bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of the anticoagulant drug, danaparoid sodium, in the treatment of portal vein thrombosis in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Naeshiro Noriaki , Aikata Hiroshi , Hyogo Hideyuki , Kan Hiromi , Fujino Hatsue , Kobayashi Tomoki , Fukuhara Takayuki , Honda Yohji , Nakahara Takashi , Ohno Atsushi , Miyaki Daisuke , Murakami Eisuke , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Tsuge Masataka , Hiraga Nobuhiko , Hiramatsu Akira , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Ochi Hidenori , Chayama Kazuaki 
Published: August 2014

AimTo assess the efficacy and safety of the anticoagulant drug, danaparoid sodium, in the treatment of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with liver cirrhosis.MethodsA consecutive 26 cirrhotic patients with PVT were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The etiologies of cirrhosis were hepatitis B virus‐related, hepatitis C virus‐related, alcoholic and cryptogenic in five, 14, three and four patients, respectively. Child–Pugh grade A, B and C was noted in 13, eight and five patients, respectively. Patients were treated with 2 weeks' administration of danaparoid sodium followed by the evaluation of PVT reduction and adverse events.ResultsAll patients experienced reduction of PVT through the treatment. The median volume of PVT before and after treatment was 2.40 cm3 (range, 0.18–16.63) and 0.37 cm3 (range, 0–5.74), respectively. The median reduction rate of PVT volume was 77.3% (range, 18–100%). According to the reduction rate, complete reduction (CR), partial reduction (PR, ≥50%) and stable disease (SD, <50%) were observed in four (15%), 16 (62%) and six patients (23%), respectively. The median volume of PVT before treatment was significantly different between CR + PR and SD (2.09 vs 4.35 cm3, P = 0.045). No severe adverse events such as bleeding symptoms (e.g. gastrointestinal bleeding and cerebral hemorrhage) and thrombocytopenia were encountered.ConclusionDanaparoid sodium for the treatment of PVT in patients with liver cirrhosis was safe and effective. Therefore, anticoagulation therapy with danaparoid sodium could have potential as one of the treatment options in PVT accompanied by cirrhosis.
Public approval plus more wildlife: twin benefits of reduced mowing of amenity grass in a suburban public park in Saltdean, UK
Authors: Garbuzov Mihail , Fensome Katherine A. , Ratnieks Francis L. W. 
Published: August 2014

Abstract

We examined the effects of reduced mowing on wildflower bloom and flower‐visiting insects in the Saltdean Oval, a 6 ha suburban public park in Saltdean, UK.

In 2012, a novel management regime was initiated in which approximately half the grass area was left uncut, with the plan being to mow it once per year in autumn. In spring 2013, we set up four blocks, with each block subdivided into four 30 × 5 m strips treated under different mowing regimes: (a) regular mowing every 2 weeks all spring and summer, (b) regular mowing until 2 June, (c) regular mowing until 5 July, and (d) no mowing.

The abundance of both flowers and flower‐visiting insects increased significantly with reduced mowing, being ca. 3 and 5 times greater in (d) than (a), respectively, with (b) and (c) intermediate. Mowing intensity, however, had a weak effect on wildflower species richness, which was only lower in (a).

A 1 km bee, butterfly, and moth transect walk, 500 m within the long grass part of the park and 500 m within the short, recorded ca. 50× greater insect abundance in the long grass.

A questionnaire of public opinion found that 97% of park visitors favoured encouraging insects and wildflowers. In terms of enjoyment of the park, 26% said that it had increased, 64% said that it stayed the same, and 10% said that it decreased.

These results present an encouraging example of a potential win–win situation in urban land management change, where the interests of humans and wildlife are aligned, thereby making the goals of conservation easier to achieve.
Maternal obesity influences the relationship between location of neonate fat mass and total fat mass
Authors: Hull H. R. , Thornton J. , Paley C. , Navder K. , Gallagher D. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryBackgroundIt is suggested that maternal obesity perpetuates offspring obesity to future generations.ObjectiveTo determine whether location of neonate fat mass (FM: central vs. peripheral) is related to total neonate FM and whether maternal obesity influences this relationship.MethodsNeonate body composition and skin‐fold thicknesses were assessed in healthy neonates (n = 371; 1–3 days old). Linear regression models examined the relationship between total FM and location of FM (central vs. peripheral). Location of FM was calculated by skin‐folds: peripheral was the sum of (biceps and triceps)/2 and central was represented by the subscapular skin‐fold.ResultsA significant interaction was found for location of FM and maternal obesity. Holding all predictors constant, in offspring born to non‐obese mothers, a 0.5 mm increase in central FM predicted a 15 g greater total FM, whereas a 0.5 mm increase in peripheral FM predicted a 66 g greater total FM. However, in offspring born to obese mothers, a 0.5 mm increase in central FM predicted a 56 g total FM, whereas a 0.5 mm increase in peripheral FM predicted a 14 g greater total FM.ConclusionsThe relationship between total FM and location of FM is influenced by maternal obesity.
Photosynthetic Apparatus Responses to Short‐term low‐temperature Flooding May Contribute to Freezing Tolerance Changes in Forage Grasses
Authors: Jurczyk B. , Rapacz M. , Krępski T. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractWinter conditions are subjected to rapid climate changes. Increased precipitation and snow melting during warmer winters may result in low‐temperature flooding. These factors probably affect plant overwintering strategies. This study investigated the relationships between the photosynthetic adjustment and freezing tolerance following a short‐term low‐temperature flooding in two forage grasses (Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis). The effect of flooding on the photosynthetic apparatus acclimation to cold was determined using chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements. Freezing tolerance was estimated using an electrolyte leakage test. It has been shown that genotypes activating non‐photochemical mechanisms of photosynthetic acclimation to cold during low‐temperature flooding may show increased freezing tolerance. Freezing tolerance reduction observed in Festuca pratensis was probably connected with decreased photochemical activity and photoinhibition of photosynthesis. It can be concluded that photosynthetic apparatus response to low‐temperature flooding may contribute to changes in the freezing tolerance. The direction of the changes is associated with different photosynthetic apparatus performance.
Combustion Synthesis of Boron Nitride via Magnesium Reduction Under Low Nitrogen Pressures
Authors: Chung Shyan‐Lung , Hsu Yu‐Hsiang 
Published: August 2014

A combustion synthesis process was developed for the synthesis of h‐BN powder. B2O3, Mg, NH4Cl, and NaN3 were used as the reactants and they were mixed and pressed into a reactant compact, which was then wrapped up with an igniting agent (i.e., a mixed powder of Mg and Fe2O3). With the presence of NH4Cl and NaN3 in the reactant compact and the wrapping of the igniting agent, the combustion synthesis reaction could be carried out under low N2 pressures (<1.0 MPa) with high product yields (up to 79%) and high specific surface areas (SSA) of the product powder (up to 151 m2/g). Effects of process parameters on the product yield, SSA, and combustion temperature were investigated and a reaction mechanism was proposed to explain the effects. The synthesized h‐BN was platelike crystals and their SSA was found to increase with decreasing maximum combustion temperature under most of the experimental conditions. This is explained by the growth time of the crystals, which is considered to be shorter under the condition with a lower maximum combustion temperature.
Effect of Ba Nonstoichiometry in Bax(Zr0.8Y0.2)O3−δ on Population of 5‐Coordinated Y
Authors: Lee Joon‐Hyung , Gan Zhehong , Han Oc Hee 
Published: August 2014

The local environments of Y in the Y‐substituted BaZrO3 of the starting compositions of Bax(Zr0.8Y0.2)O3−δ (x = 0.97, 1.0, 1.03, and 1.06) were analyzed by 89Y magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. The result showed a strong population dependence of 5‐coordinated Y3+ ions mostly at the B site on the Ba contents. The enhancement of Ba contents by 9 at% (from 0.97 to 1.06 in the starting Ba contents) in a nominal composition increased the amount of 5‐coordinated Y3+ ions from 35% ± 7% to 49% ± 5%, suggesting the importance of maximizing the Ba contents to populate more oxygen vacancies which is related to the concentration of protons incorporated during the hydration process. The wide variation in the lattice parameter of yttrium‐substituted BaZrO3 perovskite materials in previous reports was reinterpreted with the variation in the Ba contents resulting from the evaporation of BaO during the sintering processes. Y3+ ions were confirmed to replace mainly the Zr4+ ions, as expected, and a tendency of oxygen vacancy clustering near the Y3+ ions was discussed.
Twenty years of observed and predicted changes in subtidal red seaweed assemblages along a biogeographical transition zone: inferring potential causes from environmental data
Authors: Gallon Régis K. , Robuchon Marine , Leroy Boris , Le Gall Line , Valero Myriam , Feunteun Eric 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAimTo assess environmental changes within a marine biogeographical transition zone and how they have affected seaweed assemblages and distributions over the past two decades.LocationBrittany (western France, Europe) – a biogeographical transition zone between cold‐temperate and warm‐temperate regions.MethodsWe assessed spatio‐temporal variation for three environmental parameters [sea‐surface temperature (SST), suspended inorganic matter and chlorophyll a] between 1992 and 2012 in five adjoining regions using generalized linear models. To investigate changes in assemblages and distributional patterns of red seaweeds based on sampling surveys conducted during two separate periods (1992–1998 and 2010–2012), we used two complementary approaches, multivariate data analysis and species distribution models (SDMs) with a set of modelling procedures.ResultsCoastal water temperature in Brittany has increased by 0.7 °C on average over the past two decades (0.35 °C per decade). At a finer scale, changes in SST showed that Brittany constitutes a mosaic of contrasting conditions, with the western and north‐western regions being colder and less affected by climate change than the other three regions. Our results suggest that increasing SST caused significant changes in subtidal red seaweed assemblages over the 20‐year period. Between the two periods, SDMs predicted significant species shifts for seven out of ten representative species, and reductions in the distribution ranges of most species.Main conclusionsOur study confirmed important differences across the different regions of the studied biogeographical transition zone. Changes in abiotic parameters and red seaweed assemblages are expected to occur at varying extremes across these regions, with western and north‐western Brittany representing the most stable zones that might constitute a potential refuge for certain species when responding to global changes.
Reappraisal of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Idiopathic Outflow Tract Arrhythmias
Authors: MARKOWITZ STEVEN M. , WEINSAFT JONATHAN W. , WALDMAN LOUIS , PETASHNICK MAYA , LIU CHRISTOPHER F. , CHEUNG JIM W. , THOMAS GEORGE , IP JAMES E. , LERMAN BRUCE B. 
Published: August 2014

CMR in Idiopathic RVOT ArrhythmiasIntroductionBecause of prognostic and therapeutic implications, the distinction between idiopathic right ventricular (RV) outflow tract (iRVOT) and arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is clinically important. Over the last 2 decades multiple reports have identified RV abnormalities using CMR in patients with idiopathic VT, suggesting a link between these arrhythmias and ARVC. The purpose of this study was to assess for structural abnormalities in patients with iRVOT tachycardia using contemporary cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.Methods and ResultsCMR was performed in 46 patients with iRVOT tachycardia and 16 normal controls, with quantitative evaluation of RV and left ventricular volumes and function, as well as assessment of myocardial fat and scar. iRVOT patients were similar to controls with respect to RV end‐diastolic volumes (81 ± 19 mL/m2 vs. 79 ± 18 mL/m2, P = 0.77) and RV ejection fraction (57 ± 8% vs. 59 ± 7%, P = 0.31). The prevalence of RV chamber dilation, defined using ARVC major task force criteria, was uncommon among iRVOT patients (9%) and controls (7%; P = 1.0). Regional RV wall motion abnormalities were present in 2 iRVOT patients who had concomitant RV dilation or dysfunction. CMR tissue characterization demonstrated absence of both myocardial scar and fat infiltration in all patients and controls.ConclusionsIn patients with the clinical diagnosis of iRVOT tachycardia, CMR reveals RV structure, function, and myocardial tissue characteristics similar to normal controls. These findings suggest that the vast majority of patients with RVOT arrhythmias have a primary electrical disorder that is not a forme‐fruste of ARVC.
Vitiligo: characterization of melanocytes in repigmented skin after punch grafting
Authors: Kovacs D. , Abdel‐Raouf H. , Al‐Khayyat M. , Abdel‐Azeem E. , Hanna M.R. , Cota C. , Picardo M. , Anbar T.S. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackgroundPunch grafting is a surgical technique mainly applied in therapy‐resistant, stable and circumscribed vitiligo.Objective(i) To characterize in detail the features of the repigmented skin among punch grafts; and (ii) to correlate the ex vivo results with clinical data and punch grafting outcome.MethodsWe evaluated by immunohistochemistry and image analysis the expression of a panel of specific melanocyte markers including HMB45, MITF, c‐kit, MART‐1 and TRP1, the proliferation marker Ki67 and the cell–cell adhesion molecule E‐cadherin in tissue samples collected from nine patients after punch grafting.ResultsCells positive for MITF, c‐kit, MART‐1 and TRP1 were detected in the repigmented skin of all biopsies, whereas no reactivity was observed for HMB45. Melanocytes were identified along the entire length of the sections, and their mature state was assessed by the immuno‐reactivity for the differentiation marker MART‐1, the absence of cells positively stained for Ki67 and by the co‐expression of c‐kit and TRP1, a marker of a differentiated and pigmented state. Clinically, smaller punch grafts aimed at repigmenting lesional areas on the face gave the faster clinical results with no side‐effects. Patients subjected to bigger punch grafts on the knee exhibited a longer repigmentation time and presented cobble stoning.ConclusionOur results suggest that the repigmentation observed in the areas between the grafts is due to the activation of the melanocytes located in the donor sites. These cells start to horizontally migrate towards the lesional skin thanks to successively the enlargement of intercellular spaces in relation to a decrease of E‐cadherin reactivity and the up‐modulation of pro‐melanogenic mediators. Production and transfer of melanin in the surrounding keratinocytes and their persistence were assessed by the reactivity for MITF, c‐kit, MART‐1 and TRP1 but not for the pre‐melanosome marker (HMB45).
Response evaluation with endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Chang Wei‐Lun , Wang Wen‐Lun , Chung Ta‐Jung , Lin Forn‐Chia , Yen Chia‐Jui , Lai Wu‐Wei , Yang Hsiao‐Bai , Sheu Bor‐Shyang 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackground and AimWe assessed the feasibility of combined endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography on response evaluation in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy, and the impact of response on prognosis.MethodsSixty patients treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy were followed by miniprobe endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography. The post‐treatment esophageal wall thickness was measured by miniprobe endoscopic ultrasound. Metastatic tumors were evaluated by computed tomography. The correlation between post‐treatment image findings and prognosis was evaluated.ResultsTwenty‐four patients (40%) had esophageal stricture after chemoradiotherapy, which limited complete evaluation by endoscopy. Miniprobe successfully penetrated all strictures to measure post‐treatment esophageal wall thickness. Both post‐treatment esophageal wall thickness < 8 mm measured by endoscopic ultrasound and no enlargement of metastatic tumor foci on computed tomography predicted good prognosis (P = 0.001). Combined evaluation with these two modalities improved survival prediction (P < 0.001). Patients who met the above two criteria after chemoradiotherapy had the longest survival compared with those who met only one or none of the criteria. The corresponding median survivals were > 30 months, 16.8 months and 7.1 months, respectively (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, treatment response is the strongest independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio 3.65, P = 0.006) regardless of baseline tumor‐node‐metastasis staging and chemoradiation regimen.ConclusionsResponse evaluation by miniprobe endoscopic ultrasound and computed tomography can predict the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy. Those who were judged as poor responder should receive additional treatment to improve outcome.
Incidence and survival in late liver metastases of colorectal cancer
Authors: Landreau Pierre , Drouillard Antoine , Launoy Guy , Ortega‐Deballon Pablo , Jooste Valérie , Lepage Côme , Faivre Jean , Facy Olivier , Bouvier Anne‐Marie 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackground and AimsData concerning the risk of long‐term liver metastasis following surgery of colorectal cancer in the general population are scarce. The 10‐year incidence and prognosis of metachronous liver metastases remain unknown.MethodsAmong 4584 patients resected for cure for colorectal cancer recorded in two French digestive population‐based cancer registries between 1985 and 2000, 602 presented metastases including liver metastases.ResultsThe cumulated incidence of liver metastasis was 15% at 5 years and 17% at 10 years, and was mainly related to stage at diagnosis. The 10‐year cumulative incidence was 6% for stage I and 30% for stage III. The hazard ratio was 3.2 [2.4–4.3] for stage II and 6.9 [5.1–9.2] for stage III compared with stage I. Among survivors with no recurrence five years after diagnosis, 2.2% developed liver metastasis between 5 and 10 years. Resection for cure of liver metastases was performed in 35% of patients aged under 75 years and in 10% of patients over 75 (P < 0.001). After resection for cure, 10‐year relative survival improved from 21% during the period 1985–1997 to 34% during the period 1998–2011 (P = 0.023). Survival in patients with liver metastasis diagnosed between six and 12 months after surgery was less than half that in patients with metastasis diagnosed later (HR: 0.6 [0.4–1.0]).ConclusionLiver metastases from colorectal cancer remain a substantial problem and continue to occur long after five years. This study furnishes unbiased figures that can be used as a reference. Liver metastases that appear late have a better prognosis.
Clinical utility of a simple primary culture method in hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Lin Zu‐Yau , Wu Chun‐Chieh , Chuang Yen‐Hwang , Chuang Wan‐Long 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackground and AimThe clinical utility of our designed primary culture method in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was investigated.MethodsSpecimens obtained from ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration of 108 hepatocellular carcinoma patients were cultured. The associations of the cellular proliferative speeds with cancer invasiveness and 1‐year survivals were analyzed.ResultsSuccessful cultures were achieved in 105 patients (97.2%). Ten hepatocellular carcinoma and nine cancer‐associated fibroblast cell lines were established. The cells obtained from patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging ≥ IIIB upon entering the study had higher proportion of rapidly proliferative cancer cells than those from patients with staging ≤ IIIA (P < 0.005). For Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification A or B patients receiving palliative transcatheter chemoembolization, patients with rapidly proliferative cancer‐associated fibroblasts showed higher incidence of cancer‐related death than patients with other proliferative patterns (P = 0.0385). The influence of the presence of rapidly proliferative cancer cells on survivals in this group could not be calculated due to a very small number of this kind of patients (9.5%). For Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification C patients receiving non‐curative treatment, the incidence of rapidly proliferative cancer cells was 45.2%. Patients with rapidly proliferative cancer cells showed higher incidence of cancer‐related death than patients with other proliferative patterns in patients receiving chemoembolization (P = 0.0452) and in patients receiving conservative treatment (P = 0.0206).ConclusionOur method can provide cells from individual patient for researches and predict outcomes in patients receiving non‐curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Severity of liver disease among chronic hepatitis C patients: An observational study of 4594 patients in five European countries
Authors: Marcellin Patrick , Grotzinger Kelly , Theodore Dickens , Demuth Dirk , Manns Michael , Bañares Cañizares Rafael , Pike James , Forssen Ulla M 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackground and AimAssessment of the severity of liver disease following infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is important in treatment selection and prognosis. As invasive liver biopsy procedures are regarded as the reference method to assess the stage of fibrosis, it is important to identify patient characteristics that are predictive of liver fibrosis severity. The aim of the study was to describe the distribution of liver severity scores, clinical characteristics, and physicians' assessment of fibrosis among HCV patients in five European countries.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were chronically infected with HCV in 2006. Patients managed for HCV at any of 60 sites in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK were included. Data collected included patient demographics and clinical characteristics. A combination of univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of fibrosis severity and factors associated with undergoing biopsy.ResultsFour thousand five hundred and ninety‐four chronically infected HCV patients were included in this analysis. Management approaches differed between countries, with variations in biopsy use (59.3–18.4%) and preferred fibrosis scoring systems. Where histology results were available, 43.4%, 23.8%, and 32.9% had mild, moderate, and severe fibrosis, respectively. Factors associated with undergoing a biopsy included male gender and co‐infection with hepatitis B virus. Chronic alcoholism, a lower first platelet count, and older age were predictors of increased liver fibrosis severity.ConclusionsThese data suggest that there are major differences in how specialists manage their HCV patients across five major European countries.