bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The part-time wage penalty: Does bargaining coverage outweigh regional differences in Spain?
Authors: Ramos Raul , Sanromá Esteban , Simón Hipólito 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe use of part-time jobs is steadily increasing in most advanced economies. Previous literature has concluded that part-time workers suffer a wage penalty, but its magnitude varies across studies and countries. The part-time penalty is the otherwise unexplained element of the gap between full-time and part-time hourly earnings. One potential factor accounting for international differences in this penalty is the coverage of collective bargaining. This article outlines research examining wage differences between part-time and full-time male and female workers in Spain, a country with a very high level of coverage of collective agreements but very heterogeneous regional labour markets. Results are obtained using an econometric decomposition specifically adapted to matched employer–employee data. They show that intra-firm wage differentials for part- and full-time workers with the same characteristics are negligible. But results that are perhaps less expected are those based on the regional analysis – an unprecedented perspective compared with the previous literature. These results show that despite very significant differences in economies and labour markets, observed wage gaps between part-time and full-time workers in each Spanish region are also mainly explained by different endowments of individual, job and firm characteristics. Overall, our evidence highlights the over-riding role of wage setting mechanisms, specifically collective bargaining coverage, in minimising inter-regional differences in the wage penalty of part-time workers.
Timing of Symptomatic Infarct Swelling Following Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Lin Ting-Chun , Lee Jiann-Der , Lin Ya-Hui , Yuan Rey-Yue , Weng Hsu-Huei , Huang Ying-Chih , Lee Meng , Wu Chih-Ying , Hsu Huan-Lin , Hsu Chia-Yu , Lee Tsong-Hai , Liu Shan-Jin , Chang Yeu-Jhy , Chang Chien-Hung , Peng Tsung-I , Liou Chia-Wei , Chang Ku-Chou , Pan Yi-Ting , Huang Yen-Chu 
Published: July 2016

Background: The risk of symptomatic infarct swelling has been reported to be higher in patients treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the timing of symptomatic infarct swelling after rt-PA treatment. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 14 868 patients with acute ischemic stroke from a stroke registry databank. We recruited patients with massive middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction and symptomatic infarct swelling and excluded those with parenchymal or symptomatic hemorrhage. Multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the impact of rt-PA on the timing of symptomatic infarct swelling. Results: A total of 23 patients with rt-PA treatment and 117 patients without rt-PA treatment were included. The rt-PA treatment group had a lower rate of coronary artery disease (8.7% vs 32.5%; P = .023), lower severity of baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (19 vs 23; P = .014), shorter duration of infarct swelling (27.6 vs 45.4 hours; P < .001), and higher rate of hemicraniectomy surgery (65.2% vs 28.2%; P =.001) than those without rt-PA treatment. After adjusting for variables in multiple linear regression analysis, rt-PA treatment and an elevated C-reactive protein level were associated with early symptomatic infarct swelling ( P = .014 and P = .041, respectively). The rt-PA treatment was an independent factor related to early symptomatic infarct swelling within 36 hours ( P = .005; odds ratio [OR]: 5.3; confidence interval [CI]: 1.65-17.0) or 48 hours ( P = .009; OR: 16.4; CI: 2.00-134). Conclusion: Intravenous rt-PA treatment may hasten the onset of cerebral edema and subsequent cerebral herniation in large MCA territory infarction.
Renal sodium transport in renin-deficient Dahl salt-sensitive rats
Authors: Pavlov Tengis S , Levchenko Vladislav , Ilatovskaya Daria V , Moreno Carol , Staruschenko Alexander 
Published: July 2016

Objective: The Dahl salt-sensitive rat is a well-established model of salt-sensitive hypertension. The goal of this study was to assess the expression and activity of renal sodium channels and transporters in the renin-deficient salt-sensitive rat. Methods: Renin knockout (Ren−/−) rats created on the salt-sensitive rat background were used to investigate the role of renin in the regulation of ion transport in salt-sensitive hypertension. Western blotting and patch-clamp analyses were utilized to assess the expression level and activity of Na+ transporters. Results: It has been described previously that Ren−/− rats exhibit severe kidney underdevelopment, polyuria, and lower body weight and blood pressure compared to their wild-type littermates. Here we found that renin deficiency led to decreased expression of sodium-hydrogen antiporter (NHE3), the Na+/H+ exchanger involved in Na+ absorption in the proximal tubules, but did not affect the expression of Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC2), the main transporter in the loop of Henle. In the distal nephron, the expression of sodium chloride cotransporter (NCC) was lower in Ren−/− rats. Single-channel patch clamp analysis detected decreased ENaC activity in Ren−/− rats which was mediated via changes in the channel open probability. Conclusion: These data illustrate that renin deficiency leads to significant dysregulation of ion transporters.
The Pseudoparadox of Partisan Mapmaking and Congressional Competition
Authors: Goedert Nicholas 
Published: July 2016

AbstractWhy are fewer congressional elections competitive at the district level when the national electoral environment is at its most competitive? This article explores this “pseudoparadox,” and argues that the answer can be found in partisan redistricting. Through an analysis of 40 years of congressional elections, I find that partisan gerrymanders induce greater competitiveness as national tides increase, largely due to unanticipated consequences of waves adverse to the map-drawing party, particularly in seats held by that party. The phenomenon anecdotally coined by Grofman and Brunell as the “dummymander” is thus actually quite common and has significant effects on rates of congressional competition nationally. In contrast, bipartisan maps are shown to induce lower competition, while nonpartisan maps induce higher competition, under all electoral conditions and competitiveness measures. But the effects of partisan gerrymanders on competition, though strong, can only be seen in interaction with short-term national forces.
Can neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio be a novel biomarker of inflammation in children with asthma?
Authors: Nacaroglu Hikmet Tekin , İsgüder Rana , Bent Sultan , Erdem Bahceci Semiha , Ceylan Gökhan , Korkmaz Hüseyin Anıl , Karaman Sait , Unsal Karkıner Canan Sule , Can Demet 
Published: July 2016

Neutrophils are known to play a role in airway inflammation and are activated in inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma. In adult studies the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was found to be a possible biomarker for both airway and systemic inflammation. However, there is a limited understanding regarding NLR in the pediatric age group. To assess NLR as a biomarker for inflammation in pediatric asthma, 54 children admitted to hospital with exacerbation of asthma between March and October 2013 were enrolled into our study. Complete blood counts were obtained during both exacerbation and an asymptomatic period covering at least 3 months after exacerbation. NLRs of the study group during both exacerbation and the asymptomatic period were compared and these two datasets were then compared with the control group. The study group comprised 27 boys (50%) and 27 girls (50%) with a mean age of 120 ± 36 months. Of the total number of patients, 3.7% had mild, 94.4% had moderate, and 1.9% had severe exacerbation of asthma. The NLRs of the study group were found to be significantly higher during exacerbation compared with both the asymptomatic period and the control group ( P = 0.017, P = 0.003). Our study suggests that NLR may be effective and usable measurable biomarker for determining inflammation in cases of pediatric asthma during acute exacerbation period. However, a broad analysis of dependent and independent variables in further prospective studies, is still required. Trial registration: Not applicable.
Differential protection of black-seed oil on econucleotidase, cholinesterases and aminergic catabolizing enzyme in haloperidol-induced neuronal damage of male rats
Authors: Akintunde Jacob K. , Irechukwu C. Abigail 
Published: July 2016

Background: The antipsychotic, haloperidol, is extremely efficient in the treatment of schizophrenia but its application is constrained because of irreversible adverse drug reactions. Hence, in this study, we investigate the differential effects of black seed oil on cholinesterase [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butrylcholinesterase (BuChE), ectonucleotidase (5′-nucleotidase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and monoamine oxidase (MAO)] activities and relevant markers of oxidative stress in the cerebrum of haloperidol-induced neuronal-damaged rats. Methods: The animals were divided into six groups (n = 10): normal control rats; haloperidol-induced rats: induced rats were pre-, co- and post-treated with black-seed oil respectively, while the last group was treated with extract oil only. The treatment was performed via oral administration and the experiment lasted 14 days. Results: The results revealed an increase in 5I nucleotidase, a marker of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) hydrolysis, as well as AChE, BuChE and MAO activities, with concomitant decrease in LDH activity of cerebrum in induced rats when compared with controls. Also, administration of haloperidol caused systemic oxidative damage and adverse histopathological changes in neuronal cells, indications of mental disorder. The differential treatments with black-seed oil prevented these alterations by increasing LDH and decreasing 5I nucleotidase, AChE, BuChE and MAO activities in the cerebrum. Essential oil post-treatment is most efficacious in reversing haloperidol-induced neuronal damage in rat; followed by pre- and cotreatment, respectively. Conclusions: We concluded that essential black-seed oil enhanced the wellness of aminergic, purinergic and cholinergic neurotransmissions of haloperidol-induced neuronal damage in rats.
Temporal trends in the use of antidiabetic medicines: a nationwide 9-year study in older people living in New Zealand
Authors: Nishtala Prasad S. , Salahudeen Mohammed Saji 
Published: July 2016

Background: The global burden of diabetes is increasing worldwide. The aim of the study was to investigate the trends in use of antidiabetic medicines among older New Zealanders between 2005 and 2013, and to perform a separate analysis by age, sex, ethnicity, district health board domicile and socioeconomic deprivation index. Methods: The study population included individuals’ aged 65 years and older living in New Zealand (NZ) captured in the pharmaceutical collections. Repeated cross-sectional analysis of population-level dispensing data was conducted from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2013. Linear regression model using a gamma link function was used to estimate prevalence ratios and trends between 2005 and 2013. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of antidiabetic medicines in older New Zealanders. Results: The prevalence of antidiabetic medicines in older New Zealanders increased by 17.6% between 2005 and 2013. Individuals in the 70–74 age group had the highest utilization of each of the classes of antidiabetic medicines and those aged ⩾85 had the lowest utilization. Among the antidiabetic class of medicines, utilization of sulfonylureas was highest and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors the least. The utilization of thiazolidinediones increased over the study period. In 2013, insulin isophane and insulin glargine were the most common insulin analogues used. Insulin use was high in those aged ⩾85 years across the entire study period. The utilization of metformin increased gradually throughout the study period (by 43.9% in 2013 compared with 2005). Conclusion: This population-level study showed an increase in utilization of antidiabetic medicines in older people in NZ from 2005 to 2013; however, the increase does not seem to parallel the proportional increase in prevalence of diabetes for the study period. Improving access to newer antidiabetic medicines in line with emerging evidence should be a consideration for decision makers.
What is the extent and distribution of evidence on effectiveness of systematic conservation planning around the globe? A systematic map protocol
Authors: McIntosh Emma J. , McKinnon Madeleine C. , Pressey Robert L. , Grenyer Richard 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBackgroundSystematic conservation planning involves the prioritisation of conservation actions to optimise biodiversity conservation outcomes whilst considering implementation challenges such as minimising costs. Thousands of systematic conservation plans have been developed around the globe (a popular software package, ‘Marxan’, has over 4200 active users from more than 180 countries). However, the effects of systematic approaches on conservation actions and outcomes are not generally known, nor are the factors which distinguish effective from ineffective plans. Previous reviews of conservation planning outcomes have been limited in scope and to narrow time intervals, and have revealed very few formal evaluations of plans. Given systematic approaches are widely perceived to offer the best chance to rapidly and efficiently achieve biodiversity protection targets, a thorough, up-to-date synthesis of the evidence is required.MethodsThis protocol outlines the methodology for a systematic mapping exercise to identify retrospective studies measuring the effects of systematic conservation planning on biodiversity conservation at regional, national and subnational scales. Our primary research question is: what is the extent and distribution of evidence on the conservation outcomes of systematic conservation planning? Outcomes will be categorised according to types of capital: natural, financial, social, human and institutional, given the range of potential direct and indirect effects of systematic conservation planning on conservation outcomes. A comprehensive and repeatable search strategy will be undertaken, utilising a wide range of sources including grey literature sources and targeted searches of organisational websites and databases. Sources will be restricted to English language publications between 1983 and 2016. The resultant studies will be screened using standardised inclusion and exclusion criteria and data from included studies will be categorised according to a standardised data extraction form. Information about the study design of relevant articles will be recorded to determine study robustness. A searchable database of studies will be made publicly accessible and available for updating in future. The results will be published in this journal and also presented as an interactive online resource to aid conservation planners in identifying impacts and outcomes of conservation plans.
Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) seed oil as a naturally rich source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical purposes
Authors: Yoshime Luciana Tedesco , de Melo Illana Louise Pereira , Sattler José Augusto Gasparotto , de Carvalho Eliane Bonifácio Teixeira , Mancini-Filho Jorge 
Published: July 2016

Abstract
Background
Characterization of food lipids has triggered the development of applications for the food and health industries. Thus, the lipid profiles of an increasing number of fruits and their seeds have been characterized and numerous bioactive components have been isolated. The bitter gourd seed oil has aroused great interest because it contains relevant amounts of conjugated fatty acid α-eleostearic acid (C18:3 9c11t13t), a positional and geometric isomer of α-linolenic acid. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the phytochemical composition and quality parameters of the seed oil of bitter gourd grown in Brazil.

Methods
Bitter gourd was purchased from CEAGESP (Brazilian company of fresh food storages and warehouses). Seeds were lyophilized, and their oil was extracted using the Soxhlet and Folch extraction methods. The profiles of fatty acids and phytosterols were analyzed by gas chromatography, and the acidity and peroxide values were evaluated by methods of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS).

Results
The Soxhlet extraction (40 % w/w) resulted in a higher yield of bitter gourd seed oil than the Folch extraction (16 % w/w). For both methods, α-eleostearic acid (56 and 58 %) was the major lipid in bitter gourd seed oil, followed by stearic acid (C18:0; 32 and 27 %). The oil displayed high content of phytosterols (886 mg/100 g), mainly β-sitosterol, and low acidity and peroxide values.

Conclusions
Bitter gourd seed oil from Brazil is an oil of good quality and its high contents of α-eleostearic acid and phytosterols with potential health-beneficial properties make it an attractive plant byproduct.
Toxicity-Related Factors Associated With Use of Services Among Community Oncology Patients
Authors: Harrison Jordan M. , Stella Philip J. , LaVasseur Beth , Adams Paul T. , Swafford Lauren , Lewis JoAnn , Mendelsohn-Victor Kari , Friese Christopher R. 
Published: July 2016

Purpose: Community oncology practices frequently manage chemotherapy-associated toxicities, which may disrupt treatment, impair quality of life, and induce unplanned service use. We sought to understand the patterns and correlates of unplanned health care service use among patients receiving first-cycle chemotherapy at five community-based ambulatory oncology practices. Patients and Methods: A survey study examined the dichotomous outcome of unplanned service use, defined as oncologist visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, resulting from toxicity-related factors. Newly diagnosed patients with breast, lung, head and neck, or colorectal cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma were recruited during the first chemotherapy cycle. Before beginning the second cycle of chemotherapy, patients completed a questionnaire that measured unplanned service use and overall distress, plus severity of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, mouth sores, intravenous catheter problems, pain, fever and chills, extremity edema, and dyspnea on a 5-point scale (1, did not experience; 5, disabling). Medical record reviews captured chemotherapy doses, comorbid conditions, and supportive care interventions. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with unplanned service use, with random effects specified for each clinic. Results: Among 106 patients (white, 98%; female, 74.5%; mean age ± standard deviation, 60 ± 11 years), frequently reported toxicities were pain, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. Thirty-six patients (34%) reported unplanned service use: 29% reported oncologist visits, 14% reported emergency department visits, and 8% reported hospitalizations. Factors significantly associated with unplanned service use were high patient-reported distress and receipt of colony-stimulating factor. Conclusion: Service use resulting from toxicity-related factors occurs frequently in community oncology settings. Monitoring toxicity patterns and outcomes can inform proactive symptom management approaches to reduce toxicity burden between scheduled visits.
Recovering signals in physiological systems with large datasets
Authors: Pendar Hodjat , Socha John J. , Chung Julianne 
Published: July 2016

ABSTRACTIn many physiological studies, variables of interest are not directly accessible, requiring that they be estimated indirectly from noisy measured signals. Here, we introduce two empirical methods to estimate the true physiological signals from indirectly measured, noisy data. The first method is an extension of Tikhonov regularization to large-scale problems, using a sequential update approach. In the second method, we improve the conditioning of the problem by assuming that the input is uniform over a known time interval, and then use a least-squares method to estimate the input. These methods were validated computationally and experimentally by applying them to flow-through respirometry data. Specifically, we infused CO2 in a flow-through respirometry chamber in a known pattern, and used the methods to recover the known input from the recorded data. The results from these experiments indicate that these methods are capable of sub-second accuracy. We also applied the methods on respiratory data from a grasshopper to investigate the exact timing of abdominal pumping, spiracular opening, and CO2 emission. The methods can be used more generally for input estimation of any linear system.
NG-Tax, a highly accurate and validated pipeline for analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons from complex biomes
Authors: Ramiro-Garcia Javier , Hermes Gerben D. A. , Giatsis Christos , Sipkema Detmer , Zoetendal Erwin G. , Schaap Peter J. , Smidt Hauke 
Published: July 2016

Background Massive high-throughput sequencing of short, hypervariable segments of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene has transformed the methodological landscape describing microbial diversity within and across complex biomes. However, several studies have shown that the methodology rather than the biological variation is responsible for the observed sample composition and distribution. This compromises true meta-analyses, although this fact is often disregarded. Results To facilitate true meta-analysis of microbiome studies, we developed NG-Tax, a pipeline for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis that was validated with different mock communities and benchmarked against QIIME as the currently most frequently used pipeline. The microbial composition of 49 independently amplified mock samples was characterized by sequencing two variable 16S rRNA gene regions, V4 and V5-V6, in three separate sequencing runs on Illumina’s HiSeq2000 platform. This allowed evaluating important factors of technical bias in taxonomic classification: 1) run-to-run sequencing variation, 2) PCR–error, and 3) region/primer specific amplification bias. Despite the short read length (~140 nt) and all technical biases, the average specificity of the taxonomic assignment for the phylotypes included in the mock communities was 96%. On average 99.94% and 92.02% of the reads could be assigned to at least family or genus level, respectively, while assignment to ‘spurious genera’ represented on average only 0.02% of the reads per sample. Analysis of α- and β-diversity confirmed conclusions guided by biology rather than the aforementioned methodological aspects, which was not the case when samples were analysed using QIIME. Conclusions Different biological outcomes are commonly observed due to 16S rRNA region-specific performance. NG-Tax demonstrated high robustness against choice of region and other technical biases associated with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing studies, diminishing their impact and providing accurate qualitative and quantitative representation of the true sample composition. This will improve comparability between studies and facilitate efforts towards standardization.