bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal vitamin D deficiency is inversely related to mite sensitization in early childhood
Authors: Chiu Chih‐Yung , Su Kuan‐Wen , Tsai Ming‐Han , Hua Man‐Chin , Liao Sui‐Ling , Lai Shen‐Hao , Chen Li‐Chen , Yao Tsung‐Chieh , Yeh Kuo‐Wei , Huang Jing‐Long 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBackgroundThere are few studies addressing the longitudinal analysis of vitamin D deficiency and its impact on the development of atopic diseases in early childhood.MethodsWe investigated 155 children who regularly followed up at our clinic for 5 years as subjects enrolled in a birth cohort study. The pattern of vitamin D levels from birth to 5 years of age was clustered using K‐means method in R software. Absolute eosinophil count (AEC), and total serum and specific immunoglobulin E antibodies against food (egg white, milk, and wheat) and inhalant allergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farina, and Cladosporium herbarum) were measured at 1.5, 3, 4 and 5 years of age.ResultsA total of 137 children with serum samples obtained over at least 3 time points during the follow‐up period were recruited. Using K‐means clustering, the dynamic changes in vitamin D levels were significantly stratified into 3 clusters (cluster A, ≥30 ng/mL, n = 61; cluster B, 20‐29.9 ng/mL, n = 53; cluster C, <20 ng/mL, n = 23). Despite no statistical association with atopic diseases, a persistent vitamin D deficiency appeared to be associated with eosinophilia at age 3, and total serum and mite‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels at age 4. Furthermore, an associated higher prevalence of mite sensitization at age 4 was significantly associated with the risk of allergic rhinitis and asthma.ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency is inversely associated with AEC and mite‐specific IgE levels, which may potentially increase susceptibility to develop allergies including rhinitis and asthma in early childhood.
Seeing the light to change colour: An evolutionary perspective on the role of melanopsin in neuroendocrine circuits regulating light‐mediated skin pigmentation
Authors: Bertolesi Gabriel E. , McFarlane Sarah 
Published: December 2017

SummaryMelanopsin photopigments, Opn4x and Opn4m, were evolutionary selected to “see the light” in systems that regulate skin colour change. In this review, we analyse the roles of melanopsins, and how critical evolutionary developments, including the requirement for thermoregulation and ultraviolet protection, the emergence of a background adaptation mechanism in land‐dwelling amphibian ancestors and the loss of a photosensitive pineal gland in mammals, may have helped sculpt the mechanisms that regulate light‐controlled skin pigmentation. These mechanisms include melanopsin in skin pigment cells directly inducing skin darkening for thermoregulation/ultraviolet protection; melanopsin‐expressing eye cells controlling neuroendocrine circuits to mediate background adaptation in amphibians in response to surface‐reflected light; and pineal gland secretion of melatonin phased to environmental illuminance to regulate circadian and seasonal variation in skin colour, a process initiated by melanopsin‐expressing eye cells in mammals, and by as yet unknown non‐visual opsins in the pineal gland of non‐mammals.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with cure and durable remission of late‐onset primary isolated central nervous system hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Khazal Sajad , Polishchuk Veronika , Soffer Gary , Prinzing Samantha , Gill Jonathan , Mahadeo Kris M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPrimary isolated CNS presentation of HLH is exceedingly rare and typically associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We describe an adolescent patient with late‐onset, primary isolated CNS HLH and a compound heterozygous PRF1 mutation (c50delT (p.L17 fs); c.1229G>C (p.R410P)), not previously reported with this phenotype. He was successfully treated with allogeneic HSCT following a reduced‐intensity conditioning regimen, despite a high pre‐HSCT comorbidity index. Two years after transplant, he is alive and in disease remission. While patients with systemic HLH and active CNS disease have relatively poorer outcomes, a high index of suspicion may aid with early diagnosis of primary isolated CNS HLH; prompt treatment with HSCT may be associated with improved cure and durable remission of this rare disease.
Relationship between trade openness and economic growth in Latin America: A causality analysis with heterogeneous panel data
Authors: Roquez‐Diaz Adolfo , Escot Lorenzo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWe empirically analyze the causality relationship between economic growth and international trade using new advancements in the econometric methodology for heterogeneous panel data applied to Latin American countries. First, we test for dependencies between the units of cross‐section (countries) and then we test for cointegration between growth and openness. Finally, we test for Granger causality using a heterogeneous panel data test. The results reject the hypothesis of general, unidirectional, and homogeneous relationship between trade openness and economic growth in Latin American countries as a group. However, considering heterogeneity, we found significant evidence of causality from trade liberalization to economic growth in Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, and Uruguay; we have found bidirectional causality in Mexico and Honduras; and a causal relationship from economic growth to trade liberalization in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
A Quasi‐Score Statistic for Homogeneity Testing against Covariate‐Varying Heterogeneity
Authors: Todem David , Hsu Wei‐Wen , Fine Jason P. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn statistical modelling, it is often of interest to evaluate non‐negative quantities that capture heterogeneity in the population such as variances, mixing proportions and dispersion parameters. In instances of covariate‐dependent heterogeneity, the implied homogeneity hypotheses are nonstandard and existing inferential techniques are not applicable. In this paper, we develop a quasi‐score test statistic to evaluate homogeneity against heterogeneity that varies with a covariate profile through a regression model. We establish the limiting null distribution of the proposed test as a functional of mixtures of chi‐square processes. The methodology does not require the full distribution of the data to be entirely specified. Instead, a general estimating function for a finite dimensional component of the model, that is, of interest is assumed but other characteristics of the population are left completely unspecified. We apply the methodology to evaluate the excess zero proportion in zero‐inflated models for count data. Our numerical simulations show that the proposed test can greatly improve efficiency over tests of homogeneity that neglect covariate information under the alternative hypothesis. An empirical application to dental caries indices demonstrates the importance and practical utility of the methodology in detecting excess zeros in the data.
Cold‐water or partial‐body cryotherapy? Comparison of physiological responses and recovery following muscle damage
Authors: Hohenauer E. , Costello J. T. , Stoop R. , Küng U. M. , Clarys P. , Deliens T. , Clijsen R. 
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study is to compare (a) the physiological responses following cold‐water immersion (CWI) and partial‐body cryotherapy (PBC) and (b) the effects on recovery following a muscle‐damaging protocol (5 × 20 drop jumps). Nineteen healthy males were randomly allocated into either a CWI (10°C for 10 minutes; n = 9) or a PBC (−60°C for 30 seconds, −135°C for 2 minutes; n = 10) group. The physiological variables (thigh muscle oxygen saturation [SmO2], cutaneous vascular conductance [CVC], mean arterial pressure [MAP], and local skin temperature) were assessed immediately prior and up to 60 minutes post‐treatment (10‐minutes intervals). The recovery variables (thigh muscle swelling, maximum voluntary contraction [MVC] of the right knee extensors, vertical jump performance [VJP], and delayed onset of muscle soreness [DOMS]) were measured immediately prior and up to 72 hours post‐treatment (24‐hours intervals). Compared to PBC values, CVC (at 30 minutes), SmO2 (at 40 minutes), and lower extremity skin temperature (thigh/shin at 60 minutes) were significantly reduced in the CWI group after the treatment (all P < .05). Only lower extremity skin temperature was significantly reduced in the PBC group directly post‐treatment (all P < .05). MAP significantly increased in both groups after the treatments (both P < .05). DOMS did not differ between groups. MVC and VJP returned to baseline in both groups after 24 hours (P > .05). CWI had a greater impact on the physiological response compared to PBC. However, both treatments resulted in similar recovery profiles during a 72‐hours follow‐up period.
Inactivation of Middle East respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus in human plasma using amotosalen and ultraviolet A light
Authors: Hindawi Salwa I. , Hashem Anwar M. , Damanhouri Ghazi A. , El‐Kafrawy Sherif A. , Tolah Ahmed M. , Hassan Ahmed M. , Azhar Esam I. 
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUNDMiddle East respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is a novel zoonotic pathogen. Although the potential for MERS‐CoV transmission through blood transfusion is not clear, MERS‐CoV was recognized as a pathogen of concern for the safety of the blood supply especially after its detection in whole blood, serum, and plasma of infected individuals. Here we investigated the efficacy of amotosalen and ultraviolet A light (UVA) to inactivate MERS‐CoV in fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSPooled FFP units were spiked with a recent clinical MERS‐CoV isolate. Infectious and genomic viral titers were determined in plasma before and after inactivation with amotosalen/UVA treatment by plaque assay and reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. In addition, residual replicating or live virus after inactivation was examined by passaging in the permissive Vero E6 cells.RESULTSThe mean MERS‐CoV infectious titer in pretreatment samples was 4.67 ± 0.25 log plaque‐forming units (pfu)/mL, which was reduced to undetectable levels after inactivation with amotosalen/UVA demonstrating a mean log reduction of more than 4.67 ± 0.25 pfu/mL. Furthermore, inoculation of inactivated plasma on Vero E6 cells did not result in any cytopathic effect (CPE) even after 7 days of incubation and three consecutive passages, nor the detection of MERS RNA compared to pretreatment samples which showed complete CPE within 2 to 3 days postinoculation and log viral RNA titer ranging from 9.48 to 10.22 copies/mL in all three passages.CONCLUSIONOur data show that amotosalen/UVA treatment is a potent and effective way to inactivate MERS‐CoV infectious particles in FFP to undetectable levels and to minimize the risk of any possible transfusion‐related MERS‐CoV transmission.
Donor deferral policies for men who have sex with men: past, present and future
Authors: Goldman M. , W‐Y Shih A. , O'Brien S. F. , Devine D. 
Published: December 2017

We review the history and evolution of blood donor criteria for men who have sex with men (MSM). Deferral policies in many jurisdictions, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Brazil and many western European countries are based on a period of abstinence from MSM, often of 12 months duration. Several countries (Italy, Spain and Portugal) defer donors based on sexual behaviours considered to be at high risk, regardless of whether the partner is same sex or opposite sex. Compliance is a key determinant in the efficacy of any deferral policy. We summarize research themes and strategies discussed at a January 2017 meeting held in Toronto, Canada, to provide an evidence basis for future policy changes.
Evolution of the Juan Fernández diving beetle, Rhantus selkirki (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)
Authors: Michat Mariano C. , Balke Michael 
Published: December 2017

Here we provide evidence that confinement in Robinson Crusoe Island (located about 660 km west of continental Chile) over evolutionary time leads to strong morphological modifications in diving beetle (Dytiscidae) larvae. We analysed a large set of morphological larval characters for all currently recognised genera of Colymbetinae as a framework, to infer phylogenetic relationships within the large genus Rhantus Dejean, 1833 and, in particular, of the charismatic Juan Fernández diving beetle, Rhantus selkirki Jäch, Balke & Michat, 2015, comparing our results with a recent phylogeny of the Colymbetinae based on DNA sequence data. We suggest that adaptation to the island's particular habitats resulted in the reversal of certain characters of R. selkirki back to the plesiomorphic states. This may cause the species to be erroneously interpreted as more ‘primitive’ if only morphological characters are analysed. Confinement in the particular, shallow and barely vegetated aquatic habitats of Robinson Crusoe Island for a long time seems to have led to this divergent morphology, particularly in characters related to swimming ability such as several leg and urogomphal setae. In this way, R. selkirki larvae secondarily resemble those of some earlier diverging dytiscid lineages such as Agabinae and Copelatinae, which typically creep on the bottom of water bodies and do not swim well.
Globalized Nation-State – Theoretical Proposal for the Analysis of the Implementation of the Colombian Peace Agreement
Authors: Szegedy-Maszák Ildikó 
Published: December 2017

<p>Uno de los posibles impedimentos –y quizá más significativos– de la implementación de los Acuerdos de Paz de Colombia, puede derivarse de las diversas fallas en la formulación de las normas. El presente artículo introduce la teoría de Estado-nación globalizado basado en la revisión de literatura seleccionada sobre procesos económicos y políticos de la sociedad contemporánea. La teoría de Estado-nación globalizado propone resolver la paradoja y la cooptación del Estado colombiano e introducir debate político con la participación de todos los miembros de la sociedad en la formulación de normas. Por esta razón, se argumenta que la propuesta de Estado-nación globalizado es aplicable al análisis de la implementación de los Acuerdos del Proceso de Paz, especialmente su Primer Capítulo sobre Reforma Rural Integral.</p>
Pasado, presente y futuro de la justicia transicional en el Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos
Authors: Acosta-López Juana Inés , Espitia Murcia Cindy 
Published: December 2017

<p>No existen dudas de que el papel de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (Corte IDH) será fundamental para la sostenibilidad de la paz en Colombia. Las decisiones de este tribunal relacionadas con los mecanismos judiciales y extrajudiciales de justicia transicional y la convencionalidad del texto del Acuerdo de Paz y de las normas y políticas proferidas para su implementación, ya están teniendo y tendrán un efecto fundamental en el rumbo que tomará el país en los próximos años. En este sentido, resulta de vital importancia revisitar la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Internacional desde una perspectiva crítica y propositiva, con el fin de analizar si las reglas establecidas por la Corte en el pasado (en su gran mayoría tránsito de dictaduras a democracia) han sido modificadas o contextualizadas en la jurisprudencia aún incipiente del presente (tránsitos de conflicto armado a la paz y paz negociada) y plantear los retos y desafíos de la jurisprudencia del futuro, especialmente para el caso de Colombia. Este artículo pretende aportar a este análisis, a partir del estudio, tanto de los casos que ya han sido decididos por el Tribunal Internacional, como de aquellos que están en trámite en esta sede judicial. </p>
La validez de los procedimientos de reforma constitucional fast track
Authors: Pulido-Ortíz Fabio Enrique 
Published: December 2017

<span>En este trabajo se estudia la validez de los actos legislativos <em>Fast Track </em>(FT). Para ello, primero, se estudiará el concepto de validez jurídica resaltando las nociones de pertenecía, aplicabilidad jurídica y aplicabilidad moral de las normas. Luego se mostrará que los FT no cumplen con dos condiciones necesarias para la validez de las reformas constitucionales en Colombia: su carácter democrático y la exigencia de rigidez constitucional. Se concluye que los FT solo pueden pretender aplicabilidad moral (i.e si cada una de sus normas son moralmente adecuadas) pero que, en ese sentido, esos mecanismos de reforma constitucional resultan normativamente irrelevantes. </span>
Morfología craneofacial en niños con apnea obstructiva del sueño / Craneofacial Morphology in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Caiza Rennella Andrea Del Carmen , Sotomayor Guamán Gabriela Elizabeth , Terreros Peralta Andrea Catalina , López Eneida , Suarez Ángela , Otero Mendoza Liliana 
Published: December 2017

<p><strong>ABSTRACT. </strong><strong><em>Background:</em></strong> Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a Sleep breathing disorder in children associated with facial and skeletal features. <strong><em>Purpose: </em></strong>to identify craniofacial features associated with OSA in Colombian children. <strong><em>Method:</em></strong> 43 children from 6-13 years old were selected for cephalometric measurements. All patients had been studied trough polysomnography. Cases were represented for 19 children with OSA and 24 children without OSA were grouped as controls, and lateral radiographs were taken. Cephalometric variables analyzed were: anteroposterior cranial length (SN), skeletal classification (ANB), effective mandibular and maxillary length (Co-Pg) (Co-A), sagittal position of maxillary and mandible (N┴A) (N┴Pg), mandibular plane angle (FH-PM), Ricketts growth axis angle (Ba-N/Ptm-Gn), upper and lower pharynx and hyoid Bone position (HPM). <strong><em>Results</em>:</strong> 84.2 % of children with OSA showed a decrease in the length of cranial base compared with 58.3 % of children without OSA (p = 0.067; OR=3.81 95 % CI 0.87- 16.7). The superior bone hyoid position is associated with absence of OSA (OR = 0.26 95 % CI 0.87 to 16.7.) <strong><em>Conclusions:</em></strong> these results suggest trends to relation between length of cranial base and bone hyoid position e and the presence of OSA in children.</p>
Frankia Diversity in Host Plant Root Nodules Is Independent of Abundance or Relative Diversity of Frankia Populations in Corresponding Rhizosphere Soils
Authors: Ben Tekaya Seifeddine , Guerra Trina , Rodriguez David , Dawson Jeffrey O. , Hahn Dittmar 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACT

Actinorhizal plants form nitrogen-fixing root nodules in symbiosis with soil-dwelling actinobacteria within the genus
Frankia
, and specific
Frankia
taxonomic clusters nodulate plants in corresponding host infection groups. In same-soil microcosms, we observed that some host species were nodulated (
Alnus glutinosa
,
Alnus cordata
,
Shepherdia argentea
,
Casuarina equisetifolia
) while others were not (
Alnus viridis
,
Hippophaë rhamnoides
). Nodule populations were represented by eight different sequences of
nifH
gene fragments. Two of these sequences characterized frankiae in
S. argentea
nodules, and three others characterized frankiae in
A. glutinosa
nodules. Frankiae in
A. cordata
nodules were represented by five sequences, one of which was also found in nodules from
A. glutinosa
and
C. equisetifolia
, while another was detected in nodules from
A. glutinosa
. Quantitative PCR assays showed that vegetation generally increased the abundance of frankiae in soil, independently of the target gene (i.e.,
nifH
or the 23S rRNA gene). Targeted Illumina sequencing of
Frankia
-specific
nifH
gene fragments detected 24 unique sequences from rhizosphere soils, 4 of which were also found in nodules, while the remaining 4 sequences in nodules were not found in soils. Seven of the 24 sequences from soils represented >90% of the reads obtained in most samples; the 2 most abundant sequences from soils were not found in root nodules, and only 2 of the sequences from soils were detected in nodules. These results demonstrate large differences between detectable
Frankia
populations in soil and those in root nodules, suggesting that root nodule formation is not a function of the abundance or relative diversity of specific
Frankia
populations in soils.

IMPORTANCE
The nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium
Frankia
forms root nodules on actinorhizal plants, with members of specific
Frankia
taxonomic clusters nodulating plants in corresponding host infection groups. We assessed
Frankia
diversity in root nodules of different host plant species, and we related specific populations to the abundance and relative distribution of indigenous frankiae in rhizosphere soils. Large differences were observed between detectable
Frankia
populations in soil and those in root nodules, suggesting that root nodule formation is not a function of the abundance or relative diversity of specific
Frankia
populations in soils but rather results from plants potentially selecting frankiae from the soil for root nodule formation. These data also highlight the necessity of using a combination of different assessment tools so as to adequately address methodological constraints that could produce contradictory data sets.
Families First Home Visiting programme reduces population-level child health and social inequities
Authors: Chartier Mariette , Nickel Nathan C , Chateau Dan , Enns Jennifer E , Isaac Michael R , Katz Alan , Sarkar Joykrishna , Burland Elaine , Taylor Carole , Brownell Marni 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundHome visiting has been shown to reduce child maltreatment and improve child health outcomes. In this observational study, we explored whether Families First, a home visiting programme in Manitoba, Canada, decreased population-level inequities in children being taken into care of child welfare and receiving complete childhood immunisations.MethodsDe-identified administrative health and social services data for children born 2003–2009 in Manitoba were linked to home visiting programme data. Programme eligibility was determined by screening for family risk factors. We compared probabilities of being taken into care and receiving immunisations among programme children (n=4575), eligible children who did not receive the programme (n=5186) and the general child population (n=87 897) and tested inequities using differences of risk differences (DRDs) and ratios of risk ratios (RRRs).ResultsProgramme children were less likely to be taken into care (probability (95% CI) at age 1, programme 7.5 (7.0 to 8.0) vs non-programme 10.0 (10.0 to 10.1)) and more likely to receive complete immunisations (probability at age 1, programme 77.3 (76.5 to 78.0) vs non-programme 73.2 (72.1 to 74.3)). Inequities between programme children and the general population were reduced for both outcomes (being taken into care at age 1, DRD −2.5 (−3.7 to 1.2) and RRR 0.8 (0.7 to 0.9); complete immunisation at age 1, DRD 4.1 (2.2 to 6.0) and RRR 1.1 (1.0 to 1.1)); these inequities were also significantly reduced at age 2.ConclusionHome visiting programmes should be recognised as effective strategies for improving child outcomes and reducing population-level health and social inequities.