bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection by near‐infrared spectroscopy of large lipid cores at culprit sites in patients with non‐st‐segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina
Authors: Madder Ryan D. , Husaini Mustafa , Davis Alan T. , Van Oosterhout Stacie , Harnek Jan , Götberg Matthias , Erlinge David 
Published: November 2014

ObjectiveThis study was performed to assess the lipid burden of culprit lesions in non‐ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (non‐STEMI) and unstable angina (UA).BackgroundA recent intracoronary near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) study showed 85% of STEMI culprit lesions have a maximum lipid core burden index in 4‐mm (maxLCBI4mm) ≥ 400. Whether culprit lesions in non‐STEMI and UA are characterized by a similarly large lipid burden is unknown.MethodsWe studied 81 non‐STEMI and UA patients undergoing culprit vessel NIRS imaging before stenting. Culprit segments were compared to all nonoverlapping 10‐mm nonculprit segments for maxLCBI4mm. Culprit segments in non‐STEMI and UA were compared for the frequency of maxLCBI4mm ≥ 400.ResultsAmong 81 patients (53.1% non‐STEMI, 46.9% UA), non‐STEMI culprit segments had a 3.4‐fold greater maxLCBI4mm than nonculprits (448 ± 229 vs 132 ± 154, P < 0.001) and UA culprit segments had a 2.6‐fold higher maxLCBI4mm than nonculprits (381 ± 239 vs 146 ± 175, P < 0.001). NIRS detected a maxLCBI4mm ≥ 400 in 63.6% of culprit segments in NSTEMI and in 38.5% of culprit segments in UA (P = 0.02). Against a background of nonculprit segments, maxLCBI4mm ≥ 400 had a sensitivity of 63.6% and specificity of 94.0% for culprit segments in NSTEMI and a sensitivity of 38.5% and specificity of 89.8% for culprit segments in UA.ConclusionsLarge lipid cores similar to those recently detected by NIRS at STEMI culprit sites were frequently observed at culprit sites in patients with non‐STEMI and UA. These findings support ongoing prospective trials designed to determine if NIRS can provide site‐specific prediction of future acute coronary events. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Indirect Chiral Separation of New Recreational Drugs by Gas Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry Using Trifluoroacetyl‐L‐Prolyl Chloride as Chiral Derivatization Reagent
Authors: Weiß Jennifer A. , Mohr Stefan , Schmid Martin G. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractNew recreational drugs such as amphetamine‐, cathinone, and benzofury derivatives gained high popularity on the drug market in recent years. They can be purchased via the Internet from different providers and online portals. Most of these compounds are chiral, which makes the development of chiral separation methods necessary. Besides this, it is useful to find out if the compounds were sold as racemic mixtures. Also, it is important to check whether the new psychoactive compounds contain further ingredients or impurities. The aim of this research was the continuation of the application of a method for indirect chiral separation of 24 new psychoactive compounds recently purchased via the Internet. After derivatization with the chiral derivatization reagent trifluoroacetyl‐L‐prolyl chloride, chromatographic separation of diastereomers was achieved using a 30 m HP5‐MS capillary column. As carrier gas, helium was used with a constant flow of 1.0 ml/min. Three different column temperature programs were tested. Under optimum conditions 13 out of 24 compounds were successfully resolved into their enantiomers obtaining Rs values up to 7.0. The use of a single quadrupole mass spectrometer as the detector allowed the identification of the compounds in multicomponent samples. Chirality 27:211–215, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impacts of elevated glycaemic haemoglobin and disease duration on the sensorimotor control of hands in diabetes patients
Authors: Hsu Hsiu‐Yun , Chiu Haw‐Yen , Lin Hwai‐Ting , Su Fong‐Chin , Lu Chieh‐Hsiang , Kuo Li‐Chieh 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundTo understand the impacts of disease chronicity and hyperglycaemia on sensorimotor control of hands of diabetic patients, this study investigated the differences in hand sensation, strength and motor control by applying the pinch‐holding‐up activity test for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with different levels of glycaemic control and disease chronicity.MethodsOne hundred and fifty‐nine patients with clinically defined DM were included. Semmes–Weinstein monofilament, static two‐point discrimination and moving two‐point discrimination, maximal pinch strength precision pinch performance tests and nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the subjects were carried out. Forty‐seven (29.6%) patients were in the HbA1c < 7% category, and 112 (70.4%) patients were in the >7% group. There were 87 (54.7%) patients with the disease duration <10 years, and 72 (45.3%) patients with disease duration ≧10 years.ResultsThe severity of hyperglycaemia significantly impacts the results for Semmes–Weinstein monofilament, precision pinch force control, sensory and motor NCS tests (p < 0.05). In addition, the chronicity of disease influences the motor control of precision pinch performance and the amplitude of motor NCS (p < 0.05) for the diabetes patients.ConclusionsThe evidence suggests that disease chronicity and hyperglycaemia have impacts on sensorimotor control in the hands of DM patients. In addition, the efficiency of prehensile forces of hand‐to‐object interactions in the pinch‐holding‐up activity test could be significant for identifying hand function, as well as pathologic changes in median nerve function, for patients with DM. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ceftaroline fosamil for treatment of diabetic foot infections: the CAPTURE study experience
Authors: Lipsky Benjamin A. , Cannon Chad M. , Ramani Ananthakrishnan , Jandourek Alena , Calmaggi Anibal , Friedland H. D. , Goldstein Ellie J. C. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundTo ascertain which demographic, clinical, and microbiological factors might affect clinical outcomes of patients with diabetic foot infections, excluding known osteomyelitis, by analysing Clinical Assessment Program and Teflaro® Utilization Registry study data of patients treated with ceftaroline fosamil.MethodsAt participating study centres, we collected data by randomized selection and chart review, including patient demographics, co‐morbidities, infecting pathogens, antibiotic use, surgical interventions, and clinical response. Evaluable patients were those with data sufficient to determine clinical outcome. Clinical success was defined as clinical cure with no use of other antibiotics or clinical improvement with a switch to oral antibiotic therapy at the end of intravenous ceftaroline fosamil treatment.ResultsAmong 201 patients (mean age 61.7 years, mean body mass index 33.2 and 57% male patients), 40% had peripheral vascular disease. Prior antibiotic therapy had been given to 161 (80%) of the patients, most commonly with vancomycin and/or piperacillin–tazobactam. Patients received ceftaroline fosamil for mean duration of 6.1 days (range 1–30), as monotherapy in 130 (65%) patients and concurrently with other antibiotics in 71 (35%). Bacterial pathogens were identified in 114 (57%) of the patients; methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin‐sensitive S. aureus were isolated from 56 (49%) and 28 (25%) of culture‐positive patients respectively. Clinical success was noted in 81% of patients and was not significantly associated with co‐morbidities, pathogen type, or need for surgical intervention.ConclusionsCeftaroline fosamil treatment of diabetic foot infections was associated with high clinical success, including inpatients with obesity, co‐morbidities, or methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus or mixed infections or requiring surgical intervention. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Herbivory drives large‐scale spatial variation in reef fish trophic interactions
Authors: Longo Guilherme O. , Ferreira Carlos Eduardo L. , Floeter Sergio R. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractTrophic interactions play a critical role in the structure and function of ecosystems. Given the widespread loss of biodiversity due to anthropogenic activities, understanding how trophic interactions respond to natural gradients (e.g., abiotic conditions, species richness) through large‐scale comparisons can provide a broader understanding of their importance in changing ecosystems and support informed conservation actions. We explored large‐scale variation in reef fish trophic interactions, encompassing tropical and subtropical reefs with different abiotic conditions and trophic structure of reef fish community. Reef fish feeding pressure on the benthos was determined combining bite rates on the substrate and the individual biomass per unit of time and area, using video recordings in three sites between latitudes 17°S and 27°S on the Brazilian Coast. Total feeding pressure decreased 10‐fold and the composition of functional groups and species shifted from the northern to the southernmost sites. Both patterns were driven by the decline in the feeding pressure of roving herbivores, particularly scrapers, while the feeding pressure of invertebrate feeders and omnivores remained similar. The differential contribution to the feeding pressure across trophic categories, with roving herbivores being more important in the northernmost and southeastern reefs, determined changes in the intensity and composition of fish feeding pressure on the benthos among sites. It also determined the distribution of trophic interactions across different trophic categories, altering the evenness of interactions. Feeding pressure was more evenly distributed at the southernmost than in the southeastern and northernmost sites, where it was dominated by few herbivores. Species and functional groups that performed higher feeding pressure than predicted by their biomass were identified as critical for their potential to remove benthic biomass. Fishing pressure unlikely drove the large‐scale pattern; however, it affected the contribution of some groups on a local scale (e.g., large‐bodied parrotfish) highlighting the need to incorporate critical functions into conservation strategies.
Assessment of the physical environment of epigean invertebrates in a unique habitat: the case of a karst sulfidic spring, Slovenia
Authors: Mulec Janez , Oarga Andreea , Schiller Edmund K. , Perşoiu Aurel , Holko Ladislav , Šebela Stanka 
Published: November 2014

AbstractA well‐fissured and faulted karst area at the Žveplenica sulfidic spring created suitable conditions for epigean copepods. Their presence in sulfidic water is a rare phenomenon. To understand the conditions related to sulfidic habitats in the region, two additional springs were analysed: the Studenec karst spring and the Sovra artesian borehole, which contains dissolved sulfide. Water temperature, chemistry and the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen show that the Sovra borehole water has a different origin and history to that of the Žveplenica and Studenec springs water, which is derived from local precipitation. The low slope of the δ18O–δ2H regression line for the Žveplenica spring indicates a mixing of local precipitation water with geothermal sulfidic water that may explain the presence of live copepods. These harpacticoid and cyclopoid copepods must have survived anoxia and high sulfide for some time. The mean transit time for Žveplenica spring cannot be defined precisely from the available data, although the degree of attenuation of the isotopic signal indicates mean transit times of about 1·0 to 1·5 years. Sites similar to Žveplenica spring should be carefully analysed because not only do they provide insights into biodiversity but they also represent an ecotone between the anoxic/oxic and high/low sulfide of these karst waters. Copepods in similar geological settings can be used as additional parameters to evaluate conditions in subsurface sulfidic habitats and their spatial connectivity and responses to hydrological events. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing instability of aeolian environments using analytical reasoning
Authors: Houser Chris , Bishop Michael P. , Barrineau Patrick 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThis short communication describes the development and application of analytical reasoning to quantify instability of an aeolian environment using scale‐dependent information coupled with conceptual knowledge of process and feedback mechanisms. Specifically, a simple Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) for aeolian landscape instability was developed that represents conceptual knowledge of key biophysical processes and feedbacks. Model inputs include satellite‐derived surface biophysical and geomorphometric parameters. FCMs are a knowledge‐based artificial intelligence (AI) technique that merges fuzzy logic and neural computing in which knowledge or concepts are structured as a web of relationships that is similar to both human reasoning and the human decision‐making process. Given simple process–form relationships, the analytical reasoning model is able to map the influence of land management practices and the geomorphology of the inherited surface on aeolian instability within the South Texas Sand Sheet. Results suggest that FCMs can be used to formalize process–form relationships and information integration analogous to human cognition with future iterations accounting for the spatial interactions and temporal lags across the sand sheets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alluvial floodplain classification by multivariate clustering and discriminant analysis for low‐relief glacially conditioned river catchments
Authors: Phillips Roger T. J. , Desloges Joseph R. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractRiver classifications provide useful frameworks to understand complex fluvial landscapes and to manage freshwater ecosystems. Alluvial floodplains for rivers in low‐relief glacially conditioned catchments of southern Ontario (Canada) are classified and tested using a sequence of multivariate statistical analyses. An original dataset of 109 floodplain sites is investigated using k‐means clustering, principal component analysis, and discriminant analysis statistical approaches. Four primary floodplain types are proposed representing basic morphological, stratigraphical, and sedimentological characteristics. Classifications are successfully discriminated by two principal dimensions: (1) stream power‐resistance; and (2) floodplain sedimentology. The latter is most efficiently represented by the availability of alluvial sand, and specifically a new variable defined as floodplain sand equivalent (FSE). Floodplain types are generally consistent with previous river classifications, however the glacial legacy requires refined classifications which account for inherited cobble bed materials and patterns of sand supply. Representing the residual variability of stream power‐resistance correlations, a third explanatory dimension of sediment transport is suggested, and may explain some within‐class variability in channel morphology. Balancing the opposing concepts of fluvial process domains and landform continuums, the potential for transitional floodplain types is also explored. The proposed first‐order alluvial floodplain classifications provide a basis from which to further investigate geomorphological diversity within the context of complex glacial legacy effects in low‐relief settings. Future research to reveal the spatial arrangement and linkages of distinct morphological groups within a regional landscape mosaic is expected to provide insights into patterns of post‐glacial fluvial adjustment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A proprietary blend of quail egg for the attenuation of nasal provocation with a standardized allergenic challenge: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Benichou Annie‐Claude , Armanet Marion , Bussière Anthony , Chevreau Nathalie , Cardot Jean‐Michel , Tétard Jan 
Published: November 2014

AbstractOccasional rhinitis symptoms caused by exposure to pollution or allergens is a growing concern. Based first on empirical observation of a lesser occurrence of allergies in quail farmers and then scientific works on ovomucoids properties, we developed a dietary supplement for the relief of such occasional rhinitis symptoms. The objective of the study was to determine whether one acute oral dose of the study product attenuates nasal provocation and other allergy‐related symptoms after exposure to a standardized allergenic challenge as compared to placebo. Healthy subjects were recruited to participate in a randomized, double‐blind, two‐arm crossover, placebo‐controlled, clinical trial. One acute dose of either the active study product (proprietary blend of quail egg) or placebo was given concomitantly to the standardized allergenic challenge. The primary endpoint was peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) measurement and the secondary endpoints were subjects' perceived feelings of well‐being based on Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for allergy‐related symptoms, as well as immunoglobulin E count. Forty‐three healthy subjects were enrolled and evaluable in a per protocol analysis. A gradual increase in PNIF from nadir up to Time 120 reflected the normal, gradual recovery from nasal obstruction induced by allergenic challenge for both the active and the placebo groups. At all postchallenge time points, the active group had higher PNIF values compared to the placebo group, indicating that the active product was associated with fewer symptoms and reduced intensity of these symptoms. The active product resulted also in statistically significant improvements of most of the subjects' perceived feelings of well‐being based on VAS scores. No adverse events occurred during the study. In conclusion, the dietary supplement consisting of proprietary blend made of quail eggs provides fast and efficient relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms caused by the most common outdoor and indoor allergens, without adverse events.
Population Genetic Simulations of Complex Phenotypes with Implications for Rare Variant Association Tests
Authors: Uricchio Lawrence H. , Torres Raul , Witte John S. , Hernandez Ryan D. 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTDemographic events and natural selection alter patterns of genetic variation within populations and may play a substantial role in shaping the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes and disease. However, the joint impact of these basic evolutionary forces is often ignored in the assessment of statistical tests of association. Here, we provide a simulation‐based framework for generating DNA sequences that incorporates selection and demography with flexible models for simulating phenotypic variation (sfs_coder). This tool also allows the user to perform locus‐specific simulations by automatically querying annotated genomic functional elements and genetic maps. We demonstrate the effects of evolutionary forces on patterns of genetic variation by simulating recently inferred models of human selection and demography. We use these simulations to show that the demographic model and locus‐specific features, such as the proportion of sites under selection, may have practical implications for estimating the statistical power of sequencing‐based rare variant association tests. In particular, for some phenotype models, there may be higher power to detect rare variant associations in African populations compared to non‐Africans, but power is considerably reduced in regions of the genome with rampant negative selection. Furthermore, we show that existing methods for simulating large samples based on resampling from a small set of observed haplotypes fail to recapitulate the distribution of rare variants in the presence of rapid population growth (as has been observed in several human populations).
Fine‐Mapping Additive and Dominant SNP Effects Using Group‐LASSO and Fractional Resample Model Averaging
Authors: Sabourin Jeremy , Nobel Andrew B. , Valdar William 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTGenomewide association studies (GWAS) sometimes identify loci at which both the number and identities of the underlying causal variants are ambiguous. In such cases, statistical methods that model effects of multiple single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) simultaneously can help disentangle the observed patterns of association and provide information about how those SNPs could be prioritized for follow‐up studies. Current multi‐SNP methods, however, tend to assume that SNP effects are well captured by additive genetics; yet when genetic dominance is present, this assumption translates to reduced power and faulty prioritizations. We describe a statistical procedure for prioritizing SNPs at GWAS loci that efficiently models both additive and dominance effects. Our method, LLARRMA‐dawg, combines a group LASSO procedure for sparse modeling of multiple SNP effects with a resampling procedure based on fractional observation weights. It estimates for each SNP the robustness of association with the phenotype both to sampling variation and to competing explanations from other SNPs. In producing an SNP prioritization that best identifies underlying true signals, we show the following: our method easily outperforms a single‐marker analysis; when additive‐only signals are present, our joint model for additive and dominance is equivalent to or only slightly less powerful than modeling additive‐only effects; and when dominance signals are present, even in combination with substantial additive effects, our joint model is unequivocally more powerful than a model assuming additivity. We also describe how performance can be improved through calibrated randomized penalization, and discuss how dominance in ungenotyped SNPs can be incorporated through either heterozygote dosage or multiple imputation.
Seeing the climate through the trees: observing climate and forestry impacts on streamflow using a 60‐year record
Authors: Burt T. P. , Howden N. J. K. , McDonnell J. J. , Jones J. A. , Hancock G. R. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractPaired watershed experiments involving the removal or manipulation of forest cover in one of the watersheds have been conducted for more than a century to quantify the impact of forestry operations on streamflow. Because climate variability is expected to be large, forestry treatment effects would be undetectable without the treatment–control comparison. New understanding of climate variability provides an opportunity to examine whether climate variability interacts with forestry treatments, in a predictable manner. Here, we use data from the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, USA, to examine the impact of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation on streamflow linked to forest harvesting. Our results show that the contrast between El Niño and La Niña events is so large that, whatever the state of the treated watershed in terms of regrowth of the forest canopy, extreme climatic variability related to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation remains the more dominant driver of streamflow response at this location. Improvements in forecasting interannual variation in climate might be used to minimize the impact of forestry treatments on streamflow by avoiding initial operations in La Niña years. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.