the model using the reference MVPA data. Conclusions: Increasing accelerometer wear improves daily estimates of SB and PA, thereby also improving the precision of statistical inferences that are made from accelerometer data.
Bacillus subtilis
Protects Public Goods by Extending Kin Discrimination to Closely Related Species
Authors: Lyons Nicholas A. , Kolter Roberto 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Kin discrimination systems are found in numerous communal contexts like multicellularity and are theorized to prevent exploitation of cooperative behaviors. The kin discrimination system in
Bacillus subtilis
differs from most other such systems because it excludes nonkin cells rather than including kin cells. Because nonkin are the target of the system,
B. subtilis
can potentially distinguish degrees of nonkin relatedness, not just kin versus nonkin. We examined this by testing a large strain collection of diverse
Bacillus
species against
B. subtilis
in different multicellular contexts. The effects of kin discrimination extend to nearby species, as the other
subtilis
clade species were treated with the same antagonism as nonkin. Species in the less-related
pumilus
clade started to display varied phenotypes but were mostly still discriminated against, while
cereus
clade members and beyond were no longer subject to kin discrimination. Seeking a reason why other species are perceived as antagonistic nonkin, we tested the ability of
B. subtilis
to steal communally produced surfactant from these species. We found that the species treated as nonkin were the only ones that made a surfactant that
B. subtilis
could utilize and that nonkin antagonism prevented such stealing when the two strains were mixed. The nonkin exclusion kin discrimination method thus allows effective protection of the cooperative behaviors prevalent in multicellularity while still permitting interactions with more distant species that are not a threat.

IMPORTANCE
Multicellular systems like bacterial biofilms and swarms rely on cooperative behaviors that could be undermined by exploitative invaders. Discriminating kin from nonkin is one way to help guard against such exploitation but has thus far been examined only intraspecifically, so the phylogenetic range of this important trait is unknown. We tested whether
Bacillus subtilis
treats other species as nonkin by testing a single strain against a diverse collection of
Bacillus
isolates. We found that the species in the same clade were treated as nonkin, which then lessened in more distant relatives. Further experiments showed that these nonkin species produced a cooperative good that could be stolen by
B. subtilis
and that treating each other as nonkin largely prevented this exploitation. These results impact our understanding of interspecies interactions, as bacterial populations can interact only after they have diverged enough to no longer be a threat to their cooperative existences.
Economic evaluation of a community-based diagnostic pathway to stratify adults for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a Markov model informed by a feasibility study
Authors: Tanajewski Lukasz , Harris Rebecca , Harman David J , Aithal Guruprasad P , Card Timothy R , Gkountouras Georgios , Berdunov Vladislav , Guha Indra N , Elliott Rachel A 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesTo assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of a risk stratification pathway, compared with standard care, for detecting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in primary care.SettingPrimary care general practices in England.ParticipantsAdults who have been identified in primary care to have a risk factor for developing NAFLD, that is, type 2 diabetes without a history of excessive alcohol use.InterventionA community-based pathway, which uses transient elastography and hepatologists to stratify patients at risk of NAFLD, has been implemented and demonstrated to be feasible (NCT02037867). Earlier identification could mean earlier treatments, referral to specialist and enrolment into surveillance programmes.DesignThe impact of earlier detection and treatment with the risk stratification pathway on progression to later stages of liver disease was examined using decision modelling with Markov chains to estimate lifetime health and economic effects of the two comparators.Data sourcesData from a prospective cross-sectional feasibility study indicating risk stratification pathway and standard care diagnostic accuracies were combined with a Markov model that comprised the following states: no/mild liver disease, significant liver disease, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplant and death. The model data were chosen from up-to-date UK sources, published literature and an expert panel.Outcome measureAn incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) indicating cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of the risk stratification pathway compared with standard care was estimated.ResultsThe risk stratification pathway was more effective than standard care and costs £2138 per QALY gained. The ICER was most sensitive to estimates of the rate of fibrosis progression and the effect of treatment on reducing this, and ranged from −£1895 to £7032/QALY. The risk stratification pathway demonstrated an 85% probability of cost-effectiveness at the UK willingness-to-pay threshold of £20 000/QALY.ConclusionsImplementation of a community-based risk stratification pathway is likely to be cost-effective.Trial registration numberNCT02037867, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Determinants of knowledge of critical danger signs, safe childbirth and immediate newborn care practices among auxiliary midwives: a cross sectional survey in Myanmar
Authors: Than Kyu Kyu , Morgan Alison , Pham Minh Duc , Beeson James G , Luchters Stanley 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesThe re-emergence of community-based health workers such as the auxiliary midwives (AMWs) in Myanmar, who are local female volunteers, has been an important strategy to address global health workforce shortages. The Myanmar government recommends one AMW for every village. The aim of this study is to investigate the current knowledge of critical danger signs and practices for safe childbirth and immediate newborn care of AMWs to inform potential task shifting of additional healthcare responsibilities.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2015 to June 2016 in three hard-to-reach areas in Myanmar. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a pretested questionnaire.ResultsAmong 262 AMWs participating in the study, only 8% of AMWs were able to identify at least 80% of 20 critical danger signs. Factors associated with greater knowledge of critical danger signs included older age over 35 years (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.19, 95% CI 0.99 to 4.83), having received refresher training within the last year (AOR 2.20, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.01) and receiving adequate supervision (AOR 5.04, 95% CI 2.74 to 9.29). Those who employed all six safe childbirth and immediate newborn care practices were more likely to report greater knowledge of danger signs (AOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.50 to 5.26), adequate work supervision (AOR 3.18 95% CI 1.62 to 6.24) and less education (AOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.88).ConclusionThe low level of knowledge of critical danger signs and reported practices for safe childbirth identified suggest that an evaluation of the current AMW training and supervision programme needs to be revisited to ensure that existing practices, including recognition of danger signs, meet quality care standards before new interventions are introduced or new responsibilities given to AMWs.
Retinal embolic events: frequency and impact following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic stenosis
Authors: Fusi-Rubiano William J , Yang Yit C , Smallwood Andrew F , Chavan Randhir C , Khogali Saib , Narendran Nirodhini , Cotton James M 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesTranscatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. It has a cerebrovascular accident rate of about 5% but the effect on retinal embolic events has not been previously reported. This study investigated the occurrence of retinal emboli following TAVI.Methods and analysisIn this prospective observational study, 20 patients underwent full ophthalmic examination to assess retinal embolic events prior to TAVI and at 48 hours and 1 month post-TAVI.ResultsAt 48 hours post-TAVI, one patient had a new cotton wool spot in the right eye. At 1 month, another two patients had new retinal emboli events in at least one eye and a fourth patient developed retinal splinter haemorrhages in the right eye.ConclusionRetinal embolic events and new retinal abnormalities following TAVI occurred in 15% and 20% of our cohort, respectively, without any associated retinal damage or significant visual problems. Retinal evaluation may be a useful surrogate test for cerebral embolisation in future studies assessing the utility of new valve prostheses and embolic protection devices
A cost-effectiveness analysis of condom distribution programmes for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in England
Authors: Sadler Susannah , Tosh Jon , Pennington Rebekah , Rawdin Andrew , Squires Hazel , Romero Carmen , Fischer Alastair , Chilcott James 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundPrevention of sexually transmitted infection (STI) incidence in England is a high priority, particularly among young people, men who have sex with men (MSM) and black ethnic minorities. An economic evaluation of condom distribution programmes (CDPs) to reduce STI transmission is presented.MethodsAn economic model using a Bernoulli process estimated the number of people acquiring an STI as a function of its prevalence, transmission rate, condom use, condom failure rate and number of sexual contacts. Models were developed for young people (13–24 years), black ethnic minorities, MSM and the general English population. Effectiveness evidence came from a recent systematic review. For young people, a CDP was modelled (relative risk for condom use=1.23), along with an exploratory analysis of the impact on unintended pregnancies. For other populations, threshold analyses were used to identify the combination of costs and effect size required to make a programme cost-effective.ResultsThe base case predicted that CDP for all young people in England could avert 5123 STI cases per annum, with an incremental cost–effectiveness ratio of £17 411. In addition, it could avert 118 pregnancies and 82 abortions and save £333 000 in associated costs. Schemes for black ethnic minorities and MSM could also be cost-effective even with relatively high costs and small effect sizes.ConclusionCDPs for young people are likely to be cost-effective or cost-saving. CDPs for other high-risk populations may also be cost-effective if they can increase condom use, since high HIV prevalence in these groups imposes a considerable health and cost burden.
Alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality: an analysis of general practice database records for patients with long-term conditions
Authors: Stewart Duncan , Han Lu , Doran Tim , McCambridge Jim 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundAlcohol is a risk factor for ill health and reduced life expectancy, but little is known about the impact of alcohol on mortality for people with existing long-term conditions. We used primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) to study relationships between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality among general practice patients with long-term conditions.MethodsData were accessed from a sample of 125 general practices from the CPRD database. Adult patients with long-term health conditions, a record of alcohol consumption in CPRD and at least 1 year of follow-up data between 2000 and 2014 (n=95 991) were matched to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality register.ResultsIn Cox proportional hazards regression models, mortality was higher for patients consuming 25–34 units of alcohol per week (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.42) and 35 units or more (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.51 to 1.94), compared with those drinking 1–7 units per week. Patterns of mortality risk were the same for men and women. Heavy drinking increased mortality risk in combination with smoking (HR 4.04, 95% CI 3.41 to 4.79) and high levels of deprivation (HR 3.01, 95% CI 2.40 to 3.79).ConclusionsHeavier drinkers with long-term conditions are at significantly greater risk of death than lighter drinkers. The findings support the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidance on having similar low-risk alcohol consumption guidelines for men and women. More needs to be done to tackle alcohol consumption among patients with long-term conditions.
Land bidding game with conflicting interest and its quantum solution
Authors: Situ Haozhen , Alonso-Sanz Ramón , Li Lvzhou , Zhang Cai 
Published: July 2017

Recently, the first conflicting interest quantum game based on the nonlocality property of quantum mechanics has been introduced in A. Pappa, N. Kumar, T. Lawson, M. Santha, S. Y. Zhang, E. Diamanti and I. Kerenidis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 (2015) 020401. Several quantum games of the same genre have also been proposed subsequently. However, these games are constructed from some well-known Bell inequalities, thus are quite abstract and lack of realistic interpretations. In the present paper, we modify the common interest land bidding game introduced in N. Brunner and N. Linden, Nat. Commun. 4 (2013) 2057, which is also based on nonlocality and can be understood as two companies collaborating in developing a project. The modified game has conflicting interest and reflects the free rider problem in economics. Then we show that it has a fair quantum solution that leads to better outcome. Finally, we study how several types of paradigmatic noise affect the outcome of this game.
The Drivers of Capital Flows in Emerging Markets Post Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Hannan Swarnali Ahmed 
Published: July 2017

The paper studies the determinants of various instruments of capital flows, using 34 emerging markets and developing economies over 2009Q3–2015Q4. The regressions are extended to focus on quarters with flows that are one standard deviation above/below mean. Overall, the capital flow slowdown in recent years is due to lower growth prospects of recipient countries and worsening global risk sentiment. However, there are considerable differences across instruments. The sensitivity of some flows, towards push/pull factors, increases during periods of extreme capital flows. The gap between the US long- and short-term maturity bond yields — insignificant during normal times — is important during high capital flow episodes.