bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lessons from Białowieża Forest on the history of protection and the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore
Authors: Samojlik Tomasz , Selva Nuria , Daszkiewicz Piotr , Fedotova Anastasia , Wajrak Adam , Kuijper Dries Pieter Jan 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUnderstanding how the relationships between large carnivores and humans have evolved and have been managed through centuries can provide relevant insights for wildlife conservation. The management history of many large carnivores has followed a similar pattern, from game reserved for nobility, to persecuted pests, to conservation targets. We reconstructed the history of brown bear (Ursus arctos) management in Białowieża Forest (Poland and Belarus) based on a detailed survey of historical literature and Russian archives. From the end of the Middle Ages to the end of 18th century, the brown bear was considered “animalia superiora” (i.e., game exclusively reserved for nobility and protected by law). Bears, also a source of public entertainment, were not regarded as a threat. Effective measures to prevent damages to traditional forest beekeeping were already in practice. In the beginning of 19th century, new game‐management approaches allowed most forest officials to hunt bears, which became the primary target of hunters due to their valuable pelt. This, together with an effective anticarnivore policy enhanced by bounties, led to bear extirpation in 1879. Different approaches to scientific game management appeared (planned extermination of predators and hunting levels that would maintain stable populations), as did the first initiatives to protect bears from cruel treatment in captivity. Bear reintroduction in Białowieża Forest began in 1937 and represented the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore motivated by conservation goals. The outbreak of World War II spoiled what might have been a successful project; reproduction in the wild was documented for 8 years and bear presence for 13. Soft release of cubs born in captivity inside the forest but freely roaming with minimal human contact proved successful. Release of captive human‐habituated bears, feeding of these bears, and a lack of involvement of local communities were weaknesses of the project. Large carnivores are key components of ecosystem‐function restoration, and site‐specific histories provide important lessons in how to preserve them for the future.
A Self‐Organizing Approach to Subject–Verb Number Agreement
Authors: Smith Garrett , Franck Julie , Tabor Whitney 
Published: February 2018

AbstractWe present a self‐organizing approach to sentence processing that sheds new light on notional plurality effects in agreement attraction, using pseudopartitive subject noun phrases (e.g., a bottle of pills). We first show that notional plurality ratings (numerosity judgments for subject noun phrases) predict verb agreement choices in pseudopartitives, in line with the “Marking” component of the Marking and Morphing theory of agreement processing. However, no account to date has derived notional plurality values from independently needed principles of language processing. We argue on the basis of new experimental evidence and a dynamical systems model that the theoretical black box of notional plurality can be unpacked into objectively measurable semantic features. With these semantic features driving structure formation (and hence agreement choice), our model reproduces the human verb production patterns as a byproduct of normal processing. Finally, we discuss how the self‐organizing approach might be extended to other agreement attraction phenomena.
Adenocarcinoma predominant pattern subtyping and nuclear grading in cytology: Is there a role in prognostication of advanced pulmonary adenocarcinomas?
Authors: Nambirajan A. , Kaur H. , Jangra K. , Kaur K. , Madan K. , Mathur S. R. , Iyer V. K. , Jain D. 
Published: February 2018

IntroductionPrimary lung adenocarcinomas (ADs) show varied architectural patterns, and pattern‐based subtyping of ADs is currently recommended due to prognostic implications. Predicting AD patterns on cytology is challenging; however, cytological nuclear features appear to correlate with histological grade and survival in early stage lung ADs. The feasibility and value of AD pattern prediction and nuclear grading on cytology in advanced lung ADs is not known. We aimed to predict patterns and analyse nuclear features on cytology and evaluate their role in prognostication.MethodsOne‐hundred patients of Stage III/IV lung AD with available matched cytology and histology samples were included. Cyto‐patterns based on cell arrangement patterns (flat sheets vs three‐dimensional clusters vs papillae) and cyto‐nuclear score based on nuclear features (size, shape, contour), nucleoli (macronucleoli vs prominent vs inconspicuous), and nuclear chromatin were determined, and correlated with predominant histological‐pattern observed on the matched small biopsy and outcome.ResultsHigher cyto‐nuclear scores were observed with high‐grade histo‐patterns (solid, micropapillary and cribriform), while the predicted cyto‐patterns did not correspond to the predominant pattern on histology in 77% cases. Highest cyto‐histo agreement was observed for solid pattern (72%). High grade histo‐patterns and cyto‐nuclear scores > 3 showed a trend towards inferior survival (not significant).ConclusionsNuclear grade scoring on cytology is simple to perform, and is predictive of high grade patterns. Its inclusion in routine reporting of cytology samples of lung ADs may be valuable.
A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification‐based method for detecting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from Monochamus alternatus
Authors: Meng F. , Wang X. , Wang L. , Gou D. , Liu H. , Wang Y. , Piao C. 
Published: February 2018

SummaryThe introduction of the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, to new areas has impacted on the international economy. Therefore, accurate and reliable detection methods for PWN are essential for the control and management of this pest. A rapid and economic method for detecting PWN may be developed focusing on the PWN vector (Monochamus alternatus). This work standardized a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method using newly designed primer sequences based on the syg‐2 gene, which encodes the synaptogenesis protein syg‐2. Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification was conducted at 63°C for 60 min using six sets of primers. The result was confirmed by visual observation. A positive reaction was confirmed by SYBR Green I fluorescence dye under light thermal cycling. The lower limit of DNA detection was 51.4 pg/μl in both LAMP and 51.4 ng/μl in PCR. Therefore, the LAMP was 1,000 times more sensitive in DNA detection than PCR. The LAMP is a relatively new, highly accurate and rapid molecular technique that can rapidly detect infectious agents in the field without requiring sophisticated instruments, giving a visually readable result. The method greatly improves detection, without requiring professional knowledge and expensive, sophisticated equipment. Therefore, this system is suitable for quarantine and field detection.
Single‐trial log transformation is optimal in frequency analysis of restingEEGalpha
Authors: Smulders Fren T. Y. , ten Oever Sanne , Donkers Franc C. L. , Quaedflieg Conny W. E. M. , van de Ven Vincent 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe appropriate definition and scaling of the magnitude of electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations is an underdeveloped area. The aim of this study was to optimize the analysis of restingEEGalpha magnitude, focusing on alpha peak frequency and nonlinear transformation of alpha power. A family of nonlinear transforms, Box–Cox transforms, were applied to find the transform that (a) maximized a non‐disputed effect: the increase in alpha magnitude when the eyes are closed (Berger effect), and (b) made the distribution of alpha magnitude closest to normal across epochs within each participant, or across participants. The transformations were performed either at the single epoch level or at the epoch‐average level. Alpha peak frequency showed large individual differences, yet good correspondence between various ways to estimate it in 2 min of eyes‐closed and 2 min of eyes‐open restingEEGdata. Both alpha magnitude and the Berger effect were larger for individual alpha than for a generic (8–12 Hz) alpha band. The log‐transform on single epochs (a) maximized thet‐value of the contrast between the eyes‐open and eyes‐closed conditions when tested within each participant, and (b) rendered near‐normally distributed alpha power across epochs and participants, thereby making further transformation of epoch averages superfluous. The results suggest that the log‐normal distribution is a fundamental property of variations in alpha power across time in the order of seconds. Moreover, effects on alpha power appear to be multiplicative rather than additive. These findings support the use of the log‐transform on single epochs to achieve appropriate scaling of alpha magnitude.
Korean translation and validation of the Community Commitment Scale for preventing social isolation in older adults
Authors: Kim Jeung‐Im , Kono Ayumi , Yoshiyuki Noriko , Kang Jiyeon 
Published: February 2018

AimThe Community Commitment Scale was developed in Japan to measure communities' ability to prevent older adults' social isolation, including socializing and belonging in the community. We translated the scale into Korean (the Community Commitment Scale‐Korean version [CCS‐K]), and determined its internal consistency, concurrent validity and construct validity.MethodsSelf‐report questionnaires were administered to 326 local volunteers (82.8% women, 65.3% aged ≥60 years) in Korea. Internal consistency was analyzed with Cronbach's alpha. To evaluate the concurrent validity of the CCS‐K, we used the Brief Sense of Community Index, the revised Generative Concern Scale and ratings of two questions that addressed helping elderly neighbors.ResultsThe Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the CCS‐K was 0.68. The correlation coefficients between the CCS‐K and Brief Sense of Community Index or Generative Concern Scale, were 0.40 and 0.33 (P < 0.001), respectively. ANOVAs comparing the CCS‐K between confidence levels for the two questions that addressed helping elderly neighbors showed large or medium‐sized relationships (η2 = 0.14 and η2 = 0.08). A confirmatory factor analysis showed the CCS‐K had adequate fit to the data (goodness of fit index = 0.965, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.934, comparative fit index = 0.956 and root mean square error of approximation = 0.067).ConclusionsThe CCS‐K has acceptable internal consistency, concurrent validity and construct validity among Korean local volunteers. Thus, we can conclude that the CCS‐K can be effectively applied. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 806–812
The Ethics of Boycotting as Collective Anti‐Normalisation
Authors: Peled Yael 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBoycotts of various types and forms have become in recent years an increasingly common feature of political life. And yet, despite both their ubiquity and clear ethical grounding, they remain to date under‐explored in academic philosophy. I examine in this article the question of the ethics of boycotting, using the academic and cultural boycott of Israel as a case study. I propose that the boycott exhibits an intriguing pattern of continuous tension between its own stated principles and its realised practices, and suggest that this tension is not a dysfunction of the boycott but rather a structural feature, which emanates from its primary commitment to the idea of anti‐normalisation as an ethical imperative. I explore the complex cross‐linguistic political pragmatics of the notion of (anti‐)normalisation, and argue that the commitment to it on the part of the boycott movement, as a group actor, effectively amounts to a capricious form of arbitrary treatment of the boycotted. I then propose that the effective validation of arbitrary treatment constitutes, first, a harm in itself; and, second, that it hinders the capacity of the campaign to draw on and contribute to a general theory of the ethics of boycotting.
Involvement of nurses in end‐of‐life discussions for severely disabled children
Authors: Zaal‐Schuller I. H. , Willems D. I. , Ewals F. , van Goudoever J. B. , de Vos M. A. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackgroundIn children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), discussions about end‐of‐life decisions (EoLDs) are comparatively common. Nurses play a crucial role in the care for these children, yet their involvement in EoLD discussions is largely unknown. The objective of this research was to investigate the involvement in the hospital of nurses in discussions with parents and physicians about EoLDs for children with PIMD.MethodIn a retrospective, qualitative study, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with the nurses of 12 children with PIMD for whom an EoLD was made within the past 2 years.ResultsParents primarily discuss EoLDs with nurses before and after the meeting with the physician. Nurses who were involved in EoL discussions with parents and physicians assisted them by giving factual information about the child and by providing emotional support. Some nurses, especially nurses from ID‐care services, were not involved in EoL discussions, even if they had cared for the child for a long period of time. Some of the nurses had moral or religious objections to carrying out the decisions.ConclusionMost nurses were not involved in EoL discussions with parents and physicians in the hospital. Excluding nurses from EoL discussions can cause them moral distress. The involvement of nurses in EoL discussions for children with PIMD should be improved, especially by involving nurses from ID‐care services. Because these nurses are usually familiar with the child, they can be valuable sources of information about the child's quality of life.
Elemental fingerprint as a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Maass Fabian , Michalke Bernhard , Leha Andreas , Boerger Matthias , Zerr Inga , Koch Jan‐Christoph , Tönges Lars , Bähr Mathias , Lingor Paul 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) still lacks objective diagnostic markers independent of clinical criteria. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 36 PD and 42 age‐matched control patients were subjected to inductively coupled plasma‐sector field mass spectrometry and a total of 28 different elements were quantified. Different machine learning algorithms were applied to the dataset to identify a discriminating set of elements yielding a novel biomarker signature. Using 19 stably detected elements, the extreme gradient tree boosting model showed the best performance in the discrimination of PD and control patients with high specificity and sensitivity (78.6% and 83.3%, respectively), re‐classifying the training data to 100%. The 10 times 10‐fold cross‐validation yielded a good area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83. Arsenic, magnesium, and selenium all showed significantly higher mean CSF levels in the PD group compared to the control group (p = 0.01, p = 0.04, and p = 0.03). Reducing the number of elements to a discriminating minimum, we identified an elemental cluster (Se, Fe, As, Ni, Mg, Sr), which most importantly contributed to the sample discrimination. Selenium was identified as the element with the highest impact within this cluster directly followed by iron. After prospective validation, this elemental fingerprint in the CSF could have the potential to be used as independent biomarker for the diagnosis of PD. Next to their value as a biomarker, these data also argue for a prominent role of these highly discriminating six elements in the pathogenesis of PD.
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FACT‐Hep increases the accuracy of survival prediction in HCC patients when added to ECOG Performance Status
Authors: Gmür Andrea , Kolly Philippe , Knöpfli Marina , Dufour Jean‐François 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBackground and aimThe Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) is a strong predictor of survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is used with liver function and tumour burden in the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. This work assesses whether the health‐related quality of life (HRQL), measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Hepatobiliary (FACT‐Hep) questionnaire, discriminates HCC patients in terms of survival and adds prognostic information to ECOG PS.MethodsA total of 242 patients participating in the prospective Bern HCC Cohort at the University Hospital Bern were analysed. The relationship between FACT‐Hep and sociodemographic and clinical factors, including survival, were assessed. An analysis on treatment subgroups was performed using Kaplan‐Meier curves and Long‐Rank test. Additionally, the ability to predict overall survival was compared between the ECOG PS and FACT‐Hep total and subscales using Nagelkerke pseudo‐R2.ResultsFACT‐Hep subscales were significantly worse in females and in patients with limited liver function. FACT‐Hep total and all subscales, except the social/family well‐being subscale showed significant differences between ECOG PS groups and were significant predictors of survival. ECOG PS groups, followed by the functional well‐being subscale, were the best at predicting survival. In the resection subgroup, significant differences in OS regarding to HRQL were found. When adding the functional well‐being subscale to ECOG PS, the accuracy of the survival prediction was significantly increased.ConclusionHRQL assessed by the FACT‐Hep questionnaire is a reliable prognostic predictor of survival for patients with HCC and it adds prognostic information to the ECOG PS.
Intravesicular cidofovir for BK hemorrhagic cystitis in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Foster Jennifer H. , Cheng W. Susan , Nguyen Ngoc‐Yen , Krance Robert , Martinez Caridad 
Published: February 2018

AbstractBK virus hemorrhagic cystitis is a complication of HCST. Response to IV cidofovir is unpredictable, and treatment carries risk of toxicity. We report the largest series of pediatric patients with BKHC after HSCT successfully treated with intravesicular cidofovir. There was no significant decrease in urine or plasma BK PCR. There was significant decrease in pain score on days 3 and 7, with associated decrease in morphine use. No patients experienced toxicities associated with IV cidofovir. Intravesicular cidofovir appears to be safe and effective for symptomatic treatment of BKHC in pediatric patients after HSCT.
Comparison of tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma release assay for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in pediatric candidates of renal transplantation
Authors: Sayyahfar Shirin , Davoodzadeh Faranak , Hoseini Rozita , Rahimzadeh Nahid , Otukesh Hasan 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIGRA has been approved as an alternative in vitro test to diagnose Mycobacterium TB infection. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of TST in comparison with QFT assay to detect LTBI among Iranian children candidate for renal transplantation. This cross‐sectional study was performed on 31 children who were candidate for renal transplantation admitted to Ali Asghar Children's Hospital and Rasoul Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 2013 to 2014. TST and QFT were performed for all patients. QFT was negative in all patients, while TST was positive only in one case. Both tests results were negative in 30 patients, yielding an accuracy rate of 96.7% for TST to diagnose LTBI when compared to QFT. In conclusion, compared to QFT, TST is still a valuable diagnostic tool with high accuracy rate for diagnosis of LTBI in children candidates for renal transplantation and can still be used as an accurate test for screening Mycobacterium TB infection.
Disseminated fungal infection by Aureobasidium pullulans in a renal transplant recipient
Authors: Nalcacioglu Hulya , Yakupoglu Y. Kamil , Genc Gurkan , Belet Nursen , Sensoy Sema Gulnar , Birinci Asuman , Ozkaya Ozan 
Published: February 2018

AbstractRenal transplant recipients are on long‐term potent immunosuppressive therapy, which makes them highly vulnerable to opportunistic fungal infections. Dematiaceous, or dark‐pigmented saprophytic fungi, are being increasingly seen as opportunistic pathogens of mycoses in immunosuppressed patients. One of these is Aureobasidium pullulans, which is a black yeast‐like dematiaceous fungus found ubiquitously in the environment that can cause various opportunistic human infections. Most infections occur by traumatic inoculation, such as keratitis and cutaneous lesions; disseminated mycoses are very rare and occur only in severely immunocompromised patients. We report a case of disseminated fungal infection due to A. pullulans in a pediatric patient who underwent renal transplant. The use of voriconazole and vacuum‐assisted closure along with surgical drainage most likely contributed to the patient's positive outcome.
The effect of peri‐transplant plasmapheresis in the prevention of recurrent FSGS
Authors: Verghese P. S. , Rheault M. N. , Jackson S. , Matas A. J. , Chinnakotla S. , Chavers B. 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMany pediatric centers utilize a variety of protocols including preemptive plasmapheresis to prevent the recurrence of FSGS post‐transplant. But the effectiveness of this expensive, time‐consuming process of plasmapheresis in the prevention of FSGS recurrence is still unclear. We retrospectively reviewed all pediatric cases of FSGS in our center that received a kidney transplant and compared the transplant and patient outcomes of those transplanted after 2006 who received pretransplant plasmapheresis to those prior to 2006 who did not. Of the 57 children with FSGS, 31 and 26 were transplanted before and after 2006, respectively. The cohorts differed significantly in keeping with the center immunosuppression protocol changes, and prior to 2006, the recipients were significantly younger. All children with FSGS transplanted after 2006 underwent three and one sessions of 1.0 plasma volume/exchange plasmapheresis with fresh frozen plasma replacement prior to the transplant in living and deceased donors, respectively, in addition to five sessions of every other day post‐transplant pheresis. The incidence (27% vs 26%, P = 1.0) and time to recurrence of FSGS in the kidney allograft (P = .22) were not significantly different in patients that did and did not undergo prophylactic plasmapheresis. We need to re‐evaluate the role of preemptive plasmapheresis in the prevention of FSGS recurrence in a prospective multicenter study.