bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Presence of albuminuria predicts left ventricular mass in patients with chronic systemic arterial hypertension
Authors: de Beus Esther , Meijs Matthijs F. L. , Bots Michiel L. , Visseren Frank L. J. , Blankestijn Peter J. ,   the SMART study group
Published: March 2015

AbstractBackgroundIncreased left ventricular mass (LVM) is known to predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. LVM is high in patients with advanced kidney disease. Our aim was to study the relationship between renal parameters and LVM in hypertensive subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease.DesignCardiac MRI was performed in 527 patients participating in the single‐centre SMART cohort study. Participants free from previous symptomatic coronary heart disease but with a history of hypertension were recruited. Subjects were screened for cardiovascular risk factors in a standardized way. Multivariable linear regression was used to study the relationship of both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and presence of albuminuria with left ventricular mass.ResultsMean LVM was 121 g for men (SD 26) and 87 g for women (SD 20). Mean eGFR was 82 mL/min/1·73 m² (SD 19). A total of 73 patients (14%) had albuminuria. After adjusting for known determinants of LVM (height, weight, sex and age) eGFR did not relate to LVM while presence of albuminuria did (mean change in LVM per 10 mL/min/1·73 m2 change in eGFR 0·79 g, 95% CI −0·33 to 1·91, P = 0·17, mean change in LVM in presence vs. absence of albuminuria 9·9 g, 95% CI 4·33 to 15·45, P = 0·001). Additional adjustment for systolic blood pressure did not change results (B for eGFR 0·54, 95% CI −0·58 to 1·66, P = 0·35, B for albuminuria 9·09, 95% CI 3·57 to 14·60, P = 0·001).ConclusionsIn this study in hypertensive patients with high vascular risk, albuminuria was related to increased LVM and eGFR was not.
Longevity, trophallaxis, and allogrooming in Macrotermes gilvus soldiers infected by the parasitoid fly Misotermes mindeni
Authors: Foo Foong‐Kuan , Othman Ahmad Sofiman , Lee Chow‐Yang 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIn this study, we documented the behavioral changes of major soldiers of the subterranean termite Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen) (Blattodea: Termitidae) infected with larvae of the phorid fly Misotermes mindeniDisney & Neoh (Diptera: Phoridae). During periods of starvation, the longevity of parasitized individuals was significantly greater than that of unparasitized individuals. Parasitized individuals received significantly more frequent trophallaxis from the workers than unparasitized individuals. The frequency of allogrooming of parasitized individuals by workers was also significantly greater than that of unparasitized individuals. The extent to which workers provided trophallaxis and allogrooming for parasitized individuals did not differ significantly between colonies with and without unparasitized individuals. Likewise, no significant difference in the frequency of trophallaxis between workers and unparasitized individuals was detected in the groups with and without parasitized individuals. However, distinct differences in allogrooming frequency between groups with and without parasitized individuals were detected. Workers/unparasitized individuals exhibited significantly more allogrooming behavior when parasitized individuals were present. Parasitized major soldiers and unparasitized, food‐deprived major soldiers received significantly more often trophallaxis from the workers than unparasitized major soldiers. Presence of a parasitoid fly in major soldiers may promote the frequent feeding of parasitized individuals by workers. Based on these data, the behavioral adjustments appear to be beneficial to the parasitoids, as the changes clearly increase their chances of survival and their chances of completion of their larval development before the host dies.
Importance of pharmacokinetic studies in the management of acquired factor X deficiency
Authors: Lim Ming Y. , McCarthy Timothy , Chen Sheh‐Li , Rollins‐Raval Marian A. , Ma Alice D. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractUp to 14% of individuals with systemic AL amyloidosis develop acquired factor X deficiency, which occurs due to adsorption of factor X onto amyloid fibrils. Although baseline factor X levels are not predictive of bleeding risk in these patients, serious hemorrhagic complications can occur, particularly during invasive procedures. Optimal management strategies to attenuate bleeding risk in these patients are unknown. We describe our experience in the management of acquired factor X deficiency, secondary to systemic AL amyloidosis, in a case series of three patients who received prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) for treatment and prevention of bleeding events. We performed a retrospective review extracting information on baseline demographics, laboratory data, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, and clinically documented bleeding events. Our case series demonstrates that individuals with acquired factor X deficiency secondary to amyloidosis have variable laboratory and clinical responses to PCCs. This is likely due to distinct amyloid loads and fibril sequences, leading to different binding avidities for factor X. Our data emphasize the importance of performing PK testing prior to any invasive procedures to determine the dose and frequency interval to achieve adequate factor X levels for hemostasis, given the variable response between individuals.
Auditory stimulation enhances thalamic somatosensory high‐frequency oscillations in healthy humans: a neurophysiological marker of cross‐sensory sensitization?
Authors: Restuccia Domenico , Coppola Gianluca 
Published: March 2015

AbstractElectrical stimulation of upper limb nerves evokes a train of high‐frequency wavelets (high‐frequency oscillations, HFOs) on the human scalp. These HFOs are related to the influence of arousal‐promoting structures on somatosensory input processing, and are generated in the primary somatosensory cortex (post‐synaptic HFOs) and the terminal tracts of thalamocortical radiations (pre‐synaptic HFOs). We previously reported that HFOs do not undergo habituation to repeated stimulations; here, we verified whether HFOs could be modulated by external sensitizing stimuli. We recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in 15 healthy volunteers before and after sensitization training with an auditory stimulus. Pre‐synaptic HFO amplitudes, reflecting somatosensory thalamic/thalamocortical activity, significantly increased after the sensitizing acoustic stimulation, whereas both the low‐frequency N20 SSEP component and post‐synaptic HFOs were unaffected. Cross‐talk between subcortical arousal‐related structures is a probable mechanism for the pre‐synaptic HFO effect observed in this study. We propose that part of the ascending somatosensory input encoded in HFOs is specifically able to convey sensitized inputs. This preferential involvement in sensitization mechanisms suggests that HFOs play a critical role in the detection of potentially relevant stimuli, and act at very early stages of somatosensory input processing.
Equivalence between invasive and oscillometric blood pressures at different anatomic locations in healthy normotensive anaesthetised horses
Authors: Tearney C. C. , Guedes A. G. P. , Brosnan R. J. 
Published: March 2015

SummaryReasons for performing studyAccurate blood pressure measurement is essential for effective clinical assessment and appropriate interventions in anaesthetised horses. Information on the accuracy of oscillometry for blood pressure measurement on the appendages of mature horses is limited.ObjectivesTo assess equivalence between invasive and oscillometric blood pressures at different anatomic locations in horses.Study designProspective experimental study using 6 healthy mature horses.MethodsBlood pressure was measured invasively in the right transverse facial artery and noninvasively by oscillometry in nondependent limbs and tail of laterally recumbent sevoflurane‐ or desflurane‐anaesthetised horses. Cuff widths of 5–12 cm were tested on the tail, metatarsus, metacarpus and distal radius/ulna. Equivalence between mean arterial pressure (MAP) oscillometric and MAP invasive was assessed using a linear mixed effects model with a significance level of P≤0.05.ResultsTwenty paired measurements were obtained for each cuff size in each of the locations, totalling 340 measurements. There was only one location (tail) and one cuff width (6 cm; cuff width‐to‐tail circumference ratio of 0.25) that resulted in equivalence between MAP measured with the oscillometric and the invasive methods (P = 0.8). All other locations (metacarpus, radius/ulna, metatarsus) and cuff widths were not equivalent (P≤0.01).ConclusionsA cuff width‐to‐tail circumference ratio of 0.25 is recommended for accurate oscillometric blood pressure measurement in mature, laterally recumbent anaesthetised normotensive horses. Studies with variable haemodynamics are warranted. Oscillometric measurements at other extremities and/or with other cuff sizes cannot be recommended for clinical use.
Modelling both dominance and species distribution provides a more complete picture of changes to mangrove ecosystems under climate change
Authors: Crase Beth , Vesk Peter A. , Liedloff Adam , Wintle Brendan A. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDominant species influence the composition and abundance of other species present in ecosystems. However, forecasts of distributional change under future climates have predominantly focused on changes in species distribution and ignored possible changes in spatial and temporal patterns of dominance. We develop forecasts of spatial changes for the distribution of species dominance, defined in terms of basal area, and for species occurrence, in response to sea level rise for three tree taxa within an extensive mangrove ecosystem in northern Australia. Three new metrics are provided, indicating the area expected to be suitable under future conditions (Eoccupied), the instability of suitable area (Einstability) and the overlap between the current and future spatial distribution (Eoverlap). The current dominance and occurrence were modelled in relation to a set of environmental variables using boosted regression tree (BRT) models, under two scenarios of seedling establishment: unrestricted and highly restricted. While forecasts of spatial change were qualitatively similar for species occurrence and dominance, the models of species dominance exhibited higher metrics of model fit and predictive performance, and the spatial pattern of future dominance was less similar to the current pattern than was the case for the distributions of species occurrence. This highlights the possibility of greater changes in the spatial patterning of mangrove tree species dominance under future sea level rise. Under the restricted seedling establishment scenario, the area occupied by or dominated by a species declined between 42.1% and 93.8%, while for unrestricted seedling establishment, the area suitable for dominance or occurrence of each species varied from a decline of 68.4% to an expansion of 99.5%. As changes in the spatial patterning of dominance are likely to cause a cascade of effects throughout the ecosystem, forecasting spatial changes in dominance provides new and complementary information in addition to that provided by forecasts of species occurrence.
Impact of serum ferritin level on hepatocarcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis C patients
Authors: Uchino Koji , Tateishi Ryosuke , Fujiwara Naoto , Minami Tatsuya , Sato Masaya , Enooku Kenichiro , Nakagawa Hayato , Asaoka Yoshinari , Kondo Yuji , Yoshida Haruhiko , Moriya Kyoji , Shiina Shuichiro , Omata Masao , Koike Kazuhiko 
Published: March 2015

AimTo elucidate the impact of the serum ferritin level, a surrogate indicator of hepatic iron accumulation, on hepatocarcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis C patients.MethodsSerum ferritin was measured in 487 chronic hepatitis C patients without history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after excluding patients in phlebotomy, those with overt chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and those who achieved sustained virological response before enrollment. Patients were divided into four groups (G1–G4) by quartile points of serum ferritin, with sexes separated.ResultsThe serum ferritin level was positively correlated with total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ‐glutamyltransferase, hemoglobin and AFP, and inversely correlated with prothrombin activity in both sexes. A significant difference in HCC incidence was observed only in male patients; the incidence was higher in G1 (≤80 ng/mL, n = 54) and G4 (≥323 ng/mL, n = 54) compared with that of G2 (81–160 ng/mL, n = 54) and G3 (161–322 ng/mL, n = 52). The spline curve indicating the relationship between the hazard ratio and serum ferritin level took the form of a J‐shape for male patients. In multivariate analysis, G1 and G4 showed higher incidence of HCC among men with a hazard ratio of 2.19 (95% confidence interval, 1.02–4.70; P = 0.045) compared with G2 and G3, together with older age, lower serum albumin and ALT above the normal upper limit.ConclusionThe serum ferritin level is an independent risk factor for HCC development in male patients with chronic hepatitis C when the level is extremely high or low.
Do leaf‐cutting ants benefit from forest fragmentation? Insights from community and species‐specific responses in a fragmented dry forest
Authors: Barrera Corina A. , Buffa Liliana M. , Valladares Graciela 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe expansion of agriculture has led to forest loss and fragmentation, resulting in dramatic biodiversity impoverishment. Surprisingly, few studies have assessed forest fragmentation effects on leaf‐cutting ant assemblages, and none has dealt with effects on their community richness and composition, despite their known role as key herbivores and ecosystem engineers.We analysed forest area and edge effects on leaf‐cutting ant abundance, richness and assemblage composition, by recording and identifying colonies along edge and interior transects in 12 Chaco Serrano forest remnants of different sizes, in Central Argentina. We also explored leaf‐cutting ant presence in the adjacent soybean matrix.We recorded five leaf‐cutting ant species, in the genusAcromyrmex. In the soybean matrix, colonies of three species were observed, which were also found at the forest edge. Within the forest, edges sustained more species and colonies than interior habitats, whereas forest area was linked positively to colony abundance. Taxonomic composition of leaf‐cutting ant assemblages reflected both area and edge effects.Our results revealed overall positive edge and area effects on leaf‐cutting ant communities, highlighting differential species‐specific responses and a possible role forAcromyrmex crassispinusas a forest status indicator. According to our findings, an increase in edge habitats may favour most leaf‐cutting ant species, providing a suitable interface for access to the cultivated matrix, but hindering species associated with undisturbed forest conditions. As leaf‐cutting ants are acknowledged as cornerstones of ecosystem functioning, the consequences of these trends may be far reaching.
ICSH guidelines for the laboratory diagnosis of nonimmune hereditary red cell membrane disorders
Authors: King M.‐J. , Garçon L. , Hoyer J. D. , Iolascon A. , Picard V. , Stewart G. , Bianchi P. , Lee S.‐H. , Zanella A. ,   the International Council for Standardization in Haematology
Published: March 2015

SummaryIntroductionHereditary spherocytosis (HS), hereditary elliptocytosis (HE), and hereditary stomatocytosis (HSt) are inherited red cell disorders caused by defects in various membrane proteins. The heterogeneous clinical presentation, biochemical and genetic abnormalities in HS and HE have been well documented. The need to raise the awareness of HSt, albeit its much lower prevalence than HS, is due to the undesirable outcome of splenectomy in these patients.MethodsThe scope of this guideline is to identify the characteristic clinical features, the red cell parameters (including red cell morphology) for these red cell disorders associated, respectively, with defective cytoskeleton (HS and HE) and abnormal cation permeability in the lipid bilayer (HSt) of the red cell. The current screening tests for HS are described, and their limitations are highlighted.ResultsAn appropriate diagnosis can often be made when the screening test result(s) is reviewed together with the patient's clinical/family history, blood count results, reticulocyte count, red cell morphology, and chemistry results. SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of erythrocyte membrane proteins, monovalent cation flux measurement, and molecular analysis of membrane protein genes are specialist tests for further investigation.ConclusionSpecialist tests provide additional evidence in supporting the diagnosis and that will facilitate the management of the patient. In the case of a patient's clinical phenotype being more severe than the affected members within the immediate family, molecular testing of all family members is useful for confirming the diagnosis and allows an insight into the molecular basis of the abnormality such as a recessive mode of inheritance or a de novo mutation.
Well‐being of migrant and left‐behind children inChina: Education, health, parenting, and personal values
Authors: Lu Shuang , Lin Yi‐Ting , Vikse Juliann H. , Huang Chien‐Chung 
Published: March 2015

Over the last several decades of urbanization and industrialization,China has encountered mass labor force migration from rural to urban areas. As a result, two‐child populations have dramatically increased in number: so‐called left‐behind children and migrant children. Using data from the 2006 and 2009ChinaNutrition andHealthSurveys, this study examined the effects of parental migration and residency status on the education, health, parenting, and personal values of children, with particular focus on left‐behind and migrant children. The findings suggest that parental migration and residency status play important roles in the educational and health outcomes, parental supervision, and personal values of children. Through analyzing the differences and possible reasons for disparate outcomes among child populations, this study aimed to improve public understanding of migrant and left‐behind children's well‐being inChina, and explore implications for future studies and welfare policy making.Key Practitioner Message: ●Help to identify the impact of migration on individual, family, and the society domestically and internationally;●Provide implications for welfare policy making, program design, and service delivery for migrant populations;●Explore the approaches to addressing migration‐related issues in different countries with internal and transnational migrant populations.
Importance of prostate volume in the stratification of patients with intermediate‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Moschini Marco , Gandaglia Giorgio , Suardi Nazareno , Fossati Nicola , Cucchiara Vito , Damiano Rocco , Cantiello Francesco , Shariat Shahrokh F , Montorsi Francesco , Briganti Alberto 
Published: March 2015

ObjectivesTo evaluate the role of prostate volume assessed at final pathology in the risk of biochemical recurrence in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy.MethodsOverall, 5637 patients treated with radical prostatectomy between January 1993 and August 2013 were identified. Multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the association between prostate volume and biochemical recurrence in the overall population and after stratifying patients according to the D'Amico risk groups.ResultsMean (median) prostate volume was 50.61 mL (46 mL). When patients were stratified according to D'Amico risk groups, mean (median) prostate volume was 51.7 mL (48 mL), 49.8 mL (45 mL) and 50.6 mL (46 mL) in low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk prostate cancer, respectively (P = 0.04). Overall, the 5‐year biochemical recurrence‐free survival rate was 87.9%. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, prostate volume was associated with a lower risk of biochemical recurrence (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.99–1.00), after accounting for disease characteristics. However, when patients were stratified according to D'Amico risk groups, prostate volume represented an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence only in individuals with intermediate‐risk disease (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.99–1.00). Conversely, prostate volume was not associated with the risk of experiencing biochemical recurrence in patients with low‐ and high‐risk disease.ConclusionsSmaller prostates are associated with increased risk of biochemical recurrence after surgery only in men with intermediate‐risk disease. In this category, the preoperative assessment of prostate volume might be helpful in order to identify patients at higher risk of biochemical recurrence after surgery. Additionally, prostate volume might be used to individualize follow‐up schedules after radical prostatectomy.
Stem cells from human amniotic fluid exert immunoregulatory function via secreted indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase1
Authors: Romani Rita , Pirisinu Irene , Calvitti Mario , Pallotta Maria Teresa , Gargaro Marco , Bistoni Giovanni , Vacca Carmine , Di Michele Alessandro , Orabona Ciriana , Rosati Jessica , Pirro Matteo , Giovagnoli Stefano , Matino Davide , Prontera Paolo , Rosi Gabriella , Grohmann Ursula , Talesa Vincenzo N. , Donti Emilio , Puccetti Paolo , Fallarino Francesca 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAlthough human amniotic fluid does contain different populations of foetal‐derived stem cells, scanty information is available on the stemness and the potential immunomodulatory activity of in vitro expanded, amniotic fluid stem cells. By means of a methodology unrequiring immune selection, we isolated and characterized different stem cell types from second‐trimester human amniotic fluid samples (human amniotic fluid stem cells, HASCs). Of those populations, one was characterized by a fast doubling time, and cells were thus designated as fHASCs. Cells maintained their original phenotype under prolonged in vitro passaging, and they were able to originate embryoid bodies. Moreover, fHASCs exhibited regulatory properties when treated with interferon (IFN)‐γ, including induction of the immunomodulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). On coculture with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, IFN‐γ–treated fHASCs caused significantly decreased T‐cell proliferation and increased frequency in CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells. Both effects required an intact IDO1 function and were cell contact‐independent. An unprecedented finding in our study was that purified vesicles from IFN‐γ–treated fHASCs abundantly expressed the functional IDO1 protein, and those vesicles were endowed with an fHASC‐like regulatory function. In vivo, fHASCs were capable of immunoregulatory function, promoting allograft survival in a mouse model of allogeneic skin transplantation. This was concurrent with the expansion of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T cells in graft‐draining lymph nodes from recipient mice. Thus fHASCs, or vesicles thereof, may represent a novel opportunity for immunoregulatory maneuvers both in vitro and in vivo.