bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Validation of Catquest-9SF—A Visual Disability Instrument to Evaluate Patient Function After Corneal Transplantation
Authors: Claesson Margareta , Armitage W. John , Byström Berit , Montan Per , Samolov Branka , Stenvi Ulf , Lundström Mats 
Published: June 2017

Purpose:
Catquest-9SF is a 9-item visual disability questionnaire developed for evaluating patient-reported outcome measures after cataract surgery. The aim of this study was to use Rasch analysis to determine the responsiveness of Catquest-9SF for corneal transplant patients.

Methods:
Patients who underwent corneal transplantation primarily to improve vision were included. One group (n = 199) completed the Catquest-9SF questionnaire before corneal transplantation and a second independent group (n = 199) completed the questionnaire 2 years after surgery. All patients were recorded in the Swedish Cornea Registry, which provided clinical and demographic data for the study. Winsteps software v.3.91.0 (Winsteps.com, Beaverton, OR) was used to assess the fit of the Catquest-9SF data to the Rasch model.

Results:
Rasch analysis showed that Catquest-9SF applied to corneal transplant patients was unidimensional (infit range, 0.73–1.32; outfit range, 0.81–1.35), and therefore, measured a single underlying construct (visual disability). The Rasch model explained 68.5% of raw variance. The response categories of the 9-item questionnaire were ordered, and the category thresholds were well defined. Item difficulty matched the level of patients' ability (0.36 logit difference between the means). Precision in terms of person separation (3.09) and person reliability (0.91) was good. Differential item functioning was notable for only 1 item (satisfaction with vision), which had a differential item functioning contrast of 1.08 logit.

Conclusions:
Rasch analysis showed that Catquest-9SF is a valid instrument for measuring visual disability in patients who have undergone corneal transplantation primarily to improve vision.
Efficacy of 2-Month Treatment With Cord Blood Serum Eye Drops in Ocular Surface Disease: An In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Study
Authors: Giannaccare Giuseppe , Buzzi Marina , Fresina Michela , Velati Claudio , Versura Piera 
Published: June 2017

Purpose:
To investigate the morphological changes of corneal epithelium and subbasal nerves by in vivo confocal microscopy in patients with ocular surface disease (OSD) treated with cord blood serum (CBS) eye drops.

Methods:
Twenty patients with OSD (mean age 61.1 ± 12.6 years) were included in this prospective 1-arm study and treated with CBS eye drops for 2 months. Corneal sensitivity, Schirmer test score, breakup time, subjective symptoms [Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], and corneal staining were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) treatment. In vivo confocal microscopy analyzed giant epithelial cells, subbasal nerve number and tortuosity, neuromas, beading, and dendritic cells (DCs) in the central cornea.

Results:
OSDI, Visual Analogue Scale, and Oxford grading values significantly decreased at T1 versus T0 (respectively, 44.1 ± 18.9 vs. 74.2 ± 13.9; 3.7 ± 1.5 vs. 8.9 ± 0.9; and 2.4 ± 1.1 vs. 3.3 ± 1.3; P < 0.0001), whereas corneal sensitivity, Schirmer test score, and breakup time significantly increased (respectively, 49.5 ± 2.6 vs. 47.9 ± 2.9; 3.2 ± 2.0 vs. 2.4 ± 2.2; 4.6 ± 3.1 vs. 3.8 ± 2.1; P < 0.0001). Corneal nerve morphology improved at T1 versus T0 with a higher total nerve number (3.4 ± 1.6 vs. 2.5 ± 1.6 per frame) and lower tortuosity (3.0 ± 0.7 vs. 3.5 ± 0.6) (P < 0.01). The number of patients presenting with giant epithelial cells, beading, and neuromas decreased at T1. DC density did not change after treatment. The detection of neuromas and higher DC density at T0 were associated with greater OSDI reduction at T1 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:
CBS eye drops significantly improved corneal nerve morphology and subjective symptoms in patients with severe OSD. The presence of neuromas and higher dendritic cell density at baseline were associated with greater reduction of discomfort symptoms after treatment.
Ethanol Interactions With Dexmethylphenidate and dl-Methylphenidate Spheroidal Oral Drug Absorption Systems in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Zhu Hao-Jie , Patrick Kennerly S. , Straughn Arthur B. , Reeves Owen T. , Bernstein Hilary , Shi Jian , Johnson Heather J. , Knight Joshua M. , Smith Aaron T. , Malcolm Robert J. , Markowitz John S. 
Published: June 2017

Abstract

Background/Purpose
Ethanol coadministered with immediate-release dl-methylphenidate (dl-MPH) or dexmethylphenidate (d-MPH) significantly increases the geomean maximum plasma concentration (C
max) of d-MPH 22% and 15%, respectively, and elevates overall drug exposure and psychostimulant effects. We asked the question: Are these ethanol-MPH interactions based more fundamentally on (1) inhibition of postabsorption d-MPH metabolism or (2) acceleration of MPH formulation gastric dissolution by ethanol in the stomach? This was investigated using the pulsatile, distinctly biphasic, spheroidal oral drug absorption systems of dl-MPH and d-MPH.

Methods
In a randomized, 4-way crossover study, 14 healthy subjects received pulsatile dl-MPH (40 mg) or d-MPH (20 mg), with or without ethanol (0.6 g/kg), dosed 4 hours later. These 4 hours allowed the delayed-release second MPH pulse to reach a more distal region of the gut to preclude gastric biopharmaceutical influences. Plasma was analyzed using a highly sensitive chiral method. Subjective/physiological effects were recorded.

Findings/Results
Ethanol increased the second pulse of d-MPH C
max for dl-MPH by 35% (P < 0.01) and the partial area under the plasma concentration curve from 4 to 8 hours by 25% (P < 0.05). The respective values for enantiopure d-MPH were 27% (P = 0.001) and 20% (P < 0.01). The carboxylesterase 1–mediated transesterification metabolite ethylphenidate served as a biomarker for coexposure. Ethanol significantly potentiated stimulant responses to either formulation.

Implications/Conclusions
These findings support drug dispositional interactions between ethanol and MPH as dominant over potential biopharmaceutical considerations. Understanding the pharmacology underlying the frequent coabuse of MPH-ethanol provides rational guidance in the selection of first-line pharmacotherapy for comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder–alcohol use disorder.
Uptake of and Factors Associated With Direct-acting Antiviral Therapy Among Patients in the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study, 2014 to 2015
Authors: Spradling Philip R. , Xing Jian , Rupp Loralee B. , Moorman Anne C. , Gordon Stuart C. , Lu Mei , Teshale Eyasu H. , Boscarino Joseph A. , Schmidt Mark A. , Daida Yihe G. , Holmberg Scott D. 
Published: June 2017

Background:
Limited information is available describing the uptake of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among patients in general US health care settings. We determined the proportion of HCV-infected patients in the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study prescribed DAAs in 2014, who initiated treatment and identified characteristics associated with treatment initiation.

Methods:
Uptake was defined as the proportion of HCV-infected patients with at least 1 clinical encounter in 2013 who were prescribed a DAA regimen during 2014 and initiated the regimen by August 2015. Using multivariable analysis, we examined demographic and clinical characteristics associated with receipt of DAAs.

Results:
The cohort comprised 9508 patients; 544 (5.7%) started a DAA regimen. Higher annual income [adjusted odds ratios (aOR) 2.3 for income>$50K vs. <$30K], higher Fibrosis-4 score (aORs, 2.1, 2.0, and 1.4 for Fibrosis-4, >5.88, 3.25 to 5.88, 2.0 to 3.25, respectively, vs. <2.0), genotype 2 infection (aOR 2.2 vs. genotype 1), pre-2014 treatment failure (aOR 2.0 vs. treatment-naive), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection (aOR 1.8 vs. HCV monoinfection) were associated with DAA initiation. Black race/ethnicity (aOR 0.7 vs. whites) and Medicaid coverage (aOR 0.5 vs. private insurance) were associated with noninitiation. Sex, age, comorbidity, previous liver transplant, and duration of follow-up were not associated with receipt of DAAs.

Conclusions:
Among patients in these general US health care settings, uptake of DAA therapy was low in 2014, and especially so among minority and Medicaid patients. Systemic efforts to improve access to DAAs for all patients are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality from HCV infection.
Helicopter Transport From the Scene of Injury
Authors: Farach Sandra M. , Walford Nebbie E. , Bendure Lindsey , Amankwah Ernest K. , Danielson Paul D. , Chandler Nicole M. 
Published: June 2017

Background
There is conflicting data to support the routine use of helicopter transport (HT) for the transfer of trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes for trauma patients transported via helicopter from the scene of injury to a regional pediatric trauma center.

Methods
The institutional trauma registry was queried for trauma patients presenting from January 2000 through March 2012. Of 9119 patients, 1709 patients who presented from the scene were selected for further evaluation. This cohort was stratified into HT and ground transport (GT) for analysis. Associations between mode of transport and outcomes were estimated using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from multivariable logistic regression models.

Results
Seven hundred twenty-five patients (42.4%) presented via HT, whereas 984 (57.6%) presented via GT. Patients arriving by HT had a higher Injury Severity Score, lower Glasgow Coma Scale, were less likely to undergo surgery within 3 hours, more likely to present after motorized trauma, and had longer intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS). Multivariate analysis controlling for Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Scale, mechanism of injury, scene distance, and time to arrive to the hospital revealed that patients arriving by HT were more likely to have longer hospital LOS compared with those arriving by GT (odds ratios = 2.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.00–5.28, P = 0.049). However, no statistically significant association was observed for prehospital intubation, surgery within 3 hours, ICU admissions, or ICU LOS.

Conclusions
Although patients arriving by helicopter are more severely injured and arrive from greater distances, when controlling for injuries, scene distance, and time to hospital arrival, only hospital LOS was significantly affected by HT.
Spatial, seasonal and climatic predictive models of Rift Valley fever disease across Africa
Authors: Redding David W. , Tiedt Sonia , Lo Iacono Gianni , Bett Bernard , Jones Kate E. 
Published: June 2017

Understanding the emergence and subsequent spread of human infectious diseases is a critical global challenge, especially for high-impact zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Global climate and land-use change are likely to alter host and vector distributions, but understanding the impact of these changes on the burden of infectious diseases is difficult. Here, we use a Bayesian spatial model to investigate environmental drivers of one of the most important diseases in Africa, Rift Valley fever (RVF). The model uses a hierarchical approach to determine how environmental drivers vary both spatially and seasonally, and incorporates the effects of key climatic oscillations, to produce a continental risk map of RVF in livestock (as a proxy for human RVF risk). We find RVF risk has a distinct seasonal spatial pattern influenced by climatic variation, with the majority of cases occurring in South Africa and Kenya in the first half of an El Niño year. Irrigation, rainfall and human population density were the main drivers of RVF cases, independent of seasonal, climatic or spatial variation. By accounting more subtly for the patterns in RVF data, we better determine the importance of underlying environmental drivers, and also make space- and time-sensitive predictions to better direct future surveillance resources.
This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
One Health, emerging infectious diseases and wildlife: two decades of progress?
Authors: Cunningham Andrew A. , Daszak Peter , Wood James L. N. 
Published: June 2017

Infectious diseases affect people, domestic animals and wildlife alike, with many pathogens being able to infect multiple species. Fifty years ago, following the wide-scale manufacture and use of antibiotics and vaccines, it seemed that the battle against infections was being won for the human population. Since then, however, and in addition to increasing antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens, there has been an increase in the emergence of, mostly viral, zoonotic diseases from wildlife, sometimes causing fatal outbreaks of epidemic proportions. Concurrently, infectious disease has been identified as an increasing threat to wildlife conservation. A synthesis published in 2000 showed common anthropogenic drivers of disease threats to biodiversity and human health, including encroachment and destruction of wildlife habitat and the human-assisted spread of pathogens. Almost two decades later, the situation has not changed and, despite improved knowledge of the underlying causes, little has been done at the policy level to address these threats. For the sake of public health and wellbeing, human-kind needs to work better to conserve nature and preserve the ecosystem services, including disease regulation, that biodiversity provides while also understanding and mitigating activities which lead to disease emergence. We consider that holistic, One Health approaches to the management and mitigation of the risks of emerging infectious diseases have the greatest chance of success.This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
Engaging research with policy and action: what are the challenges of responding to zoonotic disease in Africa?
Authors: Bardosh Kevin Louis , Scoones Jake Cornwall , Grace Delia , Kalema-Zikusoka Gladys , Jones Kate E. , de Balogh Katinka , Waltner-Toews David , Bett Bernard , Welburn Susan C. , Mumford Elizabeth , Dzingirai Vupenyu 
Published: June 2017

Zoonotic diseases will maintain a high level of public policy attention in the coming decades. From the spectre of a global pandemic to anxieties over agricultural change, urbanization, social inequality and threats to natural ecosystems, effectively preparing and responding to endemic and emerging diseases will require technological, institutional and social innovation. Much current discussion emphasizes the need for a ‘One Health’ approach: bridging disciplines and sectors to tackle these complex dynamics. However, as attention has increased, so too has an appreciation of the practical challenges in linking multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral research with policy, action and impact. In this commentary paper, we reflect on these issues with particular reference to the African sub-continent. We structure the themes of our analysis on the existing literature, expert opinion and 11 interviews with leading One Health scholars and practitioners, conducted at an international symposium in 2016. We highlight a variety of challenges in research and knowledge production, in the difficult terrain of implementation and outreach, and in the politicized nature of decision-making and priority setting. We then turn our attention to a number of strategies that might help reconfigure current pathways and accepted norms of practice. These include: (i) challenging scientific expertise; (ii) strengthening national multi-sectoral coordination; (iii) building on what works; and (iv) re-framing policy narratives. We argue that bridging the research-policy-action interface in Africa, and better connecting zoonoses, ecosystems and well-being in the twenty-first century, will ultimately require greater attention to the democratization of science and public policy.This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.
The processing of dynamic faces in the human brain: Support for an integrated neural framework of face processing
Authors: Bernstein Michal , Erez Yaara , Blank Idan , Yovel Galit 
Published: June 2017

AbstractFaces convey rich information including identity, gender and expression. Current neural models of face processing suggest a dissociation between the processing of invariant facial aspects such as identity and gender, that engage the fusiform face area (FFA) and the processing of changeable aspects, such as expression and eye gaze, that engage the posterior superior temporal sulcus face area (pSTS-FA). Recent studies report a second dissociation within this network such that the pSTS-FA, but not the FFA, shows much stronger response to dynamic than static faces. The aim of the current study was to test a unified model that accounts for these two major functional characteristics of the neural face network. In an fMRI experiment, we presented static and dynamic faces while subjects judged an invariant (gender) or a changeable facial aspect (expression). We found that the pSTS-FA was more engaged in processing dynamic than static faces and changeable than invariant facial aspects, whereas the OFA and FFA showed similar response across all four conditions. Our results reveal no dissociation between the processing of changeable and invariant facial aspects, but higher sensitivity to the processing of changeable facial aspects by the motion-sensitive face area in the superior temporal sulcus.
Evidence for a role of calcium in STING signaling
Authors: Kim Sujeong , Koch Peter , Li Lingyin , Peshkin Leonid , Mitchison Timothy J. 
Published: June 2017

AbstractSTING, an ER resident cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) receptor, plays an important role in innate immune response signaling. Upon binding to CDNs, it activates the TBK1-IRF3 signaling axis, which stimulates gene expression including interferon beta. We hypothesized that the ER localization of STING reflects a role for calcium mobilization in its signaling. To test this hypothesis, we treated mouse cells with two STING agonists, the synthetic drug DMXAA and a natural ligand, cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), and measured intracellular calcium. Both triggered a rapid rise in intracellular calcium that was partially inhibited by STING depletion. Intracellular calcium chelation blocked DMXAA induced signaling downstream of STING activation, but had no effect on cGAMP induced signaling. We propose that intracellular calcium plays an important role in the response of the STING pathway. In response to DMXAA, calcium is mobilized form the ER and required for signaling. In the case of cGAMP calcium is mobilized but not required. This difference could be explained by alternative modes of STING activation for the two ligands, or a combination of STING-dependent and -independent actions of extracellular cGAMP.
Global Cancer Transcriptome Quantifies Repeat Element Polarization Between Immunotherapy Responsive and T cell Suppressive Classes
Authors: Solovyov Alexander , Vabret Nicolas , Arora Kshitij S. , Snyder Alexandra , Funt Samuel A. , Bajorin Dean F. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Bhardwaj Nina , Ting David T. , Greenbaum Benjamin D. 
Published: June 2017

SummaryGrowing evidence indicates that innate immune pathway activation is critical for responses to immunotherapy and overall cancer prognosis. It has been posited that innate immunity in the tumor microenvironment can be driven by derepression of endogenous repetitive element RNA. The ability to characterize these species can potentially provide novel predictive biomarkers for tumor immune responses and a mechanistic basis for elements of innate activation by tumors. We first compared total RNA and poly(A)-capture protocols applied to tumor RNA-sequencing to detect non-RNA coding transcriptomes in the TCGA. While the poly(A) protocol efficiently detects coding, most non-coding genes, and much of the LINE/SINE/ERV repeat repertoire, we found that it fails to capture overall repeat expression and co-expression. The probing of total RNA expression reveals distinct repetitive co-expression subgroups. Secondly, we found that total repeat element expression delivers the most dynamic changes in samples, which may serve as more robust biomarkers of clinical outcomes. Finally, we show that while expression of ERVs, but not other immunostimulatory repeats such as HSATII, is associated with response to immunotherapy in a cohort of patients with urothelial cancer treated with anti-PD-L1 therapy, global repeat derepression strongly correlates with an immunosuppressive phenotype in the microenvironment of colorectal and pancreatic tumors. We validatein situin human primary tumors, associating the immunosuppressive phenotype with HSATII expression. In conclusion, we demonstrate the importance of analyzing repetitive element RNAs as potential biomarkers of response to immunotherapy and the need to better characterize these features in next generation sequencing protocols.
Isolation and semi quantitative PCR of Na+/H+antiporter (SOS1& NHX) genes under salinity stress inKochia scoparia
Authors: fahmideh Leila , Fooladvand Ziba 
Published: June 2017

AbstractKochia scopariais a dicotyledonous annual herb and belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. Genetic diversity and resistance to drought stress of this plant has made it widely scattered in different regions which contains highly genetic diversity and great potential as fodder and can grow on salty, drought affected areas. Since the soil salinity has become widely spread. environmental concern has sparked so many debates. An important limiting factor in agricultural production worldwide is the sensitivity of most of the crop to salinity caused by high concentration of salts soil. Plants use three different strategies to prevent and adapt to high Na+concentrations. Antiporters are important category of genes that play a pivotal role in ion homeostasis in plants. Na+/H+antiporters (NHX1 and SOS1) are located in tonoplasts and reduce cytosolic Na+concentration by pumping in the vacuole whereas SOS1 is localized at the plasma membrane and extrudes Na+in apoplasts. Coding sequence of plasma membrane Na+/H+antiporter (SOS1) and vacuole membrane Na /+H+antiporter (NHX) inKochia scopariawere isolated using conserved sequences of SOS1 and NHX. Also, expression profile under salinity stress was studied in this study. The amino acid sequences (aa) of the isolated region of K.SSOS1 and K.SNHX showed the maximum identity up to 84% and 90% to its orthologue in salicornia brachiata and suadea maritima, respectively. The results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed that salinization has affected positively on SOS1 transcription level. The expression of K.SSOS1 and K.SNHX in leaves and roots ofKochia scopariawere progressively increased under all salinity levels compared to control. The results suggest that K.SSOS1 and K.SNHX play an essential role in salt tolerance ofK.scopariaand they can be useful to improve salt tolerance in other crops.