bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Body weight status and health‐care expenditure among university retirees in Beijing, China
Authors: Jiang Ning , Yu Hongjun , An Ruopeng 
Published: August 2017

ObjectiveThis study examined the impact of overweight and obesity on health‐care expenditure among university retirees in Beijing, China.MethodsAnnual health surveys of retirees were conducted at Tsinghua University during 2011–2016. Individual random‐effect regressions were performed to estimate incremental health‐care expenditures attributable to overweight/obesity, adjusting for various individual characteristics.ResultsCompared to their normal‐weight counterparts, obesity was associated with an increase in annual out‐of‐pocket expenditure on outpatient care by 27%, inpatient care 19% and medication 15%, and an increase in annual total out‐of‐pocket health‐care expenditure by 33%. Overweight was associated with an increase in annual out‐of‐pocket expenditure on inpatient care by 13%, and an increase in annual total out‐of‐pocket health‐care expenditure by 13%. The impact of obesity on health‐care expenditure was statistically significant among men but not women.ConclusionOverweight, and obesity in particular, was associated with substantial increases in out‐of‐pocket health‐care expenditures among Chinese older adults.
Clinical Aspects of Opium Adulterated with Lead in Iran: A Review
Authors: Alinejad Samira , Aaseth Jan , Abdollahi Mohammad , Hassanian‐Moghaddam Hossein , Mehrpour Omid 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAdulteration of drugs with poisonous substances during production or consumption has caused numerous health problems. Among contaminants that have the potential of producing poisonous effects are the heavy metals lead, arsenic and thallium that make up an important group of toxic substances. The emergence of these new health problems related to opioid abuse has precipitated this MiniReview on the status of the most hazardous and common opioid adulterants. In fact, adulterated opium is a major public health problem and can threaten the health of users. In this study, we searched for information on opium, opiates, lead poisoning, toxicity, intoxication, Iran and heavy metals in the TUMS Digital Library, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Google Scholar bibliographical databases. This MiniReview primarily included articles on lead poisoning, signs and symptoms, and management in opioid‐dependent individuals. Exclusion criteria were articles dealing with animal studies, specific paediatric studies, adulterants other than heavy metals and substances other than opioids. Adulterated opium is one of the new sources of exposure to lead and has precipitated an increase in lead‐poisoned cases owing to the widespread use of opium. The toxicology of lead and general guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning is briefly reviewed. The symptoms of lead toxicity mimic several diseases often leading to unnecessary diagnostic methods, misdiagnoses and even surgery. Finally, owing to the fact that lead toxicity shows non‐specific signs and symptoms, screening for this disease, by taking blood samples and assessing blood lead levels in high‐risk people, should be given an utmost priority. It is recommended that screening tests are adopted and applied for any drug‐abusing patient with non‐specific subacute signs and symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation and anaemia.
Monitoring and depth of strategy use in computer‐based learning environments for science and history
Authors: Deekens Victor M. , Greene Jeffrey A. , Lobczowski Nikki G. 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundSelf‐regulated learning (SRL) models position metacognitive monitoring as central to SRL processing and predictive of student learning outcomes (Winne & Hadwin, 2008; Zimmerman, 2000). A body of research evidence also indicates that depth of strategy use, ranging from surface to deep processing, is predictive of learning performance.AimsIn this study, we investigated the relationships among the frequency of metacognitive monitoring and the utilization of deep and surface‐level strategies, and the connections between these SRL processes and learning outcomes across two academic domains, science and history.SampleThis was a secondary data analysis of two studies. The first study sample was 170 undergraduate students from a University in the south‐eastern United States. The second study sample consisted of 40 US high school students in the same area.MethodsWe collected think‐aloud protocol SRL and knowledge measure data and conducted both structural equation modelling and path analysis to investigate our research questions.ResultsFindings showed across both studies and two distinct academic domains, students who enacted more frequent monitoring also enacted more frequent deep strategies resulting in better performance on academic evaluations.ConclusionsThese findings suggest the importance of measuring not only what depth of strategies learners use, but also the degree to which they monitor their learning. Attention to both is needed in research and practice.
Positioning, telling, and performing a male illness: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Authors: Wood Nicholas , Qureshi Annum , Mughal Fahim 
Published: August 2017

ObjectivesThere is a paucity of illness accounts of men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), despite a significant level of prevalence and burden of disease. This qualitative study thus elicited twelve accounts from men suffering with CP/CPPS.MethodsNarrative analysis was employed, focusing primarily on narrative content.ResultsThree major narrative themes were identified: (1) Medical stories: Blame and shame; (2) The Erratic nature of CP/CPPS; and (3) Ongoing struggles for coping and cures and the Search for meaning.ConclusionsRecommendations were made for health care providers and increasing the internal agency, support and activism of men with this debilitating condition.
Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

One qualitative account of this male illness (CP/CPPS) exists: an IPA study.

Five cross‐sectional themes: (1) Need for repeated confirmation – disease not life‐threatening nor leading inexorably towards cancer; (2) Disturbed sleep and fatigue; (3) Concealing pain and problems – ‘normalizing’; (4) Enduring pain by performing activities; and (5) Abrupt mood swings and limited sociality.

What does this study add?

Narrative analysis adds information as to how this illness is managed and survived over time.

It challenges the findings (above) by providing an insider perspective.

Novel narrative themes include meaning‐making amongst others.

Masculine performance and experiences are also crucial to this stigmatized illness.
Helicobacter pylori and its secreted immunomodulator VacA protect against anaphylaxis in experimental models of food allergy
Authors: Kyburz A. , Urban S. , Altobelli A. , Floess S. , Huehn J. , Cover T. L. , Müller A. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryBackgroundFood allergy is an increasingly common health problem in Western populations. Epidemiological studies have suggested both positive and negative associations between food allergy and infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori.ObjectiveThe objective of this work was to investigate whether experimental infection with H. pylori, or prophylactic treatment with H. pylori‐derived immunomodulatory molecules, affects the onset and severity of food allergy, either positively or negatively.MethodsWe infected neonatal C57BL/6 or C3H mice with H. pylori or treated animals with H. pylori components (bacterial lysate or the immunomodulator VacA) and subsequently subjected them to four different protocols for food allergy induction, using either ovalbumin or peanut extract as allergens for sensitization and challenge. Readouts included anaphylaxis scoring, quantification of allergen‐specific serum IgE and IgG1 and of the mast cell protease MCPT1, as well as splenic T‐helper‐2 cell‐derived cytokine production. Mesenteric lymph node CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were subjected to flow cytometric quantification and sorting followed by qRT‐PCR, and to DNA methylation analyses of the Treg‐specific demethylated region (TSDR) within the FOXP3 locus.ResultsMice that had been infected with H. pylori or treated with H. pylori‐derived immunomodulators showed reduced anaphylaxis upon allergen sensitization and challenge, irrespective of the allergen used. Most of the immunologic assays confirmed a protective effect of H. pylori. CD4+FoxP3+ T cells were more abundant in protected mice and exhibited a stable Treg phenotype characterized by FOXP3 TSDR demethylation.Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceHelicobacter pylori confers protection against the anaphylaxis associated with ovalbumin and peanut allergy and affects the epigenome of T cells, thereby promoting stable Treg differentiation and functionality. Prophylactic treatment with H. pylori‐derived immunomodulators appears to be a promising strategy for food allergy prevention.
Overcoming severe adverse reactions to venom immunotherapy using anti‐IgE antibodies in combination with a high maintenance dose
Authors: Stretz E. , Oppel E. M. , Räwer H.‐C. , Chatelain R. , Mastnik S. , Przybilla B. , Ruëff F. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryBackgroundAn omalizumab treatment and a high maintenance venom dose may both help to prevent recurrent systemic allergic reactions (SAR) to venom immunotherapy (VIT). The effectiveness of this combination therapy, however, is unclear.ObjectiveWe wanted to explore the possibility whether a temporary treatment with the anti‐IgE antibody omalizumab combined with a VIT using an elevated maintenance dose of >100 μg venom may establish a permanent tolerance of maintenance VIT.MethodsFor this retrospective case series, we scoured our institutional data base for patients who had had an insect venom allergy, and in whom it had not been possible to continue VIT because of repeated unstoppable SAR during maintenance VIT. Patients were divided into those who had received the combination therapy (omalizumab group) and those who had not received omalizumab because its costs could not be covered (controls). Guided by the total IgE level and by body weight, omalizumab had been given subcutaneously 5, 3 and 1 weeks before VIT had been restarted. Three to 6 months after an elevated maintenance dose (200‐300 μg venom) had been reached, omalizumab had been stopped.ResultsBetween 2006 and 2011, 15 patients had qualified for an off‐label use of omalizumab: 10 patients had received the combination therapy, and 5 patients had remained without such a therapy. The combination therapy leads to a durable tolerance of VIT in all patients even after omalizumab had been discontinued (median of follow‐up time 5.8 years, IQR 2.7‐8.6 years). Sting challenge tests were tolerated by all of the re‐stung omalizumab patients (n = 8). In all controls, VIT had to be stopped permanently due to repeated SARs (P < .001 vs omalizumab group).Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceCombining a temporary omalizumab therapy with an elevated maintenance dose seems a promising approach to achieve a tolerance of treatment in patients with a recurrent SAR to VIT.
Neurokinin 3 receptor antagonism decreases gonadotropin and testosterone secretion in healthy men
Authors: Skorupskaite Karolina , George Jyothis T. , Veldhuis Johannes D. , Millar Robert P. , Anderson Richard A. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryObjectivePatients with mutations of neurokinin B (NKB) and its receptor show hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, but there is little evidence for the importance of this pathway in reproductive function in normal men, or its functional hierarchy with kisspeptin.DesignAn open label study wherein men (n = 6) were administered the NK3R antagonist MLE4901 40 mg orally twice a day for 7 days. Kisspeptin‐10 (0.3 μg/kg iv bolus) was given before and on day 7 of NK3R antagonist treatment.PatientsSubjects were healthy men.MeasurementsReproductive hormones were measured before and during the NK3R antagonist administration, including frequent sampling on two occasions for analysis of pulsatile LH secretion.ResultsLH, FSH and testosterone secretion were decreased during NK3R antagonist administration. LH showed a biphasic response, being reduced after 24 hours of treatment (4.5 ± 0.6 IU/L pretreatment to 1.7 ± 0.2 IU/L, P < .05), with partial recovery thereafter, but it was again decreased on day 7 (2.5 ± 0.6 IU/L, P < .05 vs pretreatment). FSH secretion was also suppressed, with a similar temporal pattern to that of LH. Testosterone secretion was decreased from 24 hours (18.4 ± 1.6 pretreatment vs 5.6 ± 1.5 nmol/L, P < .01) and remained suppressed throughout the treatment period. Analysis of LH pulsatility showed that both basal and pulsatile LH secretion were markedly suppressed but there was no detected change in LH pulse frequency. Kisspeptin‐10 stimulated LH secretion, with similar responses before and during NK3R antagonist administration.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate a central role for NKB/NK3R in the physiological regulation of reproductive function in men, and that this is functionally upstream of kisspeptin‐mediated GnRH secretion.
Examining the association between depression and obesity during a weight management programme
Authors: Fuller N. R. , Burns J. , Sainsbury A. , Horsfield S. , da Luz F. , Zhang S. , Denyer G. , Markovic T. P. , Caterson I. D. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryThe prevalence of depression in those with obesity is reported to be as high as double that in individuals of normal weight. There is potentially a bi‐directional relationship between obesity and depression. Some research has suggested that depression results in weight gain and obesity, and other studies have suggested that those with obesity are more likely to develop depression at a later stage. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of depression symptoms with weight change over a 12‐month study. Seventy participants undertook a 3‐month lifestyle (diet and exercise) weight loss intervention, and were followed up as part of a 12‐month study. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II) and had their body weight measured throughout the study. Baseline body mass index (BMI) of participants (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) was 31.1 ± 3.9 kg m−2, body weight was 89.4 ± 16.1 kg, and age was 45.4 ± 11.1 years; 63% of the cohort were female. The mean weight change from baseline to 3 months was −5.2% (±SD 4.3%), and from baseline to 12 months was −4.2% (±SD 6.1%). There was a significant decrease in BDI‐II scores over the 12‐month study, and a 1‐unit decrease in BDI‐II score was associated with a further decrease in body weight of −0.4%. The current study indicated that weight loss was associated with improvements in mood for non‐clinically depressed individuals with obesity, and these improvements persisted during a period of 3–12 months of follow‐up.
A preliminary study of static and dynamic balance in sedentary obese young adults: the relationship between BMI, posture and postural balance
Authors: do Nascimento J. A. , Silva C. C. , dos Santos H. H. , de Almeida Ferreira J. J. , de Andrade P. R. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryThe aim of this study was to evaluate the postural control of obese young adults with normal body mass index during different static (bipedic and unipedic support) and dynamic postural conditions (gait velocity and limits of stability) in order to compare the static and dynamic balance of these individuals.A cross‐sectional quantitative study was carried out to evaluate static and dynamic balance in 25 sedentary individuals. The sample was divided into two groups, 10 in the normal‐weight group (24.70 ± 3.89 years and 21.5 ± 1.66 kg m−2) and 15 in the obese group (26.80 ± 5.16 years and 35.66 ± 4.29 kg m−2). Postural evaluation was performed through visual inspection, and balance analyses were performed using the Timed Up & Go test (TUGT) and Balance System (Biodex). Descriptive analyses, Fisher's exact test and Mann Whitney U‐tests were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS – 20.0, Armonk, NY) software.Most of the obese volunteers presented postural alterations, such as head protrusion (47.6%), hyperkyphosis (46.7%) and hyperlordosis (26.7%). Medial–lateral dynamic displacement, risk of falls and mean time to perform the limits of stability test and TUGT were higher for obese subjects (P < 0.05), while there were no significant differences between the groups (P > 0.05) for static balance tests for either bipedal or unipedal tasks.The disadvantage presented by the young obese subjects occurs in dynamic activities, representing worse balance and an increase in time needed to accomplish these activities.
Fresh tissue parathyroid allotransplantation with short‐term immunosuppression: 1‐year follow‐up
Authors: Yucesan Emrah , Goncu Beyza , Basoglu Harun , Ozten Kandas Nur , Ersoy Yeliz Emine , Akbas Fahri , Aysan Erhan 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundPermanent hypoparathyroidism is a serious problem and requires medications indefinitely. Parathyroid allotransplantation (PA) with short‐term immunosuppression is definitive choice but long‐term results are not clear.MethodWe performed PA from two donors to two recipients. Both recipients were 39‐year‐old females. Donors were a 32‐year‐old female and a 36‐year‐old male, who both have chronic kidney disease. Routine tests, viral markers, and cross‐matches were analyzed individually. The parathyroid glands were resected from the living donors, fragmented quickly in the operation room and injected into the left deltoid muscles of the two recipients.ResultsMethylprednisolone was administered on post‐PA day one and two. Recipients were discharged from the hospital without complications. Calcium and PTH levels were observed throughout 1 year. We did not observe any complications during the follow‐up period. Medications ceased in post‐transplantation week 1 for Case 1 and after 1 month for Case 2.ConclusionFresh tissue PA with short‐term immunosuppression appears to be a promising technique that is easy to perform, is cost‐effective, has low risk of side effects and minimal complications with compatibility for HLA conditions. A longer follow‐up period and more case studies are needed to determine the risks and benefits of this procedure for future cases.
Identification of attractant and repellent plants to coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei
Authors: Castro Ana María , Tapias Johanna , Ortiz Aristófeles , Benavides Pablo , Góngora Carmenza E. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractColombia is one of the world's largest producers of coffee [Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae)]. The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is the main pest of coffee. This insect is controlled through an integrated pest management program that includes cultural, biological, and chemical control strategies. Despite research seeking CBB attractants and repellents, these potential management tools have not been successfully incorporated into control programs. This work proposes the use of plant functional diversity for CBB management, for which a number of plants related to coffee and weeds were selected. CBB preference to these plants was determined by olfactometry and volatile compounds emitted by them were identified. Field trials were performed to test CBB preference under field conditions. These trials determined the olfactory preference of CBB to coffee berries accompanied by material of the plants Crotalaria micans Link (Fabaceae), Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae), Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae), Artemisia vulgaris L., Calendula officinalis L., Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, and Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC. (all four Asteraceae). Under laboratory conditions N. tabacum, L. camara, and C. officinalis were identified as repellents for CBB in olfactometer assays, whereas E. sonchifolia functioned as attractant. Controlled field trials corroborated CBB repellency of N. tabacum and L. camara; both release volatile sesquiterpenes. Selected candidate attractants included E. sonchifolia plants, for showing attraction in the laboratory. The potential use of these plants in agroecological management of coffee plantations is discussed.
Post‐stroke diastolic blood pressure and risk of recurrent vascular events
Authors: Park J.‐H. , Ovbiagele B. 
Published: August 2017

Background and purposeRecent clinical trials and expert consensus guidelines have typically focused on the issue of systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets for reducing vascular risk. However, little is known about the relationship of the diastolic BP (DBP) level with vascular outcomes after a stroke.MethodsA multicenter trial dataset involving 3680 recent (<4 months) non‐cardioembolic stroke patients followed for 2 years was analyzed. Subjects were categorized per mean DBP level (mmHg) during follow‐up: low−normal (<70), normal (70 to <80), high−normal (80–89) and high (≥90). Pulse pressure (PP) was prespecified by three categories of <60, 60 to <70, and ≥70 mmHg. Independent associations of mean DBP level with major vascular events (MVEs) and ischaemic stroke were assessed.ResultsMajor vascular events occurred in 20.7% of the low−normal, 15.1% of the normal, 16.9% of the high−normal and 19.2% of the high DBP groups, whilst stroke occurred in 9.9%, 6.8%, 8.5% and 10.8%, respectively. Compared with the normal DBP group, risk of MVEs was higher in the low−normal DBP group (adjusted hazard ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.71). Amongst those with SBP 120 to <140 mmHg, risk of MVEs (1.89; 1.13–3.15) and stroke (2.87; 1.48–5.53) was higher in subjects with PP ≥70 (mean DBP 62.4 ± 3.8) than those with the lowest PP (mean DBP 78.0 ± 5.9) whilst, amongst those with SBP <120 mmHg, PP 60 to <70 (mean DBP 52.7 ± 2.5) was associated with increased risk of stroke (5.85; 1.25–27.5).ConclusionDiastolic BP levels in the low−normal range, particularly accompanied by an increased PP of >60, confer increased risk of MVEs and stroke amongst patients after recent non‐cardioembolic stroke.
Cognitive functioning in children with self‐limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wickens Steven , Bowden Stephen C. , D'Souza Wendyl 
Published: August 2017

SummaryObjectiveIt is now well appreciated that benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS, or more recently, ECTS) is associated with a range of cognitive and behavioral disturbances. Despite our improved understanding of cognitive functioning in ECTS, there have been to date no efforts to quantitatively synthesize the available literature within a comprehensive cognitive framework.MethodsThe present systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Forty‐two case–control samples met eligibility criteria comprising a total of 1,237 children with ECTS and 1,137 healthy control children. Univariate, random‐effects meta‐analyses were conducted on eight cognitive factors in accordance with the Cattell–Horn–Carroll model of intelligence.ResultsOverall, children with ECTS demonstrated significantly lower scores on neuropsychological tests across all cognitive factors compared to healthy controls. Observed effects ranged from 0.42 to 0.81 pooled standard deviation units, with the largest effect for long‐term storage and retrieval and the smallest effect for visual processing.SignificanceThe results of the present meta‐analysis provide the first clear evidence that children with ECTS display a profile of pervasive cognitive difficulties and thus challenge current conceptions of ECTS as a benign disease or of limited specific or localized cognitive effect.