bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nationwide incidence of blindness in South Korea: a 12‐year study from 2002 to 2013
Authors: Rim Tyler Hyungtaek , Kim Dong Wook , Chung Eun Jee , Kim Sung Soo 
Published: April 2017

AbstractImportanceBlindness is an important public health issue.BackgroundThe background of the study is to determine the incidence of blindness in South Korea.DesignNationwide population‐based retrospective study.ParticipantsAll individuals from South Korea (n = 47 516 098).MethodsPatients confirmed with legal blindness based on the worse‐seeing and better‐seeing eyes between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2013 were included. The Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) database was used. Using the World Health Organization definition, blindness was defined as best‐corrected visual acuity in the worse‐seeing and better‐seeing eyes of <20/400. The mean incidence of blindness during the 12‐year period was estimated. The population of South Korea was estimated using census data in 2005 and 2010.Main Outcome MeasuresThe total number of legal blindness cases in the KNHIS database.ResultsWe identified 195 004 and 20 492 cases of newly developed legal blindness based on the worse‐seeing and better‐seeing eyes, respectively, and the mean incidences of blindness were 34.2 and 3.6 cases/100 000 person‐years, respectively. The prevalence of blindness based on the worse‐seeing and better‐seeing eyes was 425.3 and 57.7 cases/100 000 persons, respectively. The incidence of blindness based on the worse‐seeing eye was higher in men than in women overall. Additionally, the incidence increased with age and showed a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2013.Conclusions and RelevanceThe prevalence of blindness showed an increasing trend from 2002 to 2013. The findings of our study will help in the assessment of the blindness‐related socio‐economic burden and in healthcare planning.
Asenapine modulates mood‐related behaviors and 5‐HT1A/7 receptors‐mediated neurotransmission
Authors: Delcourte Sarah , Abrial Erika , Etiévant Adeline , Rovera Renaud , Arnt Jørn , Didriksen Michael , Haddjeri Nasser 
Published: April 2017

SummaryAimAsenapine is a new atypical antipsychotic prescribed for the treatment of psychosis/bipolar disorders that presents higher affinity for serotonergic than dopaminergic receptors. The objective of this study was to investigate its antidepressant‐like and antimanic‐like properties on relevant animal models of depression and mania and to assess the acute and chronic effect of Asenapine on dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5‐HT cell firing activity.MethodsWe assessed the effects of Asenapine using in vivo electrophysiological and behavioral assays in rats.ResultsBehavioral experiments showed that Asenapine had no significant effect on immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) in control rats. In the ACTH‐treated rats, a model of antidepressant‐resistance, Asenapine failed to alter immobility time in the FST. In contrast in the sleep deprivation (SD) model of mania, acute administration of Asenapine significantly decreased the hyperlocomotion of SD rats. In the DRN, acute administration of Asenapine reduced the suppressant effect of the selective 5‐HT7 receptor agonist LP‐44 and of the prototypical 5‐HT1A receptor agonist 8‐OH‐DPAT on 5‐HT neuronal firing activity. In addition, chronic treatment with Asenapine enhanced DRN 5‐HT neuronal firing and this effect was associated with an alteration of the 5‐HT7 receptor responsiveness.ConclusionThese results confirm that Asenapine displays robust antimanic property and effective in vivo antagonistic activity at 5‐HT1A/7 receptors.
Molecular characterisation of protistan species and communities in ships’ ballast water across three U.S. coasts
Authors: Pagenkopp Lohan Katrina M. , Fleischer Robert C. , Carney Katharine J. , Holzer Kimberly K. , Ruiz Gregory M. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimWe characterised protistan taxa in ships’ ballast water (BW) arriving to port systems across three U.S. coasts. Our goals were to compare (1) diversity and (2) community composition of protists in BW among and between port systems.LocationChesapeake Bay in Virginia (Port of Hampton Roads), Galveston Bay in Texas (Ports of Texas City, Houston and Bayport) and Prince William Sound in Alaska (Port of Valdez).MethodsWe collected 61 BW samples from 39 vessels from May to August 2013. We conducted amplicon‐based high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) using the hypervariable V4 domain of the small subunit (SSU) gene of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) complex to identify protistan taxa.ResultsWe detected 8,561 OTUs from protistan taxa, including 35 taxonomic groups. We found high protistan diversity in the BW entering all three port systems, with the dominant taxa belonging to the Alveolata, Rhizaria and Stramenopiles. Thirty‐eight taxa were found in high relative abundance (>10,000 sequences), and some were recovered from multiple samples within and across ports, indicating both a high relative abundance and frequency of introduction events. The composition of the protistan communities entering each of the port systems appeared to vary depending on BW source, with those entering Valdez being consistently more similar to each other than those entering other port systems.Main conclusionsThis study is the most comprehensive assessment of protistan diversity in BW and has important implications for microbial biogeography and invasions. Ships’ BW is importing distinct and diverse protistan communities to U.S. coasts with high propagule pressure for some taxa, creating opportunity for invasion by novel taxa. Further, our results demonstrate the broad‐scale movement of marine protists that has occurred through BW, highlighting a discrepancy between the large magnitude of introductions and limited number of known microbial invasions.
Evolution of silent myocardial ischaemia prevalence and cardiovascular disease risk factor management in Type 2 diabetes over a 10‐year period: an observational study
Authors: Sultan A. , Perriard F. , Macioce V. , Mariano‐Goulart D. , Boegner C. , Daures J.‐P. , Avignon A. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractAimsTo assess the evolution of silent myocardial ischaemia prevalence and of cardiovascular disease risk factor management over 10 years in people with Type 2 diabetes.MethodsThis repeated cross‐sectional study prospectively included 770 people with Type 2 diabetes who presented at our centre in the period 1999–2009. All had at least one additional cardiovascular disease risk factor, no history of coronary disease and were screened for silent myocardial ischaemia using myocardial perfusion imaging. The prevalence of silent myocardial ischaemia, clinical and biological variables and treatments were collected and compared among participants screened in three periods: 1999 to 2002; 2003 to 2005; and 2006 to 2009. We also identified predictive factors for silent myocardial ischaemia.ResultsParticipants had a mean ± sd age of 62.3 ± 9.3 years, 57.4% were men and the mean time from diagnosis of diabetes was 13.4 ± 9.3 years. Overall, silent myocardial ischaemia screening was positive in 13.9% of participants. This prevalence decreased sharply over the 10‐year study period (22.6% in 1999–2002, 13.7% in 2003–2005 and 5.9% in 2006–2009; P<0.0001). In parallel, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, HbA1c and LDL cholesterol significantly decreased and glitazone and statin use increased (all P<0.001). Male gender, peripheral artery disease, diastolic blood pressure >80 mmHg and LDL cholesterol >2.6 mmol/l were independently associated with silent myocardial ischaemia. Further adjustment showed the screening period had a significant effect, which erased the effects of diastolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.ConclusionsThe prevalence of silent myocardial ischaemia decreased sharply over time, and control of the main cardiovascular disease risk factors improved. Although the causality link cannot be established, the present study supports current recommendations advocating glycaemic control and intensive management of cardiovascular factors instead of systematic screening.
Application of MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry for in vitro identification of wood decay polypores
Authors: Pristaš P. , Kvasnová S. , Gáperová S. , Gašparcová T. , Gáper J. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryMatrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF MS) was used for the discrimination among wood decay fungal species of the genera Fomitopsis, Rhodofomes, Fomes and Ganoderma (Polyporaceae, Basidiomycota). For all taxa studied, distance levels as high as 400 were observed and intraspecies variability and reproducibility accounted for distance levels up to 150, indicating the applicability of this method for the identification of filamentous basidiomycete fungi. The method was found to work on in vitro mycelia.
Seeing education through the prism of PISA
Authors: Schleicher Andreas 
Published: April 2017

AbstractInternational comparisons are never easy and they are not perfect. But PISA shows what is possible in education and it helps countries to see themselves in the mirror of student performance and educational possibilities in other countries. This article summarises key policy insights from PISA. It highlights how excellence and improving equity need not be conflicting policy objectives, but that they tend to be jointly achieved only when deliberate policies are in place that match resources with needs and when stratification and grade repetition are contained. The article also shows how a number of countries have been able to raise learning outcomes and moderate the impact of social background in the last decade and highlights some of the policies and practices that characterise these countries.
Mathematical models for soil particle‐size distribution and their overall and fraction‐wise fitting to measurements
Authors: Bayat H. , Rastgou M. , Nemes A. , Mansourizadeh M. , Zamani P. 
Published: April 2017

Several mathematical models have been proposed for describing particle‐size distribution (PSD) data, but their characteristics and accuracy have not been investigated for the < 0.002, 0.002–0.05 and 0.05–2.0‐mm fractions separately. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of various PSD models and to evaluate the accuracy of fitting to the entire PSD curve and to each of the three fractions separately. Thirty‐six PSD models were fitted to the experimental data of 160 soil samples from Iran. The beerkan estimation of soil transfer (BEST), Fredlund unimodal and bimodal, two‐ and three‐parameter Weibull, Rosin–Rammler and van Genuchten models provided the best fit to the experimental data of the three size fractions above, but with a different order of performance for the different fractions. For all textural fractions, the following models performed substantially less well than the other models: the offset‐non‐renormalized lognormal, simple lognormal, S‐curve, Schuhmann, Yang, Turcotte and Gompertz models. A comparison of the overall accuracy and simplicity of the models indicated that the BEST, two‐ and three‐parameter Weibull and Rosin–Rammler models provided the best fit to the experimental data for the entire curve, which is similar but does not correspond fully to the findings of a similar, earlier study. We found that the number of model parameters and the type of equation did not explain the models' fitting capabilities. We also found that the iterated function system (IFS) model performed better than the PSD models for all fractions. Comprehensive comparisons of PSD models will be of value to future model users, but it is important to note that such comparisons will remain dataset dependent. This is likely to continue until they are tested on a near‐infinite synthetic dataset that covers all possible data options.HighlightsEvaluation of accuracy of fitting and characteristics of PSD models to each of the three textural fractions.
Different models provided the best fit to the experimental data of the different fractions.
The number of model parameters and type of equation did not explain the models' fitting capabilities.
Comprehensive comparison of PSD models will guide future model users, but will depend on the dataset.
Stress is associated with an increased risk of recurrent seizures in adults
Authors: Baldin Elisa , Hauser W. Allen , Pack Alison , Hesdorffer Dale C. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryObjectiveThe literature is sparse on the complex interrelationships between stressors, depression, anxiety disorders, and epilepsy. We hypothesized that a relationship exists between stress and epilepsy. We evaluated whether markers of stress are associated with seizure recurrence in a low income community‐based cohort of adults with single unprovoked seizure or newly diagnosed epilepsy.MethodsWe ascertained adult residents of Northern Manhattan and Harlem, New York City, with a first unprovoked seizure or newly diagnosed epilepsy, between December 2010 and January 2013. At enrollment, we collected information about seizure phenomenology, demographics, clinical information, and measures of stress (environmental stress, stressful life events, facets of allostatic load—i.e., the cumulative effect of adaptation to stress, psychiatric disorders, and low collective efficacy). Collective efficacy assesses neighborhood characteristics and incorporates social cohesion and informal social control. All subjects were followed for 2 years for further seizures. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios of seizure recurrence during the 2 years of follow‐up.ResultsWe identified 52 subjects (64.2%) with a single unprovoked seizure and 29 (35.9%) with newly diagnosed epilepsy. Seizure recurrence was recorded in 38.5% (N = 20) of subjects with a single unprovoked seizure and in 69% of those with epilepsy (N = 20) (p = 0.01). In the overall sample, the hazard of seizure recurrence was increased by lifetime generalized anxiety disorder (3.0‐fold) and by low collective efficacy (2.7‐fold). In a second model, the hazard was increased by lifetime mood disorder (2.1‐fold) and low collective efficacy (2.5‐fold).SignificanceMarkers of stress (i.e., low collective efficacy, lifetime mood disorder, and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder) were associated with an increased risk for seizure recurrence in adults with a single unprovoked seizure or newly diagnosed epilepsy. Stress‐reducing interventions, such as mindfulness, may be a useful, safe, and inexpensive adjunctive treatment for epilepsy.
First report of the establishment of the biocontrol agent Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae for control of invasive Acacia longifolia in Portugal
Authors: Marchante H. , López‐Núñez F. A. , Freitas H. , Hoffmann J. H. , Impson F. , Marchante E. 
Published: April 2017

Acacia longifolia is one of the most widespread invasive plants in coastal areas of Portugal, where it disrupts the composition and function of natural plant and insect communities as well as microorganisms in the soil. The Australian bud‐galling wasp, Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae, induces a reduction in seed production of A. longifolia and has been successfully used as a biological control agent in South Africa for more than 30 years. After a long period of host specificity testing and risk assessment, release permits were issued by national and European Union authorities and, in late 2015, T. acaciaelongifoliae was released into eight selected sites along the Portuguese coast. During April–July 2016, post‐release monitoring detected 56 galls at four of the release sites. At two of the sites second‐generation galls were noted in January 2017, but it is still too soon to measure their abundance. Despite the inherent difficulties associated with transferring the insects between hemispheres, T. acaciaelongifoliae successfully completed its life cycle in Portugal in the wild, and is seemingly starting to proliferate. Further releases were made in late 2016 and monitoring of the insects will continue.
An efficient method for gene knock‐down by RNA interference in human skin mast cells
Authors: Hazzan Tarek , Guhl Sven , Artuc Metin , Franke Kristin , Worm Margitta , Zuberbier Torsten , Babina Magda 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMast cells (MCs) from human skin have been notoriously resistant to gene manipulation, and a method to knock‐down gene expression in in situ differentiated MCs is highly desired. The Dharmacon Accell® transfection system proved successful on several “difficult‐to‐transfect” cells. In the present work, we therefore tested this method on skin‐derived MCs using different siRNA entities. The siRNA was readily taken up, followed by pronounced, specific reduction of gene and protein expression. Hence, we present the first efficient technique for the manipulation of gene expression in primary skin MCs ex vivo, which combines high transfection rates with retained cell viability.
Complement‐independent blistering mechanisms in bullous pemphigoid
Authors: Iwata Hiroaki , Ujiie Hideyuki 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease that clinically demonstrates tense blisters with widespread erythema, histologically demonstrates subepidermal blistering and immunologically demonstrates the presence of circulating autoantibodies against hemidesmosomal molecules. Complement activation has long been regarded as necessary for the generation of the BP. However, certain evidence has recently come to support non‐complemental blistering mechanisms. The story of BP blistering mechanisms is a complicated one. This review mainly focuses on a specific blistering mechanism that highlights the role of complements in BP blistering.
Interannual variation in methane emissions from tropical wetlands triggered by repeated El Niño Southern Oscillation
Authors: Zhu Qiuan , Peng Changhui , Ciais Philippe , Jiang Hong , Liu Jinxun , Bousquet Philippe , Li Shiqin , Chang Jie , Fang Xiuqin , Zhou Xiaolu , Chen Huai , Liu Shirong , Lin Guanghui , Gong Peng , Wang Meng , Wang Han , Xiang Wenhua , Chen Jing 
Published: April 2017

AbstractMethane (CH4) emissions from tropical wetlands contribute 60%–80% of global natural wetland CH4 emissions. Decreased wetland CH4 emissions can act as a negative feedback mechanism for future climate warming and vice versa. The impact of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on CH4 emissions from wetlands remains poorly quantified at both regional and global scales, and El Niño events are expected to become more severe based on climate models’ projections. We use a process‐based model of global wetland CH4 emissions to investigate the impacts of the ENSO on CH4 emissions in tropical wetlands for the period from 1950 to 2012. The results show that CH4 emissions from tropical wetlands respond strongly to repeated ENSO events, with negative anomalies occurring during El Niño periods and with positive anomalies occurring during La Niña periods. An approximately 8‐month time lag was detected between tropical wetland CH4 emissions and ENSO events, which was caused by the combined time lag effects of ENSO events on precipitation and temperature over tropical wetlands. The ENSO can explain 49% of interannual variations for tropical wetland CH4 emissions. Furthermore, relative to neutral years, changes in temperature have much stronger effects on tropical wetland CH4 emissions than the changes in precipitation during ENSO periods. The occurrence of several El Niño events contributed to a lower decadal mean growth rate in atmospheric CH4 concentrations throughout the 1980s and 1990s and to stable atmospheric CH4 concentrations from 1999 to 2006, resulting in negative feedback to global warming.
Efficacy and safety of low‐dose heparin in hemodialysis
Authors: Murea Mariana , Russell Gregory B. , Daeihagh Pirouz , Saran Anita M. , Pandya Karan , Cabrera Mark , Burkart John M. , Freedman Barry I. 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIntroduction: The dose of unfractionated heparin (UFH) administered during hemodialysis (HD) varies widely. This prospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of UFH dose de‐escalation.Methods: Sixty‐six prevalent patients on HD receiving UFH per standard‐dose protocol (load dose [LD] 50–75 units/kg, maintenance dose [MD] 500–1000 units/hour) had heparin prescription converted to low‐dose protocol (start LD 15 units/kg and MD 500 units/hour; dose adjusted in small increments based on assessments of extracorporeal blood circuit). Coagulation parameters, dialysis adequacy, dialyzer clotting, anemia management, and dialyzer reuse rates were compared based on the heparin protocol.Findings: Mean(SD) UFH dose per HD session, before and after protocol conversion, was 6178(2644) and 2913(1116) units, respectively (P < 0.0001). This corresponded to LD 52.1(16.6) units/kg and MD 615(207) units/hour with standard‐dose protocol, and LD 18.3(6.5) units/kg and MD 505(27) units/hour with low‐dose protocol (P < 0.0001). Mid and postdialysis aPTT was 55.3(31.2) and 35.1(7.8) seconds before, and 37.3(12.9) and 31.5(5.3) seconds after conversion (P = 0.007 and 0.003, respectively); no significant changes in D‐dimer levels occurred. Low‐dose UFH was associated with a small increase in URR and spKt/V (73.0 and 1.54) compared with dialysis clearance on standard‐dose UFH (71.2 and 1.48, respectively, P = 0.02). Weekly dose of ESA decreased by 2388 units postconversion (P = 0.03), while hemoglobin levels and the weekly dose of intravenous iron did not change (P = 0.16 and 0.78). A small rise in the rate of moderate dialyzer clotting at the end of HD was noted with low‐dose UFH (5.7% vs. 7.5%, P = 0.002); the rate of severe dialyzer clotting events did not change (P = 0.91). No change in the dialyzer reuse rate was noted (18.5 vs. 17.0 treatments, P = 0.26).Discussion: Low‐dose heparinization did not compromise dialysis adequacy and permitted ESA dose reduction. Our findings suggest that in prevalent patients on HD, UFH dose of 15–20 units/kg loading and 500 units/hour maintenance was medically safe and effective.
The synthesis of alumina membrane with interconnected uniform pores from inactive spheres
Authors: Sun Zhiqiang , Ding Fei , Fan Junmei , Hu Peng , Yuan Fangli 
Published: April 2017

AbstractIn this work, the interlayer and top‐layer of alumina membrane are synthesized on substrate by one‐step sintering process, and the microstructure evolution and mass transfer characterization of top‐layer synthesized from sub‐micrometer spheres is fully investigated. It shows that the pores in top‐layer of membrane are interconnected and uniform and their microstructure evolution can be controlled by adjusting the sintering temperature in a wide range. Kinetics analysis of the sintering behavior shows that the superior thermostability of spheres can eliminate the rapid uneven shrinkage of membrane and result in the uniform microstructures. In addition, it is found that the mass transfer among spheres with polycrystalline phases of θ and δ cannot occur unless these metastable phases transform to stable α‐Al2O3, which is favorable to sinter at the same temperature range with the interlayer. Moreover, the effect of phase composition on mass transfer is further put forward. Finally, solid/water mixture has been processed by the synthesized membrane and the excellent filter performance confirms the uniform pores.