bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Muslim gay men: identity conflict and politics in a Muslim majority nation
Authors: Hamdi Nassim , Lachheb Monia , Anderson Eric 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhile a number of investigations have examined how gay Muslim men view homosexuality in relation to religious Western homophobia, this research constitutes the first account of the experiences of self‐identified gay men living in an African, Muslim nation, where same‐sex sex is both illegal and actively persecuted. We interviewed 28 gay men living in Tunisia in order to understand how they assimilate their sexual, religious and ethnic identities within a highly homophobic culture. Utilizing notions of homoerasure and homohysteria (McCormack and Eric Anderson ,b), and examining the intersection of identity conflict and new social movement theory, we highlight four strategies that participants use to negotiate the dissonance of living with conflicting identities in a context of religious homophobia: (1) privileging their Islamic identities and rejecting homosexuality as a legitimate sexual identity; (2) rejecting Islam and accepting homosexuality as a legitimate sexual identity; (3) interpreting Islam to be supportive of homosexuality; and (4) creating a non‐penetrative homosexuality to be compatible with literal Qur'anic interpretations. We discuss the multiple difficulties these men face in relation to religious intolerance and ethnic heteronormativity, and reflect upon the possibilities and obstacles of using Western identity politics towards the promotion of social justice within a framework of growing homohysteria.
Eating out with a food allergy in the UK: Change in the eating out practices of consumers with food allergy following introduction of allergen information legislation
Authors: Begen F. M. , Barnett J. , Payne R. , Gowland M. H. , DunnGalvin A. , Lucas J. S. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryBackgroundStrict allergen avoidance is important in day‐to‐day management of food allergy and avoidance when eating outside the home can present particular difficulties. EU legislation (EU FIC) introduced in December 2014 aimed to improve food allergen information provision for customers by requiring retailers of non‐prepacked foods to provide information related to the content of one or more of 14 specified food allergens within their foods.ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of EU FIC on the behaviours, experiences and attitudes of consumers with food allergy when eating out.MethodsAs part of longitudinal research, participants with food allergy from across the UK took part in either (A) pre and post legislation in‐depth interviews, or (B) pre and post legislation surveys. In‐depth interviews were carried out with 28 participants pre and post legislation and analysed using the framework approach. Self‐report surveys were completed by 129 participants pre and post legislation, and responses were subject to quantitative analyses.ResultsImprovements in allergen information provision and raised awareness of food allergy in eating out venues were reported following introduction of EU FIC. Whilst participants favoured written allergen information, they expressed greater confidence in communicating with eating out staff and in trusting the allergen information that they provided. Improvements were judged to be gradual, sporadic or inconsistent in implementation.Conclusion & clinical relevanceFor many participants, the “ideal” eating out experience was one in which a range of information resources were available and where written allergen information was complemented by proactive and accommodating staff within an allergy‐aware environment. Whilst the onus is on legislators and food providers to ensure that adequate allergen information is provided, clinicians play an important role in encouraging patients with food allergy to pursue their legal right to make allergen enquiries to avoid accidental allergen ingestion when eating out.
Gene expression profiles of M1 and M2 microglia characterized by comparative analysis of public datasets
Authors: Satoh Jun‐ichi 
Published: December 2017

AbstractObjectiveMicroglia, immunocompetent cells in the central nervous system, adopt two distinct activation phenotypes, composed of a pro‐inflammatory and neurotoxic “classical” activation (M1) phenotype by exposure to lipopolysaccharide and interferon‐γ, and an anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective “alternative” activation (M2) phenotype after treatment with interleukin‐4 and interleukin‐13. Recently, gene expression profiling using DNA microarray and high‐throughput sequencing technologies identified valid markers specific for microglia. However, we have fairly limited knowledge on comprehensive gene expression signatures of functionally polarized microglia. By comparative analysis of public datasets, we attempted to characterize the set of the genes specific for microglia polarized to M1, M2a and Mtgf, and the overlap of these marker genes in distinct activation phenotypes.MethodsWe retrieved five different microarray datasets of microglial gene expression from Gene Expression Omnibus, and analyzed them by GEO2R. We identified overlapping genes in various experimental conditions by Gene List Venn Diagram.ResultsWe found that the set of M1, M2a and Mtgf marker genes are highly variable among distinct datasets analyzed. Human microglia showed gene expression profiles quite different from those of mouse microglia. Rat amoeboid microglia in part showed the M1‐polarized phenotype. A substantial number of the genes upregulated under both M1‐polarizing and M2a‐polarizing conditions suggest common signaling pathways for M1 and M2 activation of microglia. Counteracting regulation was found between M1 and Mtgf gene expression.ConclusionsThe great variability of M1 and M2 microglial gene expression profiles is attributable to differences in the methods of preparation of microglia, culture conditions and platforms of microarray analyzed.
Cytokine‐induced differentiation of hematopoietic cells into microglia‐like cells in vitro
Authors: Igarashi Ayuko , Sakuma Hiroshi , Hayashi Masaharu , Noto Daisuke , Miyake Sachiko , Okumura Akihisa , Shimizu Toshiaki 
Published: December 2017

AbstractObjectivesMicroglia are the immune cells of the central nervous system. Several in vitro methods have been reported to induce the formation of microglia from hematopoietic cells, using granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and interleukin‐34 (IL‐34). However, the phenotype of these cells has not been fully characterized. The objective of the present study was to clarify the differential roles of colony‐stimulating factors and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) in the differentiation of hematopoietic cells to microglia‐like cells.MethodsMurine bone marrow lineage‐negative (BMLN) cells were co‐cultured with astrocytes for 1 week in the presence or absence of colony‐stimulating factors. Surface markers for microglia were examined by flow cytometry.ResultsBMLN cells co‐cultured with astrocytes developed into microglia‐like cells (CD11b+ CD45lo F4/80lo CX3CR1hi), whose expression pattern of surface markers was distinct from bone marrow‐derived macrophages (CD11b+ CD45hi F4/80hi CX3CR1lo). Morphologically, microglia‐like cells were found to possess actively extending and retracting long branched processes. Additionally, these cells were found to proliferate significantly during differentiation and this was dependent on colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor signaling. Macrophage colony‐stimulating factor or granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor induced the differentiation of BMLN cells into CD11bhi CD45hi cells that were different from microglia. In contrast, IL‐34 induced differentiation into CD11b+ CD45lo microglia‐like cells with relatively higher CX3CR1 expression. Although TGF‐β failed to induce the formation of microglia‐like cells with process‐bearing morphology, BMLN cells cultured with both IL‐34 and TGF‐β developed into microglia‐like cells that had finely branched processes and lower F4/80 expression.ConclusionsIL‐34 and TGF‐β collectively promote the development of microglia‐like cells from hematopoietic cells.
Primary bilateral uveal melanoma: a population‐based study and systematic review
Authors: Scott Jeffrey F , Vyas Ritva , Galvin Jessica , Gotow Erica , Fiessinger Lori , Gerstenblith Adam T , Gerstenblith Meg R 
Published: December 2017

AbstractImportancePrimary bilateral uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare and incompletely described entity. It is not known how these patients compare to those with unilateral UM.BackgroundWe sought to comprehensively characterize and compare patients with primary bilateral and unilateral UM.DesignRetrospective, population‐based and systematic review.ParticipantsPatients with bilateral (n = 52) and unilateral UM (n = 8915).MethodsWe analysed cases of primary bilateral UM from three data sources: (i) the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center pathology database from 1996 to 2016 (n = 1); (ii) the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End‐Results (SEER)‐18 database from 1973 to 2013 (n = 5) and (iii) a systematic review of the English language literature (n = 46). Cases of unilateral UM were obtained from the SEER‐18 database from 1973 to 2013 for comparison (n = 8915).Main Outcome MeasuresDemographics, clinicopathological characteristics, treatments and survival.ResultsThere were no differences in sex, race, mean age at diagnosis, site of uveal involvement, metastases at diagnosis, or treatment among patients with bilateral as compared to unilateral UM. Additionally, there were no clinicopathological differences between the two UMs in each patient with bilateral disease. Overall survival did not differ between unilateral and bilateral UM patients, or between bilateral UM patients who presented with, or subsequently developed, bilateral disease.Conclusions and RelevanceBilateral and unilateral UM patients share similar demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, treatments and prognoses. Moreover, the development of bilateral disease does not portend a poorer prognosis and patients should be treated similarly to those with unilateral disease.
Hepatitis C virus genotyping of organ donor samples to aid in transplantation of HCV‐positive organs
Authors: Gentile Caren , Van Deerlin Vivianna M. , Goldberg David S. , Reese Peter P. , Hasz Richard D. , Abt Peter , Blumberg Emily , Farooqi Midhat S. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractGiven the availability of new highly efficacious anti‐HCV therapies, some clinicians have advocated for wider use of kidneys from hepatitis C virus‐positive (HCV+) donors, including transplanting them into HCV‐negative recipients. As treatment regimens for HCV are commonly guided by genotype, pretransplant HCV genotyping of tissue donors would be beneficial. To our knowledge, donor HCV genotyping has never been reported. We retrieved archived frozen plasma samples for 17 previous organ donors through a local organ procurement organization. We performed HCV genotyping using the eSensor HCVg Direct Test (GenMark Diagnostics) and also by Sanger sequencing, for confirmation (Retrogen). In addition, viral loads were measured using the COBAS AmpliPrep/TaqMan system (Roche Diagnostics). We found that most of the samples (n = 14) were HCV Genotype 1a with the remainder being Genotype 2b (n = 1) or Genotype 3 (n = 2). All genotyping results were concordant with Sanger sequencing. The average HCV viral load in the sample group was ~ 1.6 million IU/mL (range: ~16 000 IU/mL to 7 million IU/mL). We demonstrate that viral RNA from organ donor plasma can be successfully genotyped for HCV. This ability suggests that transplantation of HCV+ kidneys into HCV‐negative recipients, followed by genotype‐guided antiviral therapy, could be feasible.
Deep brain stimulation for drug‐resistant epilepsy
Authors: Li Michael C. H. , Cook Mark J. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryObjectivesTo review clinical evidence on the antiepileptic effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for drug‐resistant epilepsy, its safety, and the factors influencing individual outcomes.MethodsA comprehensive search of the medical literature (PubMed, Medline) was conducted to identify relevant articles investigating DBS therapy for drug‐resistant epilepsy. Reference lists of these articles were used to source further articles.ResultsStimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) and hippocampus (HC) has been shown to decrease the frequency of refractory seizures. Half of all patients from clinical studies experienced a 46%‐90% seizure reduction with ANT‐DBS, and a 48%‐95% seizure reduction with HC‐DBS. The efficacy of stimulating other targets remains inconclusive due to lack of evidence. Approximately three‐fourths of patients receiving ANT, HC, or centromedian nucleus of the thalamus (CMT) stimulation are responders—experiencing a seizure reduction of at least 50%. The time course of clinical benefit varies dramatically, with both an initial lesional effect and ongoing stimulation effect at play. Improved quality of life and changes to cognition or mood may also occur. Side effects are similar in nature to those reported from DBS therapy for movement disorders. Several factors are potentially associated with stimulation efficacy, including an absence of structural abnormality on imaging for ANT and HC stimulation, and electrode position relative to the target. Certain seizure types or syndromes may respond more favorably to specific targets, including ANT stimulation for deep temporal or limbic seizures, and CMT stimulation for generalized seizures and Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome.SignificanceWe have identified several patient, disease, and stimulation factors that potentially predict seizure outcome following DBS. More large‐scale clinical trials are needed to explore different stimulation parameters, reevaluate the indications for DBS, and identify robust predictors of patient response.
Measuring social tolerance: An experimental approach in two lemurid primates
Authors: Fichtel Claudia , Schnoell Anna V. , Kappeler Peter M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSocial tolerance crucially affects the life of group‐living animals as it can influence, among other things, their competitive regimes, access to food, learning behavior, and recruitment. However, social tolerance tests were mainly conducted in semi‐free or captive populations, and we know little about the behavioral mechanisms and consequences of social tolerance under natural conditions. We therefore developed a co‐feeding experiment to measure social tolerance in groups of wild and captive animals across two primate species. Specifically, we recorded the social tolerance level of redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons, four wild, one captive group) and ringtailed lemurs (Lemur catta, three wild, three captive groups) by presenting a clumped food resource in an experimental arena, and recorded patterns of resource use during the experiment. Because redfronted lemurs exhibit lower levels of decided conflicts than ringtailed lemurs, we predicted that they would be socially more tolerant. The probability for an individual to feed in the arena was higher in redfronted lemurs than in ringtailed lemurs. In addition, in both species, the probability for an individual to feed in the arena was higher in the captive populations than in their wild counterparts, suggesting that proximate factors, such as a relaxation of feeding competition in captivity, may adapt species‐specific levels of social tolerance to local levels of food availability. Hence, the number of individuals co‐feeding on a valuable food resource appears to be a useful proxy of social tolerance that could be measured with this experimental setup in other wild and captive species as well.
Contrasting effects of functionally distinct tadpole species on nutrient cycling and litter breakdown in a tropical rainforest stream
Authors: Ramamonjisoa Noelikanto , Natuhara Yosihiro 
Published: December 2017

Abstract

There is growing interest in predicting how loss of species diversity and abundance affect the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Tadpole diversity and abundance can be exceptionally high in tropical streams, but, compared to other groups, relatively little is known about their functional roles. We assessed the trophic niches and investigated the contribution of tadpoles to nutrient recycling (excretion and egestion) and litter breakdown in streams.

We used two ecomorphologically distinct tadpoles belonging to the two most dominant feeding guilds in Ranomafana, Madagascar: Boophis quasiboehmei (hereafter BQ, generalised mouthpart, grazer) and Mantidactylus melanopleura (hereafter MM, umbelliform funnel mouthpart, suspension feeder). We conducted field incubation experiments to quantify nutrients recycled from excretion and egestion, and set enclosures to analyse the effects of tadpoles on litter breakdown (leaves of Pauridiantha sp. and Chrysophyllum sp.) in nine treatments: control (no tadpoles), monospecific treatment (BQ or MM) at three densities (low, medium, high: 3, 6, 12 tadpoles/0.0625 m2, respectively) and mix‐species treatment (3 BQ + 3 MM, 6 BQ + 6 MM).

BQ and MM occupied the same trophic level but tended to differ in their carbon isotopic signatures. MM excreted nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) at higher rates, but the two species had similar N:P molar excretion ratio. Nutrients recycled from faecal pellets (egestion) were not immediately available but needed to be mineralised: N increased with time in the water column and was more than 25 times higher in concentration at the end of the experiment (day 16), whereas P concentration showed a hump‐shaped pattern with a maximum value at day 4 of incubation. Effects of tadpoles on litter breakdown depended on tadpole identity, density and litter identity. Particularly, no breakdown occurred at low tadpole density, and effects were generally stronger on the softer texture leaves Pauridiantha sp. We found additive effects of tadpole diversity on litter breakdown.

These findings indicate that (1) tadpoles with different mouthparts play different roles on the ecosystem; (2) tadpole faecal pellets are important latent sources of nutrients in freshwater environments; and (3) tadpole abundance exerted stronger effects than species diversity on litter breakdown, emphasising the importance of tadpole biomass and communities in tropical streams. Interspecific variation in nutrient recycling and differential effects on litter breakdown illustrate a strong linkage between species identity and ecosystem function.
Comparing spatial patterns
Authors: Long Jed , Robertson Colin 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe comparison of spatial patterns is a fundamental task in geography and quantitative spatial modelling. With the growth of data being collected with a geospatial element, we are witnessing an increased interest in analyses requiring spatial pattern comparisons (e.g., model assessment and change analysis). In this paper, we review quantitative techniques for comparing spatial patterns, examining key methodological approaches developed both within and beyond the field of geography. We highlight the key challenges using examples from widely known datasets from the spatial analysis literature. Through these examples, we identify a problematic dichotomy between spatial pattern and process—a widespread issue in the age of big geospatial data. Further, we identify the role of complex topology, the interdependence of spatial configuration and composition, and spatial scale as key (research) challenges. Several areas ripe for geographic research are discussed to establish a consolidated research agenda for spatial pattern comparison grounded in quantitative geography. Hierarchical scaling and the modifiable areal unit problem are highlighted as ideas which can be exploited to identify pattern similarities across spatial and temporal scales. Increased use of “time‐aware” comparisons of spatial processes are suggested, which properly account for spatial evolution and pattern formation. Simulation‐based inference is identified as particularly promising for integrating spatial pattern comparison into existing modelling frameworks. To date, the literature on spatial pattern comparison has been fragmented, and we hope this work will provide a basis for others to build on in future studies.
Impact of pain and functional impairment in US adults with haemophilia: Patient‐reported outcomes and musculoskeletal evaluation in the pain, functional impairment and quality of life (P‐FiQ) study
Authors: Kempton C. L. , Recht M. , Neff A. , Wang M. , Buckner T. W. , Soni A. , Quon D. , Witkop M. , Boggio L. , Gut R. Z. , Cooper D. L. 
Published: December 2017

IntroductionStandardized and disease‐specific patient‐reported outcome (PRO) instruments assessing pain, functional impairment and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with haemophilia (PWH) have been used in studies, but infrequently in comprehensive care settings for individual assessment or treatment planning.AimTo assess the impact of pain and functional impairment on HRQoL in PWH.MethodsP‐FiQ enrolled 381 adult PWH with a history of joint pain/bleeding and included 5 PROs and a clinical joint evaluation (Hemophilia Joint Health Score v2.1 [HJHS]).ResultsMedian age was 34 years; 49.9% reported a history of joint procedure or surgery. On EQ‐5D‐5L, most reported problems with mobility (61.4%), usual activities (53.2%) and pain/discomfort (76.1%). On Brief Pain Inventory v2 Short Form, median worst pain (range 0‐10) was 6, least pain 1, average pain 3 and current pain 2. Ankles were most frequently reported as the most painful joints (37.4%), followed by knees (23.7%) and elbows (18.9%). On International Physical Activity Questionnaire, 51% reported no activity in the prior week. On SF‐36v2 health survey, median subscores were worse for 4 physical health domains vs 4 mental health domains. Among Hemophilia Activities List domains (range 0 [worst]‐100 [best]), functions of the legs (median, 66.7) and lying/sitting/kneeling/standing (median, 67.5) were most impacted and self‐care least impacted (median, 100.0). On HJHS, ankle scores (median, 6.0; range, 0‐40) were worse than elbow/knee scores (median, 4.0/4.0). Results were consistent across PROs/HJHS.ConclusionData demonstrate challenges of predominantly ankle/knee pain and lower extremity functional impairment in US adult PWH, affecting HRQoL across PROs/HJHS.
First evidence of bacterial translocation from the intestinal tract as a route of Helicobacter cinaedi bacteremia
Authors: Araoka Hideki , Baba Masaru , Okada Chikako , Kimura Muneyoshi , Sato Tomoaki , Yatomi Yutaka , Moriya Kyoji , Yoneyama Akiko 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe route of Helicobacter cinaedi bacteremia has not yet been clarified. Although bacterial translocation from the intestinal tract into the circulation has been suggested, it has not been demonstrated thus far. The objective of this study was to investigate the port of entry of this bacterium.Material and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study on patients with H. cinaedi bacteremia between March 2009 and May 2013. Records of patients in whom H. cinaedi was detected in both blood and stool cultures were extracted. H. cinaedi was identified using gyrB‐targeted PCR. Pulse‐field gel electrophoresis was used to investigate the consistency of the genotypes.ResultsSeventy‐one patients were diagnosed with H. cinaedi bacteremia during the study period. H. cinaedi was detected in both blood and stool samples of 21 patients. Pulse‐field gel electrophoresis was used to investigate the consistency of the genotypes in 18 evaluable strains (from 9 patients). The pulse‐field gel electrophoresis patterns of the stool‐ and blood‐derived strains of H. cinaedi were consistent among all 9 patients. Most of the 9 patients analyzed were immunocompromised and being treated with anticancer drugs or steroids, which suggests reduced intestinal immunity.ConclusionsThis is the first study to demonstrate that bacterial translocation from the intestinal tract could represent one route of H. cinaedi bacteremia.