bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A clinical risk score for pulmonary artery thrombosis during acute chest syndrome in adult patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Winchenne Anaïs , Cecchini Jérôme , Deux Jean‐François , De Prost Nicolas , Razazi Keyvan , Carteaux Guillaume , Galacteros Frederic , Habibi Anoosha , Bartolucci Pablo , Melica Giovanna , Khellaf Mehdi , Michel Marc , Maitre Bernard , Mekontso Dessap Armand 
Published: September 2017

SummaryPulmonary artery thrombosis (PAT) is involved in lung vascular dysfunction during acute chest syndrome (ACS) complicating sickle cell disease (SCD). No clinical score is available to identify patients eligible for multi‐detector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography during ACS. This retrospective study aimed to develop a risk score for PAT during ACS (PAT‐ACS risk score). Patients with SCD were investigated by MDCT during ACS. A logistic regression was performed to determine independent risks factors for PAT and to build the PAT‐ACS risk score. A total of 43 episodes (11·9%) of PAT were diagnosed in 361 episodes of ACS. Multivariate analysis identified four risk factors, which were included in the PAT‐ACS risk score: a baseline haemoglobin >82 g/l, the lack of a triggering factor for ACS, a platelet count >440 × 109/l and a PaCO2 <38 mmHg at ACS diagnosis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the PAT‐ACS risk score was 0·74 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0·69–0·79) and differed from that of the revised Geneva score (0·63 (95% CI 0·58–0·69); P = 0·04). The negative predictive value of a PAT‐ACS risk score ≥2 was 94%. In conclusion, we propose a simple clinical risk score to identify SCD patients at high risk of PAT during ACS.
Is systems pharmacology ready to impact upon therapy development? A study on the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway
Authors: Benson Helen E , Watterson Steven , Sharman Joanna L , Mpamhanga Chido P , Parton Andrew , Southan Christopher , Harmar Anthony J , Ghazal Peter 
Published: September 2017

Background and PurposeAn ever‐growing wealth of information on current drugs and their pharmacological effects is available from online databases. As our understanding of systems biology increases, we have the opportunity to predict, model and quantify how drug combinations can be introduced that outperform conventional single‐drug therapies. Here, we explore the feasibility of such systems pharmacology approaches with an analysis of the mevalonate branch of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.Experimental ApproachUsing open online resources, we assembled a computational model of the mevalonate pathway and compiled a set of inhibitors directed against targets in this pathway. We used computational optimization to identify combination and dose options that show not only maximal efficacy of inhibition on the cholesterol producing branch but also minimal impact on the geranylation branch, known to mediate the side effects of pharmaceutical treatment.Key ResultsWe describe serious impediments to systems pharmacology studies arising from limitations in the data, incomplete coverage and inconsistent reporting. By curating a more complete dataset, we demonstrate the utility of computational optimization for identifying multi‐drug treatments with high efficacy and minimal off‐target effects.Conclusion and ImplicationsWe suggest solutions that facilitate systems pharmacology studies, based on the introduction of standards for data capture that increase the power of experimental data. We propose a systems pharmacology workflow for the refinement of data and the generation of future therapeutic hypotheses.
The meaning of play for children and young people with physical disabilities: A systematic thematic synthesis
Authors: Graham N. , Nye C. , Mandy A. , Clarke C. , Morriss‐Roberts C. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractBackgroundChildren and young people with physical disabilities are often reported to play less than their typically developing peers. Few studies explore the meaning of play from the child's perspective; this study carried out a thematic synthesis of the findings of qualitative studies about the meaning of play following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines.MethodsA search of CINAHL, AHMED, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ERIC was undertaken between September 2015 and March 2016. Qualitative studies exploring the meaning of play from the perspective of 0‐ to 18‐year‐olds with physical disabilities impacting function were included. Quality appraisal and thematic synthesis were undertaken in order to develop analytical themes.ResultsThirteen studies met the inclusion criteria in part addressing the meaning of play for children and young people with physical disabilities. Synthesis of the findings identified 5 analytical themes: Play can feel both positive and negative; play can draw attention towards or away from my disability; play is a social interaction; I participate differently to my peers, and needing help feels normal.ConclusionsThe themes highlight the potential for play experiences of individuals with physical disabilities being overlooked by parents and professionals; further research is needed to explore play experience from these individual's perspective.
Young care leavers' expectations of their future: A question of time horizon
Authors: Bengtsson Mattias , Sjöblom Yvonne , Öberg Peter 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThis paper investigates young care leavers' expectations of their future after discharge from care. The results are based on qualitative longitudinal data where 16‐ to 21‐year‐old care leavers (n = 15) were interviewed twice, first when still in care but planning for their discharge (T1) and the second time 6–9 months later (T2). The analysis using a general inductive approach showed that their expectations were dependent on the time horizon and that there was an obvious difference between the young informants' short‐ and long‐term expectations. Their short‐term expectations consisted of worries connected to their approaching discharge (at T1) and how to cope with challenges of everyday life after discharge from care (at T2). These results seem to echo negative outcomes shown in previous quantitative research. However, the informants' long‐term expectations provide a different picture, being mainly positive in both interviews (T1 and T2). The results are discussed from a life course perspective, where the informants' visions of their future are framed and understood in terms of the different stages of their transition process.
Uniformization and Density Adaptation for Point Cloud Data Via Graph Laplacian
Authors: Luo Chuanjiang , Ge Xiaoyin , Wang Yusu 
Published: September 2017

AbstractPoint cloud data is one of the most common types of input for geometric processing applications. In this paper, we study the point cloud density adaptation problem that underlies many pre‐processing tasks of points data. Specifically, given a (sparse) set of points Q sampling an unknown surface and a target density function, the goal is to adapt Q to match the target distribution. We propose a simple and robust framework that is effective at achieving both local uniformity and precise global density distribution control. Our approach relies on the Gaussian‐weighted graph Laplacian and works purely in the points setting. While it is well known that graph Laplacian is related to mean‐curvature flow and thus has denoising ability, our algorithm uses certain information encoded in the graph Laplacian that is orthogonal to the mean‐curvature flow. Furthermore, by leveraging the natural scale parameter contained in the Gaussian kernel and combining it with a simulated annealing idea, our algorithm moves points in a multi‐scale manner. The resulting algorithm relies much less on the input points to have a good initial distribution (neither uniform nor close to the target density distribution) than many previous refinement‐based methods. We demonstrate the simplicity and effectiveness of our algorithm with point clouds sampled from different underlying surfaces with various geometric and topological properties.
The prognostic significance of tricuspid valve regurgitation in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Chen Libo , Larsen Carolyn M. , Le Rachel J. , Connolly Heidi M. , Pislaru Sorin V. , Murphy Joseph G. , McGoon Michael D. , Frantz Robert P. , Kane Garvan C. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractIntroductionTricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is a frequent finding in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, its prognostic significance and relation to PAH, while suspected, are poorly understood. We assessed 727 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PAH who underwent transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation of tricuspid valve function.ObjectivesThe study objective was to determine the association of TR presence and severity with patient characteristics, pulmonary artery hemodynamics and outcome.MethodsConsecutive patients with newly diagnosed PAH (N = 727 with group 1 pulmonary hypertension) underwent transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation of tricuspid valve function at diagnosis. The primary study end point was all‐cause mortality or lung transplantation.ResultsIn this population, 702 patients (96.5%) had TR; in 165 patients (23%), TR was severe. Compared with those with no or mild TR by echocardiography criteria, patients with severe TR had shorter mean (SD) 6‐minute walk distances (285 [125] m vs 360 [121] m; P = .02) and higher levels of B‐type natriuretic peptide (695 [672] pg/dL vs 328 [300] pg/dL; P < .05). Severe TR was associated with greater right atrial dilatation (91% vs 47%; P = .004) and right ventricular (RV) dilatation (92% vs 51%; P = .008), greater right atrial pressure (mean [SD] 15 [7] mm Hg vs 10 [6] mm Hg; P < .001) and lower cardiac index (mean [SD], 2.2 [0.7] L/min/m2 vs 2.8 [0.9] L/min/m2; P < .001). Severe TR was strongly predictive of greater 5‐year mortality risk after adjustment for age, sex, functional class, 6‐minute walk distance, diffusing capacity, RV size and pulmonary vascular resistance index (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.38‐2.41; P < .001).ConclusionsSevere TR was a significant predictor of long‐term mortality rate in PAH, and TR severity correlated with PAH severity.
Financing the 450 Year Road: Land Expropriation and Politics ‘All the Way Down’ in Vientiane, Laos
Authors: Pathammavong Bounnhong , Kenney‐Lazar Miles , Sayaraj Ek Vinay 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTOver the past decade, the Lao government has developed the policy of ‘Turning Land into Capital’ (TLIC), a strategy for generating revenue and economic value from ‘state land’. The 450 Year Road Project built along the periphery of the Laotian capital, Vientiane, linking the national highway with the Thai border, was financed using a TLIC model. Additional land to the side of the road was acquired to be resold at rates significantly higher than the compensation provided to landowners. Prior to construction, however, most of the land had already been purchased by external buyers, who impeded the project's development by refusing to concede their newly purchased plots. This article contributes to the literature on political reactions ‘from below’ to land grabbing by arguing that in order to understand the operational success or failure of land development projects, it is imperative to analyse the politics that pervade such investments ‘all the way down’ — the interrelated roles, interests and relations of involved actors and groups in all positions of power within society. The 450 Year Road project stalled due to its failure to take into account the interests and politics of seemingly compliant actors, particularly landowning farm households and speculative land buyers.
Plant species, mycorrhiza, and aphid age influence the performance and behaviour of a generalist
Authors: TOMCZAK VIKTORIA V. , MÜLLER CAROLINE 
Published: September 2017

1. Life‐history traits of herbivores are shaped by the combination of various extrinsic and intrinsic variables. However, studies investigating the impact of both variables on insect behavioural phenotypes are rare, and research including the modulation of host plant quality by arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) (extrinsic variable) and the herbivore developmental stage (intrinsic variable) on aphid behaviour is lacking.2. To study the influences of extrinsic and intrinsic variables on aphid performance and behaviour, individuals of the generalist aphid pest Myzus persicae (Sulzer) were reared on Plantago lanceolata and Poa annua plants that were either non‐mycorrhized (NM) or mycorrhized (AM). Aphid performance was monitored over 2 weeks. Behavioural traits of nymphs were recorded twice during development after removing individuals from their feeding sites and placing them in an unknown environment (‘open field’), causing disturbance. Plant quality was determined by measuring the water content and leaf mass per area (LMA).3. Differences in body mass of nymphs at day 6 dependent on plant species and treatment were compensated by the individuals within 4 days. Behavioural traits, considered as activity and exploration, were affected by the interaction between extrinsic and intrinsic variables (activity and exploration) and changed over ontogeny (activity). Independent of AM, a lower water content and LMA were recorded in P. annua leaves.4. Overall, this study demonstrates that extrinsic and intrinsic variables need to be considered in combination and behavioural traits should be studied repeatedly during insect ontogeny to understand the complexity of microbe‐modulated plant–herbivore interactions.
Cost‐effective screening of DNMT3A coding sequence identifies somatic mutation in pediatric T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Szarzyńska‐Zawadzka Bronisława , Kosmalska Maria , Sędek Łukasz , Sonsala Alicja , Twardoch Magdalena , Kowalczyk Jerzy R. , Szczepański Tomasz , Witt Michał , Dawidowska Małgorzata 
Published: September 2017

AbstractBackground and objectivesIn pediatric T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL), risk assignment schemes preclude reliable prediction of outcome, and thus, new prognostic factors are needed. Mutations in DNMT3A are candidate prognostic and classification markers in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and T‐ALL and thus were considered as candidates prognostic markers in pediatric T‐ALL.Patients and methodsDNMT3A mutational status was investigated in 74 pediatric T‐ALL samples collected at diagnosis. We applied high‐resolution melt (HRM) analysis and Sanger sequencing to study the hotspot position (R882) within catalytic MTase domain and exons coding for other functional domains of the protein, known to be mutated in the wide spectrum of hematological malignancies.ResultsWe demonstrate a low frequency of mutations in DNMT3A coding sequence in pediatric T‐ALL (1.4%, n = 1/74). We identified missense mutation, p.Ala644Thr, which has not been described previously in pediatric T‐ALL, but is recurrent in adults with T‐ALL and AML.ConclusionsLow frequency of DNMT3A mutations in pediatric T‐ALL is in striking contrast to adult T‐ALL and renders the necessity for the search of other candidate prognostic markers. Combined Sanger sequencing‐HRM approach offers a cost‐effective option for genotyping DNMT3A coding sequence, with potential clinical application in other hematological malignancies.
Prevalence, correlates and impact of pain and cramps in anti‐MAG neuropathy: a multicentre European study
Authors: Rajabally Y. A. , Delmont E. , Hiew F. L. , Aubé‐Nathier A.‐C. , Grapperon A.‐M. , Cassereau J. , Attarian S. 
Published: September 2017

Background and purposeThe frequency of pain and cramps is uncertain in anti‐myelin associated glycoprotein antibody (anti‐MAG) neuropathy. Whether these symptoms may affect function/quality of life is unknown.MethodsA cross‐sectional study of the prevalence, correlates and impact of pain, pain subtypes and cramps, their severity, frequency and anatomical distribution was performed for 55 clinically stable patients with anti‐MAG neuropathy.ResultsPain of any type was reported by 80% of subjects. The most common subtype was paraesthesiae and dysaesthesiae (70%). Cramps were reported by >60% of patients, with lower limb cramps in all and upper limb cramps in about 20%. Cramps affected daily activities in >30% of these subjects, sleep in 60%, ability to exercise in >30%. Total pain score correlated with several Short Form 36 health‐related quality of life (SF‐36 HR‐QoL) measures (P < 0.05), with Inflammatory Rasch‐built Overall Disability Scale (I‐RODS) (P = 0.006) and 10‐m timed walk (P = 0.019). An independent association was ascertained with I‐RODS (P = 0.002). Different pain subtypes showed multiple associations with SF‐36 HR‐QoL measures and/or functional scales. Upper limb cramps had multiple SF‐36 HR‐QoL functional correlates, with an independent association with the Overall Neuropathy Limitation Score (ONLS) (P = 0.004). Cramp severity correlated with ONLS (P = 0.04) and I‐RODS (P = 0.028) and inversely with level of physiotherapy input (P = 0.009). Cramp frequency was associated with tremor score (P = 0.004) and multiple SF‐36 HR‐QoL subsections.ConclusionsNeuropathic pain and cramps may affect function and quality of life in anti‐MAG neuropathy. Optimizing treatments of these symptoms, including by adequate levels of physiotherapy, may be beneficial in affected patients and requires further research.
Is there a benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with large stroke (DWI‐ASPECTS ≤ 5)?
Authors: Manceau P. ‐F. , Soize S. , Gawlitza M. , Fabre G. , Bakchine S. , Durot C. , Serre I. , Metaxas G. ‐E. , Pierot L. 
Published: September 2017

Background and purposeWhether to withhold mechanical thrombectomy when the diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) lesion exceeds a given volume is undetermined. Our aim was to identify markers that will help to select patients with large DWI lesions [DWI−Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI‐ASPECTS) ≤ 5] that may benefit from thrombectomy.MethodsFrom May 2010 to November 2016, 82 acute ischaemic stroke patients with DWI‐ASPECTS ≤5 (43 men, 64.6 ± 14.4 years, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 18.4 ± 5.4) treated with state‐of‐the‐art mechanical thrombectomy were studied. Thrombectomy alone was performed in 28 (34%) and bridging therapy in 54 (66%) patients. Recanalization was defined as a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score 2B‐3 and significant hemorrhagic transformation as parenchymal haematoma type 2 (European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study 3 classification). Pretreatment variables were compared between patients with a good (modified Rankin Scale 0−2) and a poor (modified Rankin Scale 3−6) neurological outcome at 3 months.ResultsOverall, 28 patients (34%) achieved good neurological outcome at 3 months. Recanalizers were significantly more likely to achieve good outcome (61% vs. 7.3%, P < 0.0001), had lower mortality (24% vs. 49%, P = 0.03) and similar rates of parenchymal haematoma type 2 (9.8% vs. 7.3%, P = 1) compared to non‐recanalizers. Regression modelling identified DWI‐ASPECTS >2 [odds ratio (OR) 6.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–45.76, P = 0.04), glycaemia ≤6.8 mmol/l (OR 4.05; 95% CI 1.09–15.0, P = 0.03) and thrombolysis (OR 3.67; 95% CI 1.04–12.9, P = 0.04) as independent predictors of good neurological outcome.ConclusionsIn patients with DWI‐ASPECTS ≤5, two‐thirds of patients experienced good neurological outcome when recanalized by state‐of‐the‐art thrombectomy, whilst only one in 14 non‐recanalizers achieved similar outcomes. Pretreatment markers of good neurological outcomes were DWI‐ASPECTS >2, intravenous thrombolysis and glycaemia ≤6.8 mmol/l.
Resilience to heat waves in the aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis: Additive and interactive effects with micropollutants
Authors: Salo Tiina , Stamm Christian , Burdon Francis J. , Räsänen Katja , Seppälä Otto 
Published: September 2017

Abstract

Multiple anthropogenic changes, such as climate change and chemical pollution, threaten the persistence of natural populations. Yet, their potential additive and interactive effects on organismal performance and fitness are poorly understood, thus limiting our ability to predict the effects of the global change.

We conducted a laboratory experiment to study the singular and combined effects of experimental heat waves and micropollutants (i.e. low‐concentration toxicants; henceforth micropollutants [MPs]) on the freshwater snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. To comprehensively understand physiological and ecological consequences of stress, we studied a broad range of traits from respiration rate to feeding performance and growth. We also determined traits contributing to fitness and immune responses, as these are key traits in determining both organismal fitness and interspecific (e.g. host–parasite) interactions. We tested whether a constant exposure to MPs affects the ability of snails to tolerate heat waves (8 days of 23.5°C), and subsequently to recover from them, and whether the effects are immediate or delayed.

We found strong immediate additive effects of both stressors on reproduction, while they synergistically increased respiration and antagonistically decreased food consumption. Moreover, these effects were transient. Although the heat wave increased metabolic rates, individuals did not increase their resource uptake. This caused an apparent imbalance in resource levels—a probable cause for the observed trade‐off between immune function and reproductive traits (i.e. phenoloxidase‐like activity decreased, while reproductive output increased). In addition, exposure to MPs led to a temporarily reduced reproductive output.

Our results indicate that even short‐term heat waves and low concentrations of chemical pollution can have large, mainly additive impacts on organismal fitness (e.g. altering susceptibility to infections and reproductive output). This suggests that long‐term effects of existing stressors and heat waves need to be considered when assessing the resilience of natural populations.