bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using machine learning to assess covariate balance in matching studies
Authors: Linden Ariel , Yarnold Paul R. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn order to assess the effectiveness of matching approaches in observational studies, investigators typically present summary statistics for each observed pre‐intervention covariate, with the objective of showing that matching reduces the difference in means (or proportions) between groups to as close to zero as possible. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to distinguish between study groups based on their distributions of the covariates using a machine‐learning algorithm called optimal discriminant analysis (ODA). Assessing covariate balance using ODA as compared with the conventional method has several key advantages: the ability to ascertain how individuals self‐select based on optimal (maximum‐accuracy) cut‐points on the covariates; the application to any variable metric and number of groups; its insensitivity to skewed data or outliers; and the use of accuracy measures that can be widely applied to all analyses. Moreover, ODA accepts analytic weights, thereby extending the assessment of covariate balance to any study design where weights are used for covariate adjustment. By comparing the two approaches using empirical data, we are able to demonstrate that using measures of classification accuracy as balance diagnostics produces highly consistent results to those obtained via the conventional approach (in our matched‐pairs example, ODA revealed a weak statistically significant relationship not detected by the conventional approach). Thus, investigators should consider ODA as a robust complement, or perhaps alternative, to the conventional approach for assessing covariate balance in matching studies.
The Iterated Mountain: Things as Signs in Potosí
Authors: Abercrombie Thomas A. 
Published: March 2016

ResumenMineros del icónico Cerro Rico de Potosí (en si parte de un sitio patrimónico de UNESCO y figura central del escudo y monedas nacionales bolivianos) participan del capitalismo global, en su cabo extractivo y explotador. Junto a las imágenes del Diablo dentro de los socavones y de los santos en capillas afuera de ellos, los mineros también participan en la economía “espiritual” de la agencia distribuida que allí sostiene a la producción y movimiento de minerales y el dinero, y que motiva un festival folclórico importante que a su vez es candidato para el estatus patrimonial. El artículo intenta usar la lingüística material (esto es, Peirce) para indagar como es que las cosas, sean gigantescas, del tamaño del cuerpo humano, o miniaturas, funcionan como signos materiales dentro de redes de interacción socio‐materiales. Así el articulo ofrece un contrapunto a ciertas estrategias teóricas que siguen, en lugar de cuestionar, los dualismos cuerpo/mente, materia/espiritu que guían tanto al cristianismo colonial como a la ciencia (incluyendo a la teoría antropológica y el reciente “giro ontológico”). [Bolivia, colonialismo/estudios post‐coloniales, ideología semiótica, minería, pueblos indígenas]
Familial discrepancy of clinical outcomes associated with fibrinogen Dorfen: A case of huge genital hematoma after episiotomy
Authors: Kagami Kyosuke , Yamazaki Rena , Minami Tetsuya , Okumura Nobuo , Morishita Eriko , Fujiwara Hiroshi 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study demonstrates a case of a huge genital hematoma after delivery, associated with fibrinogen Dorfen. Fibrinogen Dorfen is the mutation of a fibrinogen‐coded exon gene, which has a single heterozygous GCC → GTC transition at codon 289 of the γ gene, predicting an Ala → Val substitution. Because Ala289 plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure of the polymerization site of hole ‘a’ via a hydrogen bond, it is speculated that the γ 289Ala → Val substitution can change not only the fibrinogen structure, but also the function of polymerization. In our case, although the patient's gene mutation was the same as that of her mother, there was a discrepancy in the clinical outcomes. Although the precise mechanism regarding this discrepancy remains unknown, it may cause different perinatal outcomes in terms of vaginal delivery, such as the severe bleeding in this patient and the absence of clinical symptoms in her mother. This is the first report suggesting the heterogeneity of fibrinogen functions of fibrinogen Dorfen, which may be critical to the clinical outcome.
The Relatives’ Big Five Personality Influences the Trajectories of Recovery of Patients After Severe TBI: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Haller Chiara S. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis study examines the influence of the personality of relatives on the trajectories of recovery of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present subsample (N = 376) of a larger population‐based, prospective, 12‐month multicenter cohort study in Switzerland (2007–2011) consists of patients with severe TBI (age ≥ 16) and their relatives. The predictors are the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory and time (trajectory of functioning of the patient over time). The outcomes are the patients’ (a) neurological functioning; (b) reported emotional, interpersonal, cognitive, and total functioning post‐injury; and (c) health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). The covariates included Abbreviated Injury Scale score of the head region and age. Results for patients > 50 are (a) relatives’ Extraversion influenced patients’ total, interpersonal, and cognitive functioning; (b) relatives’ Agreeableness influenced patients’ interpersonal functioning; and (c) relatives’ Conscientiousness influenced patients’ physical HRQoL (ps < .05). Results for patients ≤ 50 are (a) relatives’ Neuroticism influenced patients’ neurological and emotional functioning, and (b) relatives’ Extraversion influenced patients’ emotional functioning and psychological HRQoL (ps < .05). The personality traits of the relative covary with the functioning of the patient, and psychological adaptation to the loss of function may progress at a later stage after physical health improvements have been achieved. Thus, a biopsychosocial perspective on the rehabilitation process is needed.
A NEW APPROACH TO MODELING THE IMPACT OF DISRUPTIVE EVENTS
Authors: Oosterhaven Jan , Bouwmeester Maaike C. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTThis paper develops a new methodology to predict the interregional and interindustry impacts of disruptive events. We model the reactions of economic agents by minimizing the information gain between the pre‐ and postevent pattern of economic transactions. The resulting nonlinear program reproduces, as it should, the pre‐event market equilibrium. The methodology is tested further by means of a comparison of this base scenario with two regional production shock scenarios and two interregional trade shock scenarios. The outcomes show a plausible combination of partially compensating demand, supply, and spatial substitution effects, which justifies the further development, testing, and application of this new approach.
Network Formation under Multiple Sources of Externalities
Authors: JOSHI SUMIT , MAHMUD AHMED SABER 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe architecture of social and economic networks is often explained in terms of the externalities shaping the link‐forming incentives of players. We make two contributions to this literature. First, we bring into its ambit the linear‐quadratic utility model. Since players' utilities are now a function of their network centralities, this permits endogenizing their locational incentives in a network. Second, we show that the mode of transmission of externalities can be crucial in dictating the topology of equilibrium networks. We consider two alternative modes for channeling externalities. Both have the same primary source (direct links) but a different secondary source (global effects vs. indirect links). We characterize equilibrium networks for different positive–negative combinations of primary–secondary externalities for both modes. We show that the mode of transmission influences the equilibrium architecture when externalities from the primary source are positive; when these externalities are negative, the equilibrium network is empty.
Antiviral response and resistance analysis of treatment‐naïve HCV‐infected patients receiving single and multiple doses of GS‐9190
Authors: Mo H. , Hedskog C. , Svarovskaia E. , Sun S.‐C. , Jacobson I. M. , Brainard D. M. , McHutchison J. G. , Miller M. D. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryGS‐9190 is a NS5B non‐nucleoside analogue with demonstrated effectiveness in a Phase 1 monotherapy study and in combination with other DAAs for treatment of chronic HCV infection. Here, the resistance profile of GS‐9190 monotherapy in a Phase 1b study was investigated. Resistance analysis was performed by population sequencing and allele‐specific PCR (AS‐PCR) for Y448H with an assay cut‐off of 0.5%. Phenotypic susceptibility analyses were performed on patient isolates as well as site‐directed mutagenesis of mutations selected during monotherapy. No resistance‐associated variants were observed in patients before or after receiving single doses of GS‐9190 by population sequencing. In contrast, in patients who received GS‐9190 for 8 days, mutations Y448H and Y452H in NS5B were observed by population sequencing in 21/36 (58%) and 2/36 (5.6%) patients, respectively, at Day 8 or Day 14. Among the remaining 15 patients who had no detectable Y448H at Day 8 or Day 14 by population sequencing, low frequencies of Y448H ranging from 1.3 to 9.7% were detected in 14 of 15 patients by AS‐PCR. By AS‐PCR, Y448H remained detectable at reduced frequency in the majority of patients analysed through 4–6 months of follow‐up. Chimeric HCV replicons constructed with the NS5B sequence from patients with Y448H and Y448H + Y452H/Y demonstrated 27‐fold and 78.5‐fold reduced susceptibility to GS‐9190. In conclusion, Y448H was rapidly selected in the majority of patients receiving multiple doses of GS‐9190 as monotherapy, despite undetectable levels in pretreatment samples. Y448H confers reduced susceptibility to GS‐9190 and other NNIs and persisted in most patients for months post‐treatment.
Evaluation of Four Diagnostic Tests for Insulin Dysregulation in Adult Light‐Breed Horses
Authors: Dunbar L.K. , Mielnicki K.A. , Dembek K.A. , Toribio R.E. , Burns T.A. 
Published: March 2016

BackgroundSeveral tests have been evaluated in horses for quantifying insulin dysregulation to support a diagnosis of equine metabolic syndrome. Comparing the performance of these tests in the same horses will provide clarification of their accuracy in the diagnosis of equine insulin dysregulation.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between basal serum insulin concentrations (BIC), the oral sugar test (OST), the combined glucose‐insulin test (CGIT), and the frequently sampled insulin‐modified intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT).AnimalsTwelve healthy, light‐breed horses.MethodsRandomized, prospective study. Each of the above tests was performed on 12 horses.ResultsMinimal model analysis of the FSIGTT was considered the reference standard and classified 7 horses as insulin resistant (IR) and 5 as insulin sensitive (IS). In contrast, BIC and OST assessment using conventional cut‐off values classified all horses as IS. Kappa coefficients, measuring agreement among BIC, OST, CGIT, and FSIGTT were poor to fair. Sensitivity of the CGIT (positive phase duration of the glucose curve >45 minutes) was 85.7% and specificity was 40%, whereas CGIT ([insulin]45 >100 μIU/mL) sensitivity and specificity were 28.5% and 100%, respectively. Area under the glucose curve (AUCg0‐120) was significantly correlated among the OST, CGIT, and FSIGTT, but Bland–Altman method and Lin's concordance coefficient showed a lack of agreement.ConclusionsCurrent criteria for diagnosis of insulin resistance using BIC and the OST are highly specific but lack sensitivity. The CGIT displayed better sensitivity and specificity, but modifications may be necessary to improve agreement with minimal model analysis.
Noninvasive Assessment of Neuromuscular Disease in Dogs: Use of the 6‐minute Walk Test to Assess Submaximal Exercise Tolerance in Dogs with Centronuclear Myopathy
Authors: Cerda‐Gonzalez S. , Talarico L. , Todhunter R. 
Published: March 2016

BackgroundNoninvasive methods of quantitating exercise tolerance in dogs with neuromuscular disease are needed both for clinical and research use. The 6‐minute walk test (6MWT) has been validated as a reliable test of exercise tolerance in dogs with pulmonary and cardiac disease, but not in dogs with neuromuscular disease.Hypothesis/ObjectivesDistance walked and number of steps taken during 6MWT will differ between Labrador retriever dogs with centronuclear myopathy (CNM) and control (ie, healthy) littermates.AnimalsEight purebred Labrador retrievers were drawn from a purpose‐bred research colony (status: 3 clear, 2 carrier, and 3 homozygous mutants for the protein tyrosine phosphatase‐like A (PTPLA) gene mutation associated with CNM).MethodsPilot, prospective, Case–controlled study. Researchers were blinded to disease status. Each dog was leash‐trained and acclimatized to the testing area (length, 12.8 m). At the start of testing, each animal was fitted with a pedometer, a timer was started, and dogs were allowed to walk at their own pace for 6 minutes. Distance walked and pedometer readings were recorded.ResultsDegree of paresis varied among affected dogs, and was reflected by significant differences in distance walked between CNM‐affected dogs and those with clear and carrier genotypes (P = .048). Pedometer readings did not vary according to genotype (P = .86).ConclusionsThe 6MWT appears to differentiate between the ambulatory capacity of normal and CNM‐affected dogs. Additional studies are needed to confirm this relationship in a larger number of dogs, and to evaluate the ability of the 6MWT to differentiate between dogs with variable severity of neuromuscular disease‐associated exercise intolerance.
Magadi tilapia ecological specialization: filling the early gap in the speciation continuum
Authors: Pinho Catarina , Faria Rui 
Published: March 2016

Cichlid fish are well known for their high speciation rates, which are usually accompanied by spectacular and rapid diversification in eco‐morphological and secondary sexual traits. This is best illustrated by the famous repeated explosive radiations in the African Great Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi and Victoria, each lake harbouring several hundreds of mostly endemic species. Correspondingly, cichlids diversified very rapidly in many other lakes across their range. Although the larger radiations, unparalleled in vertebrates, are certainly the most intriguing, they are also the most intricate and difficult to address because of their complex nature. This is where smaller, simpler systems may prove to be the most useful. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Kavembe et al. () report very recent genetic diversification accompanied by ecological specialization in cichlids of the small and ecologically extreme Lake Magadi, in Kenya. Combining geometric morphometrics, stable isotope analysis, population genomics using RADSeq data and coalescent‐based modelling techniques, the authors characterize the eco‐morphological differences between genetically distinct populations of Magadi tilapia (Alcolapia grahami), which are consistent with the different environmental conditions they experience, and infer their history of divergence. The simplicity of the focal system and the use of a multidisciplinary approach make this work particularly important for our understanding of the early stages of speciation, in both cichlids and other organisms.
Color patterns in white‐beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) from Iceland
Authors: Bertulli Chiara G. , Galatius Anders , Kinze Carl C. , Rasmussen Marianne H. , Keener William , Webber Marc A. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractFew studies have examined the natural complex pigmentation patterns of white‐beaked dolphins. From 2002 to 2014, whale‐watching trips in Iceland provided a platform of opportunity to collect a large body of photographs of free‐ranging individuals from a single area of distribution for this species. Based on 823 images, 571 individuals showing one or more color components were identified, and assigned to the following four age classes: adults (n= 437), juveniles (n= 109), calves (n= 14), and neonates (n= 11). A total of 26 color components were observed and described: seven terms previously applied to white‐beaked dolphins, 12 previously applied to other dolphin species, and seven newly defined terms. Results showed that each age class could be positively identified by differences in specific color components, some of which were exclusive. Therefore, color patterns may prove useful in estimating maturity in free‐ranging white‐beaked dolphins. This tool could be further refined through assessment of a wide sample of freshly stranded specimens of known sex and age, which could reveal new age class‐specific components, as well as sexually dimorphic characteristics not seen here. Geographic variation should be investigated by comparing image data sets and stranded animals from different parts of the North Atlantic.
In vivo characterization of two additional Leishmania donovani strains using the murine and hamster model
Authors: Kauffmann F. , Dumetz F. , Hendrickx S. , Muraille E. , Dujardin J.‐C. , Maes L. , Magez S. , De Trez C. 
Published: March 2016

SummaryLeishmania donovani is a protozoan parasite causing the neglected tropical disease visceral leishmaniasis. One difficulty to study the immunopathology upon L. donovani infection is the limited adaptability of the strains to experimental mammalian hosts. Our knowledge about L. donovani infections relies on a restricted number of East African strains (LV9, 1S). Isolated from patients in the 1960s, these strains were described extensively in mice and Syrian hamsters and have consequently become ‘reference’ laboratory strains. L. donovani strains from the Indian continent display distinct clinical features compared to East African strains. Some reports describing the in vivo immunopathology of strains from the Indian continent exist. This study comprises a comprehensive immunopathological characterization upon infection with two additional strains, the Ethiopian L. donovani L82 strain and the Nepalese L. donovani BPK282 strain in both Syrian hamsters and C57BL/6 mice. Parameters that include parasitaemia levels, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly and alterations in cellular composition of the spleen and liver, showed that the L82 strain generated an overall more virulent infection compared to the BPK282 strain. Altogether, both L. donovani strains are suitable and interesting for subsequent in vivo investigation of visceral leishmaniasis in the Syrian hamster and the C57BL/6 mouse model.
Local Community Characteristics and Cooperation for Shared Green Reputation
Authors: Rivera Jorge , Naranjo Maria Angelica , Robalino Juan , Alpizar Francisco , Blackman Allen 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis article examines how basic socioeconomic and political factors are associated with higher levels of cooperation to garner a local community's shared green reputation. We analyze panel data on participation efforts in a collective voluntary environmental program, the Ecological Blue Flag Program, by the entire population of beach communities in Costa Rica between 2001 and 2009. Collective voluntary environmental programs are relatively new and aim to improve environmental performance and shared “green” reputation through joint participation and certification of multisector groups comprising businesses, governmental institutions, and nongovernmental organizations. Our results indicate that higher levels of within‐community cooperation for shared green reputation are more likely in seashore localities with lower income inequality and/or a higher number of businesses. These findings run counter to research suggesting these same characteristics are associated with lower levels of cooperation in the management of common pool natural resources such as fisheries and forests. We also find that within‐community cooperation is positively correlated with a greater proportion of expatriates from industrialized countries and/or with higher levels of democratic political participation.
Curcumin enhances human macrophage control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: Bai Xiyuan , Oberley‐Deegan Rebecca E. , Bai An , Ovrutsky Alida R. , Kinney William H. , Weaver Michael , Zhang Gong , Honda Jennifer R. , Chan Edward D. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBackground and objectiveWith the worldwide emergence of highly drug‐resistant tuberculosis (TB), novel agents that have direct antimycobacterial effects or that enhance host immunity are urgently needed. Curcumin is a polyphenol responsible for the bright yellow‐orange colour of turmeric, a spice derived from the root of the perennial herb Curcuma longa. Curcumin is a potent inducer of apoptosis—an effector mechanism used by macrophages to kill intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).MethodsAn in vitro human macrophage infection model was used to determine the effects of curcumin on MTB survival.ResultsWe found that curcumin enhanced the clearance of MTB in differentiated THP‐1 human monocytes and in primary human alveolar macrophages. We also found that curcumin was an inducer of caspase‐3‐dependent apoptosis and autophagy. Curcumin mediated these anti‐MTB cellular functions, in part, via inhibition of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NFκB) activation.ConclusionCurcumin protects against MTB infection in human macrophages. The host‐protective role of curcumin against MTB in macrophages needs confirmation in an animal model; if validated, the immunomodulatory anti‐TB effects of curcumin would be less prone to drug resistance development.
Adolescents' Judgments of Doubly Deviant Peers: Implications of Intergroup and Intragroup Dynamics for Disloyal and Overweight Group Members
Authors: Abrams Dominic , Palmer Sally B. , Van de Vyver Julie , Hayes Daniel , Delaney Katrina , Guarella Sophie , Purewal Kiran 
Published: March 2016

AbstractGroup membership, loyalty, and weight are highly relevant for adolescent peer evaluations at school. This research tested how in‐group/out‐group membership affected judgments of peers who deviated from social norms for weight and loyalty. Two hundred and forty 11–13‐year‐olds (49 percent female; 94 percent Caucasian) judged two in‐group or out‐group peers: one was normative (loyal and average weight) and the other was non‐normative (i.e., ‘deviant’). The deviant target was overweight, disloyal to their own group (school), or both (‘doubly deviant’). Derogation of overweight relative to average weight peers was greater if they were in‐group rather than out‐group members, revealing a strong ‘black sheep effect’ for overweight peers. Disloyal out‐group deviants were judged favorably, but this effect was eliminated if they were doubly deviant, suggesting that their disloyalty was insufficient to overcome the overweight stigma. Consistent with developmental subjective group dynamics theory, effects of group membership and types of deviance on adolescents’ favorability toward peers were mediated by adolescents’ perceptions of how well the deviant members would ‘fit’ with the in‐group school. Implications for theory and strategies to reduce peer exclusion, particularly weight stigmatization, are considered.