bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of activated protein C in second intention healing of equine distal limb wounds: a preliminary study
Authors: Bischofberger AS , Tsang AS , Horadagoda N , Dart CM , Perkins NR , Jeffcott LB , Jackson CJ , Dart AJ 
Published: September 2015

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of activated protein C (APC) on second intention healing of distal limb wounds in horses.MethodsIn this experimental study of eight Standardbred geldings, six full‐thickness skin wounds (2 × 1.5 cm) were created on one metacarpus (biopsy limb) and five similar wounds were created on the contralateral metacarpus (photographed limb). Three wounds on the biopsy limb were treated topically with 190 µg APC on days 1, 3, 6 and 9, while the remaining three wounds were untreated (control). One treated and one control wound were biopsied on days 4, 7 and 11 for histopathology. Wounds on the photographed limb were treated with either 66% Manuka honey gel, a commercial antibiotic ointment (bacitracin–neomycin–polymixin B ointment; BNP) or petrolatum daily throughout healing, treated on days 1,3,6 and 9 with 190 µg APC or left untreated. These wounds were digitally photographed and the wound area measured on day 1, then weekly until day 49. Overall time to healing was recorded.ResultsThere was no effect of APC on wound size, the rate of healing or the overall time to heal. However, compared with control wounds, histological scoring demonstrated enhanced epithelialisation (day 4) and angiogenesis (day 11). Wound healing variables for wounds treated with APC, Manuka honey gel and control wounds were not different and the variables for wounds treated with BNP and petrolatum demonstrated delayed healing.ConclusionThe improvements in histological scores in APC‐treated wounds suggest further study into the effect of APC on second intention wound healing in horses is warranted.
Infectious reproductive disease pathogens in dairy herd bulls
Authors: Hancock AS , Younis PJ , Beggs DS , Mansell PD , Pyman MF 
Published: September 2015

ObjectiveInvestigate the presence of infectious reproductive disease pathogens in dairy herd bulls in south‐west Victoria, Australia, using a cross‐sectional study.MethodsDairy herd bulls from 32 herds were sampled for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV: 256 bulls, 32 herds) prior to the natural mating period, bovine herpes virus‐1 prior to (10 bulls, 5 herds) and after (118 bulls, 19 herds) the natural mating period, and for Campylobacter fetus spp. and Tritrichomonas foetus after the natural mating period (61 bulls, 7 herds). BVDV was detected from an ear‐notch sample using a commercially available rapid assay ELISA, bovine herpes virus‐1 and T. foetus were screened for by PCR from a penile swab and preputial sample respectively, and C. fetus spp. were screened for by culture of preputial samples.ResultsNone of the bulls tested positive for BVDV antigen. Campylobacter fetus venerealis (or C. fetus fetus) was cultured in 6.6% (4/61) of bulls, representing 2 of the 7 (28.6%) farms that were not vaccinating bulls against bovine genital campylobacteriosis. Bovine herpes virus‐1 was identified in 7.8% (10/128) bulls sampled; T. foetus was not identified in any samples.ConclusionBovine genital campylobacteriosis is present in south‐western Victoria, despite longstanding recommendations to vaccinate bulls. Screening bulls for persistent infection with BVDV is probably justified, despite the absence of persistently infected bulls in this study. Further research is warranted to investigate the potential reproductive implications of BHV‐1, and the presence of T. foetus.
Hypothesis Test of Mediation Effect in Causal Mediation Model With High-Dimensional Continuous Mediators
Authors: Huang Yen-Tsung , Pan Wen-Chi 
Published: September 2015

Summary
Causal mediation modeling has become a popular approach for studying the effect of an exposure on an outcome through a mediator. However, current methods are not applicable to the setting with a large number of mediators. We propose a testing procedure for mediation effects of high-dimensional continuous mediators. We characterize the marginal mediation effect, the multivariate component-wise mediation effects, and the norm of the component-wise effects, and develop a Monte-Carlo procedure for evaluating their statistical significance. To accommodate the setting with a large number of mediators and a small sample size, we further propose a transformation model using the spectral decomposition. Under the transformation model, mediation effects can be estimated using a series of regression models with a univariate transformed mediator, and examined by our proposed testing procedure. Extensive simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of our methods for continuous and dichotomous outcomes. We apply the methods to analyze genomic data investigating the effect of microRNA miR-223 on a dichotomous survival status of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). We identify nine gene ontology sets with expression values that significantly mediate the effect of miR-223 on GBM survival.
Different Bla‐g T cell antigens dominate responses in asthma versus rhinitis subjects
Authors: Dillon M. B. C. , Schulten V. , Oseroff C. , Paul S. , Dullanty L. M. , Frazier A. , Belles X. , Piulachs M.‐D. , Visness C. , Bacharier L. , Bloomberg G. R. , Busse P. , Sidney J. , Peters B. , Sette A. 
Published: September 2015

SummaryBackground and objectiveThe allergenicity of several German cockroach (Bla‐g) antigens at the level of IgE responses is well established. However, less is known about the specificity of CD4+ TH responses, and whether differences exist in associated magnitude or cytokine profiles as a function of disease severity.MethodsProteomic and transcriptomic techniques were used to identify novel antigens recognized by allergen‐specific T cells. To characterize different TH functionalities of allergen‐specific T cells, ELISPOT assays with sets of overlapping peptides covering the sequences of known allergens and novel antigens were employed to measure release of IL‐5, IFNγ, IL‐10, IL‐17 and IL‐21.ResultsUsing these techniques, we characterized TH responses in a cohort of adult Bla‐g‐sensitized subjects, either with (n = 55) or without (n = 17) asthma, and nonsensitized controls (n = 20). T cell responses were detected for ten known Bla‐g allergens and an additional ten novel Bla‐g antigens, representing in total a 5‐fold increase in the number of antigens demonstrated to be targeted by allergen‐specific T cells. Responses of sensitized individuals regardless of asthma status were predominantly TH2, but higher in patients with diagnosed asthma. In asthmatic subjects, Bla‐g 5, 9 and 11 were immunodominant, while, in contrast, nonasthmatic‐sensitized subjects responded mostly to Bla‐g 5 and 4 and the novel antigen NBGA5.ConclusionsAsthmatic and nonasthmatic cockroach‐sensitized individuals exhibit similar TH2‐polarized responses. Compared with nonasthmatics, however, asthmatic individuals have responses of higher magnitude and different allergen specificity.
Reporting guidelines and journal quality in otolaryngology
Authors: Henderson A.H. , Upile T. , Pilavakis Y. , Patel N.N. 
Published: September 2015

ObjectivesJournals increasingly use reporting guidelines to standardise research papers, partly to improve quality. Although defining journal quality is difficult, various calculated metrics are used. This study investigates guideline adoption by otolaryngology journals and whether a relationship exists between this and journal quality.Design, Setting, ParticipantsRetrospective MEDLINE database review for English language, Index Medicus, journals of interest to otolaryngologists (October 2013).Main Outcome MeasuresThe resulting journals were examined for the number of guidelines endorsed and then tabulated against surrogate measures of journal quality (Impact factor, Eigenfactor, SCImago, Source‐Normalised rank).The primary outcome measure was the number of recognised reporting guidelines endorsed per journal. This was then correlated against journal quality scores. For comparison, a further small sample correlation was performed with 6 randomly selected and 6 high‐profile clinical non‐otolaryngology journals.Results37 otolaryngology journals were identified. Number of guidelines used and quality scores were not normally distributed. Mean guideline usage was 1.0 for otolaryngology journals, 1.5 for randomly selected, and 5.5 for the high‐profile journals. Only 18/37 (49%) otolaryngology journals endorsed any guidelines, compared with 11/12 non‐otolaryngology journals. Within otolaryngology, Eigenfactor positively correlated with guideline use (r = 0.4, n = 44, p < 0.01) otherwise no correlation was found between guideline endorsement and journal quality.ConclusionsReporting guideline endorsement within otolaryngology journals is low. Although it might be expected that use of reporting guidelines improved quality, this is not reflected in the derived quality scores in otolaryngology. This may reflect low levels of use/enforcement, that quality indicators are inherently flawed, or that generalised guidelines are not always appropriate or valued by editors.
Fracture resistance of simulated immature tooth roots reinforced with MTA or restorative materials
Authors: Karapinar‐Kazandag Meric , Basrani Bettina , Tom‐Kun Yamagishi Valerie , Azarpazhooh Amir , Friedman Shimon 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBackground/AimImmature endodontically treated teeth may require reinforcing to reduce the risk of root fracture. This study assessed the fracture resistance of simulated immature tooth roots reinforced with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or two composite resin (CR) materials.Material and methodsOne hundred extracted roots of mature human maxillary incisors were decoronated and sectioned 9 mm further apically from the decoronation line and randomly divided into five groups (n = 20). In Group 1 (negative control), roots received no treatment. In groups 2–5, canals were enlarged to 2.1 mm diameter to simulate immature roots, dressed with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and incubated for 7 days. After removal of Ca(OH)2, canals in Group 2 (positive control) were left unfilled. Canals in groups 3, 4 and 5 were filled with MTA, BisFil 2B flowable CR or BisFil II posterior CR, respectively. After further incubation for 30 days, specimens were embedded in acrylic cylinders and horizontally loaded in a universal testing machine at cross head speed of 5 mm min−1 until fracture occurred. Load (N) at and pattern of fracture were recorded.ResultsLoad at fracture was significantly lower (t‐test, P = 0.003) in Group 2 (630 ± 199.12) than in Group 1 (896.98 ± 311.79). It did not differ significantly among groups 1, 3, 4 and 5 (anova, P > 0.07). Pattern of fracture did not differ among the groups either.ConclusionWithin the limitations of this study, root canal filling with MTA and two CR materials affected reinforcement of simulated immature roots to levels comparable with intact roots.
The effect of oppositional parietal transcranial direct current stimulation on lateralized brain functions
Authors: Li Lucia M. , Leech Rob , Scott Gregory , Malhotra Paresh , Seemungal Barry , Sharp David J. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractCognitive functions such as numerical processing and spatial attention show varying degrees of lateralization. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to investigate how modulating cortical excitability affects performance of these tasks. This study investigated the effect of bi‐parietal tDCS on numerical processing, spatial and sustained attention. It was hypothesized that tDCS would have distinct effects on these tasks because of varying lateralization (numerical processing left, spatial attention right) and that these effects are partly mediated by modulation of sustained attention. A single‐blinded, crossover, sham‐controlled study was performed. Eighteen healthy right‐handed participants performed cognitive tasks during three sessions of oppositional parietal tDCS stimulation: sham; right anodal with left cathodal (RA/LC); and right cathodal with left anodal (RC/LA). Participants performed a number comparison task, a modified Posner task, a choice reaction task (CRT) and the rapid visual processing task (RVP). RA/LC tDCS impaired number comparison performance compared with sham, with slower responses to numerically close numbers pairs. RA/LC and RC/LA tDCS had distinct effects on CRT performance, specifically affecting vigilance level during the final block of the task. No effect of stimulation on the Posner task or RVP was found. It was demonstrated that oppositional parietal tDCS affected both numerical performance and vigilance level in a polarity‐dependent manner. The effect of tDCS on numerical processing may partly be due to attentional effects. The behavioural effects of tDCS were specifically observed under high task demands, demonstrating the consequences of an interaction between stimulation type and cognitive load.
Habitat specificity of butterflies along urban environmental gradients in Tama City, Tokyo
Authors: Matsumoto Kazuma 
Published: September 2015

AbstractButterfly assemblages were monitored by transect counts in a riverine area along Tamagawa River (RIV), a residential area on the plain (RES1), a residential area on the hill (RES2), the core area of the city (COR), the Tama Experimental Station of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (TES) and Tokyo Metropolitan Sakuragaoka Park (MSP) in Tama City, Tokyo, in 2005. The butterfly assemblages in forest‐dominated TES and MSP were more species‐rich than those in the other areas. The assemblage in the grassland‐dominated RIV was characterized by the highest abundance of individuals. Species richness and abundance were lowest in COR. Ordination of the areas by detrended correspondence analysis placed RIV, MSP and TES in increasing order of scores along axis 1, and RES1, RES2 and COR had higher scores along axis 2 than RIV, TES and MSP. In axis 1, grassland species had low scores and forest species high scores; the two groups were generally separated, coinciding with Tanaka's classification. However, the scores for two “forest species”, Papilio xuthus and Ypthima argus, were low and those for two “grassland species”, Potanthus flavus and Anthocharis scolymus, were high, challenging the validity of the classification. Most species recorded in this study were “seminatural type”, with relatively few “natural type” species, according to Sunose's classification. Most “urban type” species occurred in several different habitats and were not specific to highly human‐dominated RES1, RES2 and COR.
Managing International Branch Campuses: What Do We Know?
Authors: Healey Nigel 
Published: September 2015

AbstractOver the last decade, the growth of the international branch campus (IBC) has been one of the most striking developments in the internationalisation of higher education. There are now over 200 IBCs across the world, mostly in the Middle East and East and South‐east Asia. Despite the growing numbers of IBCs and the considerable financial and reputational risk they pose to their home universities, relatively little is known about the challenges of managing these foreign outposts. This paper reviews the growing, but still fragmented, literature in this increasingly important sector of higher education. It finds that managers of IBCs are faced with a range of challenges, which primarily stem from dealing with key stakeholder groups: students, staff, home and host country quality regulators, the home university and the host government, as well as the IBC's local joint venture partners. It concludes that further work is required to better understand the factors which influence and constrain IBC managers in balancing the competing interests of stakeholders.
Do consumer voices in health‐care citizens’ juries matter?
Authors: Krinks Rachael , Kendall Elizabeth , Whitty Jennifer A. , Scuffham Paul A. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBackgroundThere is widespread agreement that the public should be engaged in health‐care decision making. One method of engagement that is gaining prominence is the citizens’ jury, which places citizens at the centre of the deliberative process. However, little is known about how the jury process works in a health‐care context. There is even less clarity about how consumer perspectives are heard within citizens’ juries and with what consequences.ObjectivesThis paper focuses on what is known about the role of consumer voices within health‐care citizens’ juries, how these voices are heard by jurors and whether and in what ways the inclusion or exclusion of such voices may matter.ResultsConsumer voices are not always included in health‐care citizens’ juries. There is a dearth of research on the conditions under which consumer voices emerge (or not), from which sources and why. As a result, little is known about what stories are voiced or silenced, and how such stories are heard by jurors, with what consequences for jurors, deliberation, decision‐makers, policy and practice.Discussion and ConclusionThe potential role of consumer voices in influencing deliberations and recommendations of citizens’ juries requires greater attention. Much needed knowledge about the nuances of deliberative processes will contribute to an assessment of the usefulness of citizens’ juries as a public engagement mechanism.
Permian back‐arc extension in central Inner Mongolia, NE China: Elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–O isotopic constraints from the Linxi high‐MgO diabase dikes
Authors: Li Jingyan , Guo Feng , Li Chaowen , Zhao Liang , Huang Miwei 
Published: September 2015

AbstractEarly Permian (272 ± 2 Ma) diabase dikes from the Linxi area in central Inner Mongolia of NE China have high MgO (10.4 – 12.3 wt%), Cr (301 – 448 ppm) and Ni (167 – 233 ppm) concentrations, and show enrichments in large ion lithophile element (LILE) and light rare earth elements (REE) but depletions in high field strength element (HFSE, e.g., Nb and Ta), with depleted mantle‐type Sr [87Sr/86Sr (i) = 0.70315 – 0.70362], Nd [εNd (t) = +6.8 – +7.4], Pb [206Pb/204Pb (i) = 18.10 – 18.16] and zircon Hf [εHf (t) = +14.7 – +19.1] isotopic compositions, but slightly higher zircon δ18O (5.2 – 6.0 ‰ with an average of 5.7 ‰) than normal mantle. The combined geochemical data indicate their derivation from a depleted mantle metasomatized by recycled crustal component. Elemental and isotopic modeling results suggest that the primary magma was produced through 5 % to 10 % melting of a depleted mantle, which contained approximately 1 % sediment fluid released from the subducted paleo‐Asian Ocean. Considering the widespread distribution of contemporaneous mafic rocks across the central Inner Mongolia, which show REE patterns from E‐MORBs to normal MORBs, we propose a petrogenetic link between the Early Permian mafic magmatism and a back‐arc extension in response to northward subduction of the paleo‐Asian Ocean. The Permian mafic magmatism and the new age constraints from the metamorphic and sedimentary records in this area tend to indicate the ultimate closure of the paleo‐Asian Ocean by the end of Paleozoic.
Can the outside‐view approach improve planning decisions in software development projects?
Authors: Shmueli Ofira , Pliskin Nava , Fink Lior 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThis study empirically tackles the question of whether taking an outside‐view approach, recommended for reducing the irrational behaviours associated with the planning fallacy, can also reduce the time underestimation, scope overload and over‐requirement problems plaguing planning decisions in software development. Drawing on descriptive behavioural decision theory, this study examines whether the planning fallacy, a cognitive bias referring to the tendency of people to underestimate costs and overestimate benefits in evaluating a task to be performed, can provide a theoretical platform for mitigating irrational behaviours in the planning of software development projects. In particular, we argue that taking an outside‐view approach in planning decisions for software development may have the same mitigating effects on time underestimation, scope overload and over‐requirement it has been shown to have on cost underestimation and benefit overestimation. In an experiment investigating this argument, participants were randomly assigned to four groups by manipulating two outside‐view mechanisms: reference information about past completion times (present/absent) and role perspective (developer/consultant). After being presented with a to‐be‐developed software project, they were requested to estimate development times of various software features and to recommend which features to include within project scope given a fixed duration for the entire project. The results confirm that the three problems of time underestimation, scope overload and over‐requirement are manifested in planning decisions for fixed‐schedule software development projects. Moreover, the results show that these problems are mitigated, yet not eliminated, by presenting reference information about past completion times and by having a consultant role.
Appraisal of cooperation with a palliative care case manager by general practitioners and community nurses: a cross‐sectional questionnaire study
Authors: van der Plas Annicka G.M. , Onwuteaka‐Philipsen Bregje D. , Vissers Kris C. , Deliens Luc , Jansen Wim J.J. , Francke Anneke L. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAimsTo investigate how general practitioners and community nurses value the support that they receive from a nurse case manager with expertise in palliative care, whether they think the case manager is helpful in realizing appropriate care and what characteristics of the patient and case management are associated with this view.BackgroundFor sustainable palliative care in an ageing society, basic palliative care is provided by generalists and specialist palliative care is reserved for complex situations. Acceptance of and cooperation with specialist palliative care providers by the general practitioner and community nurse is pivotal.DesignCross‐sectional questionnaire study.MethodsQuestionnaire data from 168 general practitioners and 125 community nurses were analysed using chi‐square tests, univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Data were gathered between March 2011–December 2013.ResultsOf general practitioners, 46% rated the case manager as helpful in realizing care that is appropriate for the patient; for community nurses this was 49%. The case manager did not hinder the process of care and had added value for patients, according to the general practitioners and community nurses. The tasks of the case manager were associated with whether or not the case manager was helpful in realizing appropriate care, whereas patient characteristics and the number of contacts with the case manager were not.ConclusionGeneral practitioners and community nurses are moderately positive about the support from the case manager. To improve cooperation further, case managers should invest in contact with general practitioners and community nurses.