bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diet soft drink is associated with increased odds of proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Fenwick Eva K , Gan Alfred TL , Man Ryan EK , Sabanayagam Charumathi , Gupta Preeti , Khoo Krystal , Aravindhan Amudha , Wong Tien Y , Lamoureux Ecosse L 
Published: January 2018

AbstractImportanceWhile consumption of soft drink may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, the relationship between soft drink consumption and diabetes complications is unknown.BackgroundTo explore the association between regular and diet soft drink consumption, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular oedema (DME).DesignClinical, cross‐sectional study.ParticipantsAdult patients with diabetes recruited from a tertiary eye hospital (Melbourne, Australia) answered a Food Frequency Questionnaire.MethodsNone, moderate and high soft drink consumption was defined as <1, 1–4 and >4 cans/bottles (375 mL) per week, respectively. Due to missing data, data were imputed using the multiple imputation chained equation procedure. Multivariable logistic regression models determined the associations between soft drink consumption, and presence and severity of DR/DME.Main Outcome MeasuresPresence and severity of DR/DME.ResultsOf the 609 participants (mean age ± standard deviation: 64.6 ± 11.6 years; males = 210), 285 (46.8%) and 190 (31.2%) consumed diet and regular soft drink, respectively. A total of 230 (37.8%), 36 (5.9%), 154 (25.3%), 28 (4.6%) and 146 (24.0%) had no DR, mild non‐proliferative DR (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR and proliferative DR (PDR), respectively. High diet soft drink consumption was independently associated with increased likelihood of having PDR (odds ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval = 1.05–5.98), compared to no consumption. In contrast, regular soft drink was not associated with DR or DME.Conclusions and RelevanceConsuming >4 cans (1.5 L)/week of diet soft drink is associated with a more than twofold risk of having PDR in patients with diabetes. Longitudinal studies are needed to further elucidate the association and its underpinning mechanisms.
Pluripotency Deconstructed
Authors: Kinoshita Masaki , Smith Austin 
Published: January 2018

Pluripotency denotes the flexible capacity of single cells to give rise to all somatic lineages and typically also the germline. Mouse ES cells and post‐implantation epiblast‐derived stem cells (EpiSC) are widely used pluripotent cell culture systems. These two in vitro stem cell types have divergent characteristics. They are considered as representative of distinct developmental stages, distinguished by using the terms “naïve” and “primed”. A binary description is an over‐simplification, however. Here, we discuss an intermediate stage of pluripotency that we term “formative”. Formative pluripotency features a gene regulatory network switch from the naïve state and comprises capacitation of enhancers, signaling pathways and epigenetic machinery in order to install competence for lineage specification.
Parent‐reported health‐related quality of life of children with Down syndrome: a descriptive study
Authors: Shields Nora , Leonard Helen , Munteanu Shannon , Bourke Jennifer , Lim Polly , Taylor Nicholas F , Downs Jenny 
Published: January 2018

AimTo describe health‐related quality of life of Australian children and adolescents with Down syndrome and compare it with norm‐referenced data.MethodA cross‐sectional survey was conducted with parents of 75 children and adolescents (43 males, 32 females) with Down syndrome aged 5 to 18 years (mean age 13y 2mo, SD 4y 8mo). The proxy‐report KIDSCREEN‐27 questionnaire was administered and five dimensions of health‐related quality of life were measured. Data were analysed descriptively and compared with normative data.ResultsTotal group mean scores for psychological well‐being, autonomy and parent relation, and school environment dimensions were within normal threshold values, whereas mean scores for physical well‐being, and social support and peers dimensions, were poorer. For participants with Down syndrome aged 8 to 18 years, the difference with normative data for proxy‐reported physical well‐being, psychological well‐being, and social support and peers dimensions favoured typically developing children. Adolescents (13–18y) with Down syndrome scored poorer on all dimensions than children (5–12y) with Down syndrome.InterpretationOur findings assist a better understanding of the lived experiences of children and adolescents with Down syndrome, as perceived by their parents, and suggest aspects of health that could be influenced to optimize their quality of life.What this paper adds

Proxy‐reported psychological well‐being and autonomy were within the normal range for children with Down syndrome.

Physical well‐being and social support scores were significantly lower than normative data.

Proxy‐reported scores for adolescents with Down syndrome were consistently poorer than for children with Down syndrome and the differences were clinically important.
Optimizing the management of hypoglycaemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover comparison of a weight‐based protocol compared with two fixed‐dose glucose regimens
Authors: Krebs Jeremy D. , Weatherall Mark , Corley Brian , Wiltshire Esko , McTavish Lindsay 
Published: January 2018

AimsTo determine whether an individualized body weight‐based glucose treatment in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is more likely to resolve hypoglycaemia with a single treatment without excessive rebound hyperglycaemia compared to fixed doses of 12 or 30 g of glucose.MethodsAdults with T2DM were enrolled in a cross‐over study. Each episode of hypoglycaemia (capillary glucose <4.0 mmol/L) was randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment protocols: 0.3 g glucose/kg body‐weight or a fixed dose of either 12 or 30 g glucose, independent of weight. All participants received each treatment in random order for up to 15 hypoglycaemic episodes. Glucose was re‐tested 10 minutes after treatment, with a repeat dose if still <4 mmol/L.ResultsMean (SD) age of the 30 participants was 68 (8.1) years, mean weight was 91.5 (16.8) kg and mean HbA1c was 58.7 (9.2) mmol/mol. Among a total of 244 episodes of hypoglycaemia, 10 participants had 15 treatment episodes and 18 participants had fewer than 10 treatment episodes. The odds ratio, adjusted for multiple comparisons, for resolution of hypoglycaemia at 10 minutes, comparing weight‐based treatment and 12 g treatment was 3.2 (95% CI, 1.1–9.0), P = .009, comparing 30 g treatment and 12 g treatment was 8.9 (95% CI, 2.2–36.6), P < .001, and comparing weight‐based treatment and 30 g treatment was 0.36 (95% CI, 0.08–1.67) P = .10.ConclusionIn T2DM, both a weight‐based 0.3 g/kg treatment and a fixed 30 g glucose treatment result in higher blood glucose than a 12 g treatment, along with increased probability of resolution of hypoglycaemia after 10 minutes. Both treatments result in an excess of mild rebound hyperglycaemia (>8 mmol/L) at 30 minutes.
The effects of fish oil on gene expression in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Rahmani Elham , Jamilian Mehri , Dadpour Bahareh , Nezami Zahra , Vahedpoor Zahra , Mahmoodi Samaneh , Aghadavod Esmat , Taghizadeh Mohsen , Beiki Hassan Abolfazl , Asemi Zatollah 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundThis study was conducted to determine the effects of fish oil administration on gene expression related to insulin, lipid and inflammation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Materials and methodsThis randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial was conducted among 40 subjects with PCOS, aged 18‐40 years. Subjects were randomly allocated into two groups to take either 1000 mg omega‐3 fatty acids from fish oil (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) twice a day for 12 weeks. Gene expression related to insulin, lipid and inflammation was quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of PCOS women with RT‐PCR method.ResultsOur study demonstrated that after the 12‐week intervention, compared with the placebo, fish oil supplementation upregulated gene expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPAR‐γ) (P < .001) in PBMC of subjects with PCOS. In addition, compared to the placebo, taking fish oil supplements downregulated gene expression of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) (P = .02) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) (P = .01) in PBMC of subjects with PCOS. We did not observe any significant effect of fish oil supplementation on gene expression of lipoprotein(a) [LP(a)], low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT‐1), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) in PBMC of subjects with PCOS.ConclusionsOverall, fish oil supplementation for 12 weeks to subjects with PCOS significantly improved gene expression of PPAR‐γ, IL‐1 and IL‐8, but did not influence gene expression of LP(a), LDLR, GLUT‐1, TNF‐α and TGF‐β.
Bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cell therapy for nonischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy—A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wen Yanting , Ding Jingjing , Zhang Bin , Gao Qian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectiveThe therapeutic effects of bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) transplantation in patients with nonischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are still under debate. Current randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of BMMNCs transplantation on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with nonischaemic DCM.MethodsA comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register was performed. We included RCTs reporting data on LVEF in patients with nonischaemic DCM after BMMNCs transplantation.ResultsSeven RCTs including 463 patients were included. BMMNCs transplantation significantly improved LVEF by 3.79% (95% CI: 0.56%‐7.03%; P = .007) and LVESV by −24.36 mL (95% CI: −46.36 to −2.36 mL; P = .03), while had no impact on the risk of all‐cause death (OR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.41 to 2.08%; P = .84). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a more significant improvement of LVEF in patients with longer follow‐up (~15 months to 5 years) than shorter ones (12 months). Moreover, using bone marrow mononuclear cells was more effective than using G‐CSF‐stimulated bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cells in the improvement of LVEF in patients with nonischaemic DCM.ConclusionsBone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells transplantation is associated with a moderate, but significant, improvement in LVEF in patients with nonischaemic DCM. This meta‐analysis supports further RCT conductions using BMMNCs transplantation with larger patient's population and longer term follow‐up.
Low plasma protein Z levels are associated with an increased risk for perioperative bleedings
Authors: Hinterleitner Clemens , Kreisselmeier Klaus‐Peter , Pecher Ann‐Christin , Mauz Paul‐Stefan , Kanz Lothar , Kopp Hans‐Georg , Jaschonek Karl G. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackground and objectivesProtein Z (PZ) deficiency has been implicated both in bleeding diatheses and in thrombophilia. Considering its ambiguous nature and the conflicting clinical data so far, we set out to evaluate the impact of low PZ on perioperative bleeding in patients who underwent surgical (ENT) interventions involving a high risk of bleeding.Patients and methodsAfter exclusion of other coagulation disorders, 154 Patients were stratified into quartiles according to PZ plasma concentrations to evaluate the relation between PZ and bleeding complications.ResultsLow PZ levels were associated with increased blood loss (P < .001), increased need for blood transfusions (P < .001), and a higher rate of surgical revisions (P = .009) in a concentration‐dependent fashion. Low PZ caused earlier (within 24 hours) and repetitive bleedings (P = .005). The number of major bleeding episodes was significantly increased when low PZ was combined with bleeding history (P < .05). Finally, ROC analyses confirmed the predictive value of low PZ for bleeding complications and PZ‐thresholds for clinical practice were determined.ConclusionsLow PZ appears to be an underestimated risk factor for perioperative bleeding. Determination of PZ plasma concentrations might be useful in the preoperative workup in patients with a bleeding history, when detailed clotting analyses remain inconclusive.
Pretreatment with standard‐dose intravenous methylprednisolone does not improve outcomes in newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Authors: Essilini Anaïs , Comont Thibault , Germain Johanne , Brun Natacha , Dingremont Claire , Castel Brice , Arista Sophie , Madaule Serge , Sailler Laurent , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse , Beyne‐Rauzy Odile , Godeau Bertrand , Adoue Daniel , Moulis Guillaume ,   the CARMEN investigators group
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the benefits and harms to initiate corticosteroids with intravenous methylprednisolone at a conventional dose (1 mg/kg/d) to treat adults with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).MethodsPopulation stemmed from the prospective multicenter CARMEN registry and included newly diagnosed hospitalized ITP adults with platelet counts<30 × 109/L. We compared the patients treated with conventional‐dose methylprednisolone (CDMP) before continuing with oral prednisone to patients treated with just conventional‐dose oral prednisone (CDOP). The primary outcome was the time until response. Secondary outcomes were time until complete response, response rate, complete response rate, duration of hospital stay, and occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Analyzes were adjusted for propensity score and for exposure to intravenous immunoglobulin.ResultsAmong the included 87 patients, the median time to response was 3 days in the CDMP group vs 4 in the CDOP group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.35; 95%CI: 0.76‐2.41). The CDMP group had an earlier complete response (aHR: 2.29; 95%CI: 1.20‐4.36). There was no difference between the groups regarding other secondary outcomes.ConclusionsInitiating methylprednisolone at a conventional dose provided no significant benefit compared to giving oral prednisone only to adults with ITP.
Cholinergic interneurons in the rat striatum modulate substitution of habits
Authors: Aoki Sho , Liu Andrew W. , Akamine Yumiko , Zucca Aya , Zucca Stefano , Wickens Jeffery R. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBehavioural flexibility is crucial for adaptive behaviour, and recent evidence suggests that cholinergic interneurons of the striatum play a distinct role. Previous studies of cholinergic function have focused on strategy switching by the dorsomedial or ventral striatum. We here investigated whether cholinergic interneurons in the dorsolateral striatum play a similar role at the level of switching of habitual responses. Because the dorsolateral striatum is particularly involved in habitual responding, we developed a habit substitution task that involved switching habitual lever‐press responses to one side to another. We first measured the effect of cholinergic activation in the dorsolateral striatum on this task. Chemogenetic activation of cholinergic interneurons caused an increase in the response rate for the substituted response that was significantly greater than the increase normally seen in control animals. The increase was due to burst‐like responses with shorter inter‐press intervals. However, there was no effect on inhibiting the old habit, or on habitual responding that did not require a switch. There was also no effect on lever‐press performance and its reversal before lever‐press responses became habitual. Conversely, neurochemically specific ablation of cholinergic interneurons did not significantly change habitual responding or response substitution. Thus, activation –but not ablation –of cholinergic interneurons in the dorsolateral striatum modulates expression of a new habit when an old habit is replaced by a new one. Together with previous work, this suggests that striatal cholinergic interneurons facilitate behavioural flexibility in both dorsolateral striatum in addition to dorsomedial and ventral striatum.
Effects of chronic ketamine on hippocampal cross‐frequency coupling: implications for schizophrenia pathophysiology
Authors: Michaels Timothy I. , Long Lauren L. , Stevenson Ian H. , Chrobak James J. , Chen Chi‐Ming A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDisrupted neuronal oscillations have been identified as a potentially important biomarker for the perceptual and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Emerging evidences suggest that interactions between different frequency bands, cross‐frequency coupling (CFC), serve an important role in integrating sensory and cognitive information and may contribute to disease pathophysiology. In this study, we investigated the effects of 14‐day consecutive administration of ketamine (30 mg/kg i.p.) vs. saline on alterations in amplitude and changes in the coupling of low‐frequency (0–30 Hz) phase and high‐frequency (30–115 Hz) amplitude in the CA1 hippocampus of Long Evans rats. Intracranial electrode recordings were conducted pre‐ and post‐injection while the animals performed a foraging task on a four‐arm rectangular maze. Permutation analysis of frequency band‐specific change in amplitudes revealed between‐group differences in theta (6–12 Hz) and slow gamma (25–50 Hz) but not fast gamma (65–100 Hz) bands at both slow and fast speeds. Chronic ketamine challenge resulted in decreased coupling (pre to post) at slow speeds but increased coupling at faster speeds, compared to either no or modest increased coupling in the saline group. These results demonstrate that chronic ketamine administration alters the interaction of low‐frequency phase and high‐frequency oscillations chronically and that such coupling varies as a function of locomotive speed. These findings provide evidence for the potential relevance of CFC to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Predicting age from cortical structure across the lifespan
Authors: Madan Christopher R. , Kensinger Elizabeth A. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDespite interindividual differences in cortical structure, cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated a large degree of population‐level consistency in age‐related differences in brain morphology. This study assessed how accurately an individual's age could be predicted by estimates of cortical morphology, comparing a variety of structural measures, including thickness, gyrification and fractal dimensionality. Structural measures were calculated across up to seven different parcellation approaches, ranging from one region to 1000 regions. The age prediction framework was trained using morphological measures obtained from T1‐weightedMRIvolumes collected from multiple sites, yielding a training dataset of 1056 healthy adults, aged 18–97. Age predictions were calculated using a machine‐learning approach that incorporated nonlinear differences over the lifespan. In two independent, held‐out test samples, age predictions had a median error of 6–7 years. Age predictions were best when using a combination of cortical metrics, both thickness and fractal dimensionality. Overall, the results reveal that age‐related differences in brain structure are systematic enough to enable reliable age prediction based on metrics of cortical morphology.
Larger Q10 of carbon decomposition in finer soil particles does not bring long‐lasting dependence of Q10 on soil texture
Authors: Ding F. , Sun W. , Huang Y. , Hu X. 
Published: January 2018

SummarySoil particle‐size fractionation is a reliable approach for the separation of carbon (C) pools with different stabilities. Our previous study found that C decomposition in fine soil particles had greater temperature sensitivity (Q10) than in coarse particles in grassland and forest soils. However, it is not known whether this phenomenon occurs in cropland soil and whether it generally suggests a dependence of Q10 on soil texture. We carried out a 107‐day incubation of isolated soil particles from cropland soil, including paddy and upland, with contrasting fertilizer applications. The incubation was carried out over three short‐term cycles of sequentially changing temperatures between 5 and 30°C at 5°C intervals. The results indicated that C decomposition was faster in the sand (>50 μm) fraction than in the silt (2–50 μm) and clay (<2 μm) fractions. However, Q10 was generally larger in the clay fractions than in the other two fractions for all types of cropland soil, which is in accordance with our previous study. This suggested that the passive C pool is more sensitive to climate warming than the labile C pool. Considering the aforementioned Q10 pattern across soil particles, we hypothesized that fine‐textured soil should have a larger Q10 than coarse‐textured soil. However, we observed this outcome in the first and second temperature cycles only, but not in the third. In conclusion, a larger Q10 in finer soil particles is probably a widespread phenomenon, but it does not bring a long‐lasting dependence of Q10 on soil texture.Highlights

Does cropland C flux in finer soil particles have larger Q10 as in grassland and forest?
Larger Q10 in clay fractions than in sand particles is widespread.
The passive C pool is more sensitive to climate warming than the labile C pool.
Larger Q10 in finer soil particles does not bring long‐lasting dependence of Q10 on soil texture.
Survival rates indicate that correlations between community‐weighted mean traits and environments can be unreliable estimates of the adaptive value of traits
Authors: Laughlin Daniel C. , Strahan Robert T. , Adler Peter B. , Moore Margaret M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractCorrelations between community‐weighted mean (CWM) traits and environmental gradients are often assumed to quantify the adaptive value of traits. We tested this assumption by comparing these correlations with models of survival probability using 46 perennial species from long‐term permanent plots in pine forests of Arizona. Survival was modelled as a function of trait × environment interactions, plant size, climatic variation and neighbourhood competition. The effect of traits on survival depended on the environmental conditions, but the two statistical approaches were inconsistent. For example, CWM‐specific leaf area (SLA) and soil fertility were uncorrelated. However, survival was highest for species with low SLA in infertile soil, a result which agreed with expectations derived from the physiological trade‐off underpinning leaf economic theory. CWM trait–environment relationships were unreliable estimates of how traits affected survival, and should only be used in predictive models when there is empirical support for an evolutionary trade‐off that affects vital rates.