bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Randomised clinical trial: addition of alginate‐antacid (Gaviscon Double Action) to proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients with breakthrough symptoms
Authors: Coyle C. , Crawford G. , Wilkinson J. , Thomas S. J. , Bytzer P. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryBackgroundSymptomatic breakthrough in proton pump inhibitor (PPI)‐treated gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients is a common problem with a range of underlying causes. The nonsystemic, raft‐forming action of alginates may help resolve symptoms.AimTo assess alginate‐antacid (Gaviscon Double Action, RB, Slough, UK) as add‐on therapy to once‐daily PPI for suppression of breakthrough reflux symptoms.MethodsIn two randomised, double‐blind studies (exploratory, n=52; confirmatory, n=262), patients taking standard‐dose PPI who had breakthrough symptoms, assessed by Heartburn Reflux Dyspepsia Questionnaire (HRDQ), were randomised to add‐on Gaviscon or placebo (20 mL after meals and bedtime). The exploratory study endpoint was change in HRDQ score during treatment vs run‐in. The confirmatory study endpoint was “response” defined as ≥3 days reduction in the number of “bad” days (HRDQ [heartburn/regurgitation] >0.70) during treatment vs run‐in.ResultsIn the exploratory study, significantly greater reductions in HRDQ scores (heartburn/regurgitation) were observed in the Gaviscon vs placebo (least squares mean difference [95% CI] −2.10 [−3.71 to −0.48]; P=.012). Post hoc “responder” analysis of the exploratory study also revealed significantly more Gaviscon patients (75%) achieved ≥3 days reduction in “bad” days vs placebo patients (36%), P=.005. In the confirmatory study, symptomatic improvement was observed with add‐on Gaviscon (51%) but there was no significant difference in response vs placebo (48%) (OR (95% CI) 1.15 (0.69‐1.91), P=.5939).ConclusionsAdding Gaviscon to PPI reduced breakthrough GERD symptoms but a nearly equal response was observed for placebo. Response to intervention may vary according to whether symptoms are functional in origin.
Significant positive association of endotoxemia with histological severity in 237 patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Pang J. , Xu W. , Zhang X. , Wong G. L.‐H. , Chan A. W.‐H. , Chan H.‐Y. , Tse C.‐H. , Shu S. S.‐T. , Choi P. C.‐L. , Chan H. L.‐Y. , Yu J. , Wong V. W.‐S. 
Published: May 2017

SummaryBackgroundPatients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have gut dysbiosis and intestinal bacterial overgrowth.AimTo test the hypothesis that endotoxemia is associated with the histological severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and determine factors associated with endotoxemia.MethodsThe endotoxemia markers lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) and endotoxin levels were measured in 237 NAFLD patients 1 day before liver biopsy. Biomarkers of liver injury and transient elastography were performed as additional markers of disease severity.ResultsA total of 114/237 (48%) patients had NASH and 80/237 (34%) had F2‐4 fibrosis. LBP was correlated with lobular inflammation (P=.001), while both LBP (P=.0004) and endotoxin levels (P=0.008) were correlated with fibrosis. LBP was also correlated with cytokeratin‐18 fragments (P=.002) and aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐alanine aminotransferase ratio (P=.006), and both LBP (P=.019) and endotoxin (P=.006) were correlated with liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography. LBP was increased in patients with NASH (15.3±4.6 vs 13.8±3.3 μg/mL; P=.005) and F2‐4 fibrosis (15.4±4.4 vs 14.0±3.7 μg/mL; P=.008). Interestingly, patients harbouring the TM6SF2 rs58542926 T allele that predispose to NAFLD/NASH had higher LBP level. By multivariate analysis, gender, higher body mass index and glycated haemoglobin, and TM6SF2 variants were independent factors associated with increased LBP level.ConclusionsEndotoxemia is positively associated with NASH and significant fibrosis. The association between TM6SF2 and endotoxemia warrants further investigations. The findings may shed light on the pathogenesis of NASH and inform a novel treatment target.
Labor after cesarean delivery managed without induction or augmentation of labor
Authors: Nakamura Kohei , Hayashi Shusaku , Sasahara Jun , Okamoto Yoko , Ishii Keisuke , Mitsuda Nobuaki 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to describe the perinatal outcomes of women opting for vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) managed without induction or augmentation of labor.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of candidates for VBAC at a tertiary center in Japan from April 2003 to March 2012. Women with singleton gestations and one prior low‐transverse cesarean delivery who intended VBAC at 36 weeks of gestation were identified as candidates for VBAC and included in the study. Participants were managed without induction or augmentation of labor. Maternal characteristics and perinatal outcomes were obtained from medical records. Factors associated with successful VBAC were analyzed with a multivariable logistic regression model.ResultsOf 333 candidates for VBAC, 242 (72.7%) had vaginal birth, 49 (14.7%) had repeat cesarean delivery with spontaneous labor, and 42 (12.6%) had repeat cesarean delivery without spontaneous labor. The rate of uterine rupture was 0.3% (1/333). Prior vaginal delivery and nonrecurring indications for prior cesarean delivery were associated with successful VBAC.ConclusionsManagement of candidates for VBAC without induction or augmentation of labor resulted in a high VBAC rate and favorable perinatal outcomes. Such restrictive VBAC policies may be an acceptable alternative to standard management or abandonment of VBAC.
Drug metabolism and antibiotic resistance in micro‐organisms
Authors: Sim Edith , Ryan Ali 
Published: May 2017

Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Drug Metabolism and Antibiotic Resistance in Micro‐organisms. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.14/issuetoc
Developmental temperatures and phenotypic plasticity in reptiles: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Noble Daniel W. A. , Stenhouse Vaughn , Schwanz Lisa E. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTEarly environments can profoundly influence an organism in ways that persist over its life. In reptiles, early thermal environments (nest temperatures) can impact offspring phenotype and survival in important ways, yet we still lack an understanding of whether general trends exist and the magnitude of impact. Understanding these patterns is important in predicting how climate change will affect reptile populations and the role of phenotypic plasticity in buffering populations. We compiled data from 175 reptile studies to examine, and quantify, the effect of incubation temperature on phenotype and survival. Using meta‐analytic approaches (standardized mean difference between incubation treatments, Hedges' g), we show that across all trait types examined there is, on average, a moderate to large magnitude of effect of incubation temperatures (absolute effect: |g| = 0.75). Unsurprisingly, this influence was extremely large for incubation duration, as predicted, with warmer temperatures decreasing incubation time overall (g = −8.42). Other trait types, including behaviour, physiology, morphology, performance, and survival experienced reduced, but still mostly moderate to large effects, with particularly strong effects on survival. Moreover, the impact of incubation temperature persisted at least one‐year post‐hatching, suggesting that these effects have the potential to impact fitness in the long term. The magnitude of effect increased as the change in temperature increased (e.g. 6°C versus 2°C) in almost all cases, and tended to decrease when temperatures of the treatments fluctuated around a mean temperature compared to when they were constant. The effect also depended on the mid‐temperature of the comparison, but not in consistent ways, with some traits experiencing the greatest effects at extreme temperatures, while others did not. The highly heterogeneous nature of the effects we observe, along with a large amount of unexplained variability, indicates that the shape of reaction norms between phenotype and temperature, along with ecological and/or experimental factors, are important when considering general patterns. Our analyses provide new insights into the effects of incubation environments on reptile phenotype and survival and allow general, albeit coarse, predictions for taxa experiencing warming nest temperatures under climatic change.
Phylogenetic perspectives on reef fish functional traits
Authors: Floeter Sergio R. , Bender Mariana G. , Siqueira Alexandre C. , Cowman Peter F. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTFunctional traits have been fundamental to the evolution and diversification of entire fish lineages on coral reefs. Yet their relationship with the processes promoting speciation, extinction and the filtering of local species pools remains unclear. We review the current literature exploring the evolution of diet, body size, water column use and geographic range size in reef‐associated fishes. Using published and new data, we mapped functional traits on to published phylogenetic trees to uncover evolutionary patterns that have led to the current functional diversity of fishes on coral reefs. When examining reconstructed patterns for diet and feeding mode, we found examples of independent transitions to planktivory across different reef fish families. Such transitions and associated morphological alterations may represent cases in which ecological opportunity for the exploitation of different resources drives speciation and adaptation. In terms of body size, reconstructions showed that both large and small sizes appear multiple times within clades of mid‐sized fishes and that extreme body sizes have arisen mostly in the last 10 million years (Myr). The reconstruction of range size revealed many cases of disparate range sizes among sister species. Such range size disparity highlights potential vicariant processes through isolation in peripheral locations. When accounting for peripheral speciation processes in sister pairs, we found a significant relationship between labrid range size and lineage age. The diversity and evolution of traits within lineages is influenced by trait–environment interactions as well as by species and trait–trait interactions, where the presence of a given trait may trigger the development of related traits or behaviours. Our effort to assess the evolution of functional diversity across reef fish clades adds to the burgeoning research focusing on the evolutionary and ecological roles of functional traits. We argue that the combination of a phylogenetic and a functional approach will improve the understanding of the mechanisms of species assembly in extraordinarily rich coral reef communities.
Renewal of peritonsillar abscess: Impact of the bacterial species of the infection and clinical features of the patient—A prospective comparative aetiological study
Authors: Wikstén J. , Kaltiainen E. , Pitkäranta A. , Blomgren K. 
Published: May 2017

ObjectivesTo compare the bacterial species and patient clinical features in peritonsillar abscesses between patients who had renewal (renewal group) and those who did not (recovery group).DesignProspective comparative aetiological study.SettingTertiary referral centre.ParticipantsA total of 180 adult peritonsillar abscess patients were prospectively enrolled and treated as outpatients with incision and drainage and oral antibiotics. Bacteria from the pus were evaluated with a microarray assay. All contact with the healthcare system and renewal of the symptoms were recorded.Main outcome measuresDifferent bacterial species and patient clinical features between the renewal and recovery groups.ResultsOf the 180 enrolled patients, 18 experienced a renewal of symptoms. Bacteria from the Streptococcus anginosus group were detected in the patient samples of the renewal group more often than in those of the recovery group (P=.002). No isolated Streptococcus pyogenes samples were reported in the renewal group, while in the recovery group it was reported on 24% of the patients (P=.014). In the renewal group, patients over age 40 experienced symptom renewal faster than the younger patients (P=.013) and were more likely to be male (P=.036).ConclusionsBacteria in the Streptococcus anginosus group appear to predict renewal of PTA symptoms, while Streptococcus pyogenes was not found in our patients with symptom renewal. Certain subgroups of patients should be followed more closely.
Patient injuries in operative rhinology during a ten‐year period: Review of national patient insurance charts
Authors: Blomgren K. , Aaltonen L.‐M. , Lehtonen L. , Helmiö P. 
Published: May 2017

ObjectivesTo assess factors contributing to patient injuries in operative rhinology.DesignData of the accepted patient injury claims involving operative rhinology, between the years 2001 and 2011, were obtained from the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre registry. Two senior otolaryngologists analysed and evaluated the injury mechanisms.Main outcome measuresAnalysis and classification of factors contributing to patient injuries.ResultsDuring the ten‐year study period, there were 67 patient injuries in operative rhinology, comprising 36% of all patient injuries in otorhinolaryngologic surgery. The majority (78%) of patients were treated in university or central hospitals and almost all (90%) by fully trained otolaryngology specialists. The factors contributing to the injuries were errors in surgical technique, like lesions to the orbit, skull base and meninges, and adjacent nerves, as well as mistakes with removable packings left in situ. Nearly half of the patients had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery. One patient died because of bleeding from the intracranial artery. Fourteen patients (21%) needed a re‐operation due to the injury.ConclusionsPatient injuries in rhinology were caused by typical complications of common operations performed by otorhinolaryngology specialists. The increased volume of endoscopic sinus surgery was evident also in patient injuries.
Current studies of immunotherapy in head and neck cancer
Authors: Dogan V. , Rieckmann T. , Münscher A. , Busch C.‐J. 
Published: May 2017

BackgroundRecently, enormous progress in cancer therapy has been achieved by the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Activating the body's own immune system has added a novel and powerful therapeutic option for the treatment of melanoma and lung cancer. Furthermore, the potential use of immunotherapy is being extensively explored also in other malignancies.Objective of reviewThis review summarises current clinical studies using immune checkpoint modulators for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNSCC).Type of reviewSystematic review.Search strategyA PubMed search from 2010 onwards was performed for the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials of HNSCC. An equivalent search was performed at clinicaltrials.gov. Additionally, the abstracts from the annual meetings of the ASCO, ESMO and AACR were screened.ResultsA total of 45 relevant studies using immune checkpoint inhibitors in HNSCC were identified. In the majority of these studies, antagonistic antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint receptors PD‐1 are used either solely or combined, mostly with other immunomodulatory antibodies, such as inhibitors of CTLA‐4. Most studies are still recruiting patients (26/45). In the primary setting, we identified 16 studies using checkpoint inhibition as neoadjuvant/adjuvant modality for treatment with curative intent. The response rate upon treatment with PD‐1 antagonists in relation to the PD‐L1 status is being investigated in 12 trials. Novel immune checkpoint modulators combined with the inhibition of the PD‐1/PD‐L1 axis or CTLA‐4 have been set up in six trials. So far, only four studies that use immune checkpoint inhibition in HNSCC have presented results and all of these explored the inhibition of the PD‐1/PD‐L1 axis. The studies demonstrated overall response rates (ORR) in the range of 20%. These preliminary data suggest that a PD‐L1 expression ≥1% is associated with a higher response rate compared to a PD‐L1 expression ≤1%. The anti‐PD‐1‐antibody pembrolizumab extended the duration of response in recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) HNSCC (by approximately 53 weeks) in a phase Ib study. Therefore, pembrolizumab was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of platinum refractory R/M HNSCC by the FDA.ConclusionNumerous clinical trials are addressing the suitability and efficacy of immune checkpoint modulators in HNSCC with the predominant targets being the established immune checkpoint receptors PD‐1/PD‐L1 and CTLA‐4. Recently, presented results have shown a survival benefit, a favourable safety profile and an extended duration of response in favour of using immune checkpoint modulation in R/M HNSCC.
Solar radiation and functional traits explain the decline of forest primary productivity along a tropical elevation gradient
Authors: Fyllas Nikolaos M. , Bentley Lisa Patrick , Shenkin Alexander , Asner Gregory P. , Atkin Owen K. , Díaz Sandra , Enquist Brian J. , Farfan‐Rios William , Gloor Emanuel , Guerrieri Rossella , Huasco Walter Huaraca , Ishida Yoko , Martin Roberta E. , Meir Patrick , Phillips Oliver , Salinas Norma , Silman Miles , Weerasinghe Lasantha K , Zaragoza‐Castells Joana , Malhi Yadvinder 
Published: May 2017

AbstractOne of the major challenges in ecology is to understand how ecosystems respond to changes in environmental conditions, and how taxonomic and functional diversity mediate these changes. In this study, we use a trait‐spectra and individual‐based model, to analyse variation in forest primary productivity along a 3.3 km elevation gradient in the Amazon‐Andes. The model accurately predicted the magnitude and trends in forest productivity with elevation, with solar radiation and plant functional traits (leaf dry mass per area, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentration, and wood density) collectively accounting for productivity variation. Remarkably, explicit representation of temperature variation with elevation was not required to achieve accurate predictions of forest productivity, as trait variation driven by species turnover appears to capture the effect of temperature. Our semi‐mechanistic model suggests that spatial variation in traits can potentially be used to estimate spatial variation in productivity at the landscape scale.
The Roles of Pinyin Skill in English‐Chinese Biliteracy Learning: Evidence From Chinese Immersion Learners
Authors: Lü Chan 
Published: May 2017

AbstractPinyin is a sound‐annotating system for Chinese characters using Roman letters. Teaching and learning Pinyin has been an important educational practice in Mainland China for native Chinese children, and it is also typically taught to beginning learners of Chinese as a foreign/second language in tertiary‐level classrooms. However, whether it should be taught to nonnative children who are studying Chinese as a second language has been controversial. This study examined the roles of Pinyin skill in Chinese‐English biliteracy learning among a group of second‐grade learners in a Chinese immersion program across one academic year and found that Pinyin facilitates subsequent Chinese word reading at no cost to students’ English literacy learning. Results are discussed in the context of learning Chinese as a nonnative language among young learners in school settings. Implications for teaching Chinese reading, curriculum, and material design, especially for Chinese immersion programs, are discussed.
Higher yields and lower methane emissions with new rice cultivars
Authors: Jiang Yu , van Groenigen Kees Jan , Huang Shan , Hungate Bruce A. , van Kessel Chris , Hu Shuijin , Zhang Jun , Wu Lianhai , Yan Xiaojun , Wang Lili , Chen Jin , Hang Xiaoning , Zhang Yi , Horwath William R. , Ye Rongzhong , Linquist Bruce A. , Song Zhenwei , Zheng Chengyan , Deng Aixing , Zhang Weijian 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBreeding high‐yielding rice cultivars through increasing biomass is a key strategy to meet rising global food demands. Yet, increasing rice growth can stimulate methane (CH4) emissions, exacerbating global climate change, as rice cultivation is a major source of this powerful greenhouse gas. Here, we show in a series of experiments that high‐yielding rice cultivars actually reduce CH4 emissions from typical paddy soils. Averaged across 33 rice cultivars, a biomass increase of 10% resulted in a 10.3% decrease in CH4 emissions in a soil with a high carbon (C) content. Compared to a low‐yielding cultivar, a high‐yielding cultivar significantly increased root porosity and the abundance of methane‐consuming microorganisms, suggesting that the larger and more porous root systems of high‐yielding cultivars facilitated CH4 oxidation by promoting O2 transport to soils. Our results were further supported by a meta‐analysis, showing that high‐yielding rice cultivars strongly decrease CH4 emissions from paddy soils with high organic C contents. Based on our results, increasing rice biomass by 10% could reduce annual CH4 emissions from Chinese rice agriculture by 7.1%. Our findings suggest that modern rice breeding strategies for high‐yielding cultivars can substantially mitigate paddy CH4 emission in China and other rice growing regions.
Asymmetric effects of cooler and warmer winters on beech phenology last beyond spring
Authors: Signarbieux Constant , Toledano Ester , Sanginés de Carcer Paula , Fu Yongshuo H. , Schlaepfer Rodolphe , Buttler Alexandre , Vitasse Yann 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIn temperate trees, the timings of plant growth onset and cessation affect biogeochemical cycles, water, and energy balance. Currently, phenological studies largely focus on specific phenophases and on their responses to warming. How differently spring phenology responds to the warming and cooling, and affects the subsequent phases, has not been yet investigated in trees. Here, we exposed saplings of Fagus sylvatica L. to warmer and cooler climate during the winter 2013–2014 by conducting a reciprocal transplant experiment between two elevations (1,340 vs. 371 m a.s.l., ca. 6°C difference) in the Swiss Jura mountains. To test the legacy effects of earlier or later budburst on the budset timing, saplings were moved back to their original elevation shortly after the occurrence of budburst in spring 2014. One degree decrease in air temperature in winter/spring resulted in a delay of 10.9 days in budburst dates, whereas one degree of warming advanced the date by 8.8 days. Interestingly, we also found an asymmetric effect of the warmer winter vs. cooler winter on the budset timing in late summer. Budset of saplings that experienced a cooler winter was delayed by 31 days compared to the control, whereas it was delayed by only 10 days in saplings that experienced a warmer winter. Budburst timing in 2015 was not significantly impacted by the artificial advance or delay of the budburst timing in 2014, indicating that the legacy effects of the different phenophases might be reset during each winter. Adapting phenological models to the whole annual phenological cycle, and considering the different response to cooling and warming, would improve predictions of tree phenology under future climate warming conditions.