bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parent and family stress factors predict health‐related quality in pediatric patients with new‐onset epilepsy
Authors: Wu Yelena P. , Follansbee‐Junger Katherine , Rausch Joseph , Modi Avani 
Published: March 2014

SummaryObjectiveTo examine the influence of parent and family general and epilepsy‐related stress on longitudinal generic and epilepsy‐specific health‐related quality of life (HRQOL)for children with new‐onset epilepsy, while controlling for demographic characteristics, disease factors, and antiepileptic drug (AED) adherence.MethodsThis prospective, longitudinal study included 124 children with new‐onset epilepsy (mean age 7.2 years, standard deviation [SD] 2.9 years). Parents completed questionnaires on parenting stress, perceived stigma, fears and concerns, andHRQOLat 1, 13, and 25 months after diagnosis. Adherence to AEDs was assessed using electronic monitors. A medical chart review was conducted at each visit to obtain seizure and side effect data.ResultsHigher levels of general and epilepsy‐specific parent and family stress, fears and concerns, and perceived stigma negatively affected child generic and epilepsy‐specificHRQOL, above and beyond disease and demographic factors. General parenting and family stress affected child generic and epilepsy‐specificHRQOLmore in the first year of disease management than at 2 years after diagnosis. Higher fears and concerns predicted higher epilepsy‐specificHRQOLat 13 months postdiagnosis, whereas 2 years postdiagnosis, higher fears and concerns predicted lower epilepsy‐specificHRQOL. Several demographic (i.e., age) and disease‐related variables (i.e., side effects andAEDadherence) influenced child generic and epilepsy‐specificHRQOL. Although some findings were consistent across generic and epilepsy‐specificHRQOLmeasures, others were unique.SignificanceModifiable parent factors (i.e., general and disease‐specific parent and family stress, perceived stigma) impactHRQOLfor children with new‐onset epilepsy differently over the first 2 years postdiagnosis. Psychosocial interventions to improveHRQOLwithin the first year postdiagnosis should address parenting and family stress, overall coping, and anticipatory guidance on managing epilepsy. Interventions targeting adherence, perceived stigma, and fears and concerns could improveHRQOL. Promoting parent management of stress, fears/concerns, and perceived stigma may lead to improved childHRQOLoutcomes.A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information sectionhere.
The effect of amygdala kindling on neuronal firing patterns in the lateral thalamus in the GAERS model of absence epilepsy
Authors: Çarçak Nihan , Zheng Thomas , Ali Idrish , Abdullah Ahmad , French Chris , Powell Kim L. , Jones Nigel C. , van Raay Leena , Rind Gil , Onat Filiz , O'Brien Terence J. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryObjectiveThe co‐occurrence of absence and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy is rare in both humans and animal models. Consistent with this, rat models of absence epilepsy, including genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERS), are resistant to experimental temporal lobe epileptogenesis, in particular by amygdala kindling. Structures within the cortical‐thalamocortical system are critically involved in the generation and maintenance of the electrographic spike‐and‐wave discharges (SWDs) that characterize absence seizures. Using in vivo electrophysiologic recordings, this study investigated the role of thalamocortical circuitry in the generalization of amygdala‐kindling induced seizures in the GAERS and the nonepileptic control (NEC) strain of Wistar rats.MethodsGAERS and NEC rats were implanted with a stimulating electrode in amygdala and stimulated at afterdischarge threshold twice daily to a maximum number of 30 stimulations. Thereafter extracellular single neuron recordings were performed in vivo under neuroleptanesthesia in the thalamocortical network.ResultsIn NEC rats, amygdala kindling induced convulsive class V seizures and altered characteristics of neuronal activity in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), in particular decreased firing rates and increased burst firing patterns. Less marked changes were seen in other regions examined: the ventroposteromedial nucleus of thalamus (VPM), the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and the deep layers (V/VI) of the cortex. GAERS did not progress beyond class II seizures, with a matched number of kindling stimulations, and the thalamic neuronal firing alterations observed in NEC rats were not seen.SignificanceThese data suggest that the TRN plays an important role in kindling resistance in GAERS and is central to the control of secondary generalization of limbic seizures.A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information section here.
Divergent phenological response to hydroclimate variability in forested mountain watersheds
Authors: Hwang Taehee , Band Lawrence E. , Miniat Chelcy F. , Song Conghe , Bolstad Paul V. , Vose James M. , Love Jason P. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractMountain watersheds are primary sources of freshwater, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. There is significant interest in the effects of climate change and variability on these processes over short to long time scales. Much of the impact of hydroclimate variability in forest ecosystems is manifested in vegetation dynamics in space and time. In steep terrain, leaf phenology responds to topoclimate in complex ways, and can produce specific and measurable shifts in landscape forest patterns. The onset of spring is usually delayed at a specific rate with increasing elevation (often called Hopkins' Law; Hopkins, 1918), reflecting the dominant controls of temperature on greenup timing. Contrary with greenup, leaf senescence shows inconsistent trends along elevation gradients. Here, we present mechanisms and an explanation for this variability and its significance for ecosystem patterns and services in response to climate. We use moderate‐resolution imaging spectro‐radiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to derive landscape‐induced phenological patterns over topoclimate gradients in a humid temperate broadleaf forest in southern Appalachians. These phenological patterns are validated with different sets of field observations. Our data demonstrate that divergent behavior of leaf senescence with elevation is closely related to late growing season hydroclimate variability in temperature and water balance patterns. Specifically, a drier late growing season is associated with earlier leaf senescence at low elevation than at middle elevation. The effect of drought stress on vegetation senescence timing also leads to tighter coupling between growing season length and ecosystem water use estimated from observed precipitation and runoff generation. This study indicates increased late growing season drought may be leading to divergent ecosystem response between high and low elevation forests. Landscape‐induced phenological patterns are easily observed over wide areas and may be used as a unique diagnostic for sources of ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity to hydroclimate change.
Response of non‐nativeEuropean terrestrial gastropods to novel climates correlates with biogeographical and biological traits
Authors: Capinha César , Rödder Dennis , Pereira Henrique Miguel , Kappes Heike 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimAnticipating the propensity of species to persist outside the climatic conditions in which they are observed is important in assessing the uncertainty in climate‐matching when applied to different locations or times. By using data from 27European terrestrial gastropods (slugs and snails) established in new regions, we measured (1) the degree of climate match between native and non‐native ranges and (2) the diversity of novel climatic conditions inhabited. We then tested for species traits as predictors of the patterns found.LocationWorldwide.MethodsWe projected the occurrences of each species onto the climatic space defined by the two main axes of a principal components analysis. On the basis of the convex hull of native occurrences, we measured the proportion of non‐native occurrences in novel climates and the diversity of the newly occupied climates. Generalized estimating equations were used to test for associations between climatic responses and species traits, while considering phylogenetic relatedness and introduction effort.ResultsApproximately half of the species had a large proportion (> 25%) of non‐native occurrences in novel climates. Climate mismatch was significantly higher for species with narrow native climatic niches, native ranges elongated in a north–south direction or native ranges with the southern limit at lower latitudes. Slugs occupied a higher diversity of novel climatic conditions than snails.Main conclusionsClimate matching showed varying levels of accuracy in predicting the non‐native ranges of the studied species. Lower accuracy appeared to be mainly related to low levels of distributional equilibrium in native ranges. In addition, coarse‐scale predictions for species that are able to take advantage of microclimatic variability – as appears to be the case with slugs – may be challenging. We conclude that species traits can contribute to understanding uncertainties in climate‐matching exercises.
Outcome analysis of ultrasound‐guided prostate biopsy procedure: a retrospective audit comparing associate consultant and nurse specialist in urology to determine the effectiveness and safety of a nurse‐led prostate biopsy clinic
Authors: Jones Sandie , Purnendu Majumdar , Christian Seipp 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTThe incidence of prostate cancer continues to rise and is now the most common cancer in men in Wales and in the UK (Cancer Research UK, 2010). More men are being referred via the urgent suspected cancer (USC) pathway for further investigations than ever before. Pressure on urology departments from government targets and cancer waiting times has led to the need to find pioneering ways to meet these demands, while maintaining high standards of care. This article presents a retrospective audit that compared the practice of a nurse specialist to a urologist while undertaking transrectal ultrasound with prostatic biopsies, the definitive investigation in the detection of prostate cancer. Results have shown that the nurse‐led service is equivalent to that of the urologist in cancer detection and morbidity rates. The audit has shown that the nurse‐led prostate biopsy clinic is both effective and safe in practice. In addition, the service has reduced the waiting times for patients needing this procedure to less than a week.
Obesity, central adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents: a family‐based study
Authors: Ali O. , Cerjak D. , Kent J. W. , James R. , Blangero J. , Zhang Y. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess genetic and phenotypic correlations of obesity‐related cardiometabolic risk factors in a family‐based cohort.MethodsAnthropometric, body composition and biochemical measurements were collected on 999 members of 111 extended Midwestern US families of Northern European origin. Forward stepwise regression was used to identify which of Tanner stage, sex, Tanner stage by sex, body fat mass index, body fat percentage (dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry), visceral fat (VF)/subcutaneous fat (SubQF) (computed tomography scans for adults or magnetic resonance imaging for children), VF, SubQF, body mass index (BMI)% and waist to height ratio most influence homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐c), plasma triglycerides (TG) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐c).ResultsIn children and adolescents, subcutaneous adiposity was the most significant covariate for HOMA (P < 0.001) and TG (P = 0.001), and BMI percentile for HDL‐c (P = 0.002) and LDL‐c (P < 0.001). In adults, waist–height ratio (P < 0.001), VF/SubQF ratio (P = 0.001) and BMI (P = 0.02) were most significant for HOMA; VF (P < 0.001) and BMI (P = 0.02) for TG and VF for LDL‐c (P = 0.001).ConclusionSubcutaneous adiposity at the waist is a more significant predictor of metabolic syndrome traits in children and adolescents than it is in adults.
Breathprints of childhood obesity: changes in volatile organic compounds in obese children compared with lean controls
Authors: Alkhouri N. , Eng K. , Cikach F. , Patel N. , Yan C. , Brindle A. , Rome E. , Hanouneh I. , Grove D. , Lopez R. , Hazen S. L , Dweik Raed A. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate changes in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath in overweight/obese children compared with their lean counterparts.Study designSingle exhaled breath was collected and analyzed per protocol using selective ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS).ResultsSixty overweight/obese children and 55 lean controls were included. Compared with the lean group, the obese group was significantly older (14.1 ± 2.8 vs. 12.1 ± 3.0 years), taller (164.8 ± 10.9 vs. 153.3 ± 17.1 cm) and more likely to be Caucasian (60% vs. 35.2%); P < 0.05 for all. A comparison of the SIFT‐MS results of the obese group with the lean group revealed differences in concentration of more than 50 compounds. A panel of four VOCs can identify the presence of overweight/obesity with excellent accuracy. Further analysis revealed that breath isoprene, 1‐decene, 1‐octene, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were significantly higher in the obese group compared with the lean group (P value < 0.01 for all).ConclusionObese children have a unique pattern of exhaled VOCs. Changes in VOCs observed in this study may help to gain insight into pathophysiological processes and pathways leading to the development of childhood obesity.
Development and validation of the Liverpool infant bronchiolitis severity score: a research protocol
Authors: van Miert Clare , Abbott Janice , Verheoff Francine , Lane Steven , Carter Bernie , McNamara Paul 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimTo develop and validate a bronchiolitis severity scoring instrument for use by nurses and other healthcare professions.BackgroundBronchiolitis is a viral lower respiratory tract infection of infancy. In industrialized countries, admission rates have increased over the last decade with up to 3% of all infants born being admitted to hospital. A small number of these hospitalized infants will require admission to critical care for either invasive or non‐invasive ventilation. During the seasonal epidemic, the number of unplanned admissions to critical care with bronchiolitis substantially increases.DesignWe will use a mixed methods study design.MethodsWe will use scale development and psychometric methods to develop a scoring instrument and to test the instrument for content, construct and criterion validity and reliability in several different clinical locations. This study protocol has been reviewed and approved by the NHS National Research Ethics Service, January 2011.DiscussionThere is an urgent need to develop a valid and reliable severity scoring instrument sensitive to clinical changes in the infant, to facilitate clinical decision‐making and help standardize patient care. Furthermore, a valid and reliable scoring instrument could also be used as a proxy patient‐reported outcome measure to evaluate the efficacy of clinical interventions in randomized controlled trials.
Range‐wide ecological niche comparisons of parasite, hosts and dispersers in a vector‐borne plant parasite system
Authors: Lira‐Noriega Andrés , Peterson A. Townsend 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimTo test whether the distribution of the mistletoe Phoradendron californicum is mediated by host distributions (host niche hypothesis, HNH), or by factors such as the mistletoe's autecology (parasite niche hypothesis, PNH) or that of its vectors (vector niche hypothesis, VNH). Our null hypothesis is that the ecological niche of the mistletoe will not be distinct from that of its hosts or vectors; alternatively, mistletoe infections might appear in hosts only in regions where host distributions overlap suitable conditions for the parasite.LocationSonoran and Mojave deserts, western North America.MethodsWe used ecological niche modelling approaches to summarize suitable environmental conditions for hosts infected and uninfected with mistletoes, as well as for avian dispersers during winter and throughout the year. We compared ecological niches among pairs of species using background similarity tests in relation to the climatic conditions available and accessible to each species.ResultsNiche comparisons supported all PNH expectations, but none of the predictions of HNH or VNH.Main conclusionsHosts and dispersers of mistletoes generally have distinct ecological niches; mistletoe infections occur in non‐random environmental subsets of host and disperser ecological niches; mistletoe infections in different hosts, however, occur under similar climatic conditions. Hence, in this system, the parasite has a rather strictly circumscribed ecological niche, and host species become infected with mistletoe only where they overlap its suitable areas.
Sensory subtypes in children with autism spectrum disorder: latent profile transition analysis using a national survey of sensory features
Authors: Ausderau Karla K. , Furlong Melissa , Sideris John , Bulluck John , Little Lauren M. , Watson Linda R. , Boyd Brian A. , Belger Aysenil , Dickie Virginia A. , Baranek Grace T. 
Published: March 2014

BackgroundSensory features are highly prevalent and heterogeneous among children with ASD. There is a need to identify homogenous groups of children with ASD based on sensory features (i.e. sensory subtypes) to inform research and treatment.MethodsSensory subtypes and their stability over 1 year were identified through latent profile transition analysis (LPTA) among a national sample of children with ASD. Data were collected from caregivers of children with ASD ages 2–12 years at two time points (Time 1 N = 1294; Time 2 N = 884).ResultsFour sensory subtypes (Mild; Sensitive‐Distressed; Attenuated‐Preoccupied; Extreme‐Mixed) were identified, which were supported by fit indices from the LPTA as well as current theoretical models that inform clinical practice. The Mild and Extreme‐Mixed subtypes reflected quantitatively different sensory profiles, while the Sensitive‐Distressed and Attenuated‐Preoccupied subtypes reflected qualitatively different profiles. Further, subtypes reflected differential child (i.e. gender, developmental age, chronological age, autism severity) and family (i.e. income, mother's education) characteristics. Ninety‐one percent of participants remained stable in their subtypes over 1 year.ConclusionsCharacterizing the nature of homogenous sensory subtypes may facilitate assessment and intervention, as well as potentially inform biological mechanisms.
Situated Interpretations of Nationalism, Imperialism, and Cosmopolitanism: Revisiting the Writings ofLiang in the Encounter Between Worlds
Authors: Zhang Chenchen 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe idea of the nation has been considered to have delivered political modernity from its nativeEurope to the rest of the world. The same applies, though more implicitly, to those paradoxes inherent to the nationalist ideology – that between universalism and national particularity and that between liberal nationalism and imperialism. This article seeks to complicate these theses by looking at the interpretations of nationalism, imperialism, and cosmopolitanism provided byLiangQichao, one of the most influentialChinese intellectuals in early twentieth century, during his exile inJapan when increasingly exposed to the encounter between worlds. This reading also engages with the wider debates on modernity/modernities in non‐Western societies through showing that neither the “consumers of modernity” approach nor the “creative adaptations” approach can be easily applied here. I argue that the various tensions, contingencies and historical situatedness inLiang's accounts of the nation‐state structure represent and constitute the paradox of the structure itself. They also shed light on contemporary debates about the limits of our political imagination in the misnamed “global politics” beyond the false opposition between nationalism and cosmopolitanism.
Management of shortened dental arches and periodontal health: 5‐year results of a randomised trial
Authors: Walter M. H. , Marré B. , Vach K. , Strub J. , Mundt T , Stark H. , Pospiech P. , Wöstmann B. , Heydecke G. , Kern M. , Hartmann S. , Luthardt R. , Huppertz J. , Wolfart S. , Hannak W. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryIn a multicentre randomised trial (German Research Association, grants DFG WA 831/2‐1 to 2‐6, WO 677/2‐1.1 to 2‐2.1.; controlled‐trials.com ISRCTN97265367), patients with complete molar loss in one jaw received either a partial removable dental prosthesis (PRDP) with precision attachments or treatment according to the SDA concept aiming at pre‐molar occlusion. The objective of this current analysis was to evaluate the influence of different treatments on periodontal health. Linear mixed regression models were fitted to quantify the differences between the treatment groups. The assessment at 5 years encompassed 59 patients (PRDP group) and 46 patients (SDA group). For the distal measuring sites of the posterior‐most teeth of the study jaw, significant differences were found for the plaque index according to Silness and Löe, vertical clinical attachment loss (CAL‐V), probing pocket depth (PPD) and bleeding on probing. These differences were small and showed a slightly more unfavourable course in the PRDP group. With CAL‐V and PPD, significant differences were also found for the study jaw as a whole. For CAL‐V, the estimated group differences over 5 years amounted to 0·27 mm (95% CI 0·05; 0·48; P = 0·016) for the study jaw and 0·25 mm (95% CI 0·05; 0·45; P = 0·014) for the distal sites of the posterior‐most teeth. The respective values for PPD were 0·22 mm (95% CI 0·03; 0·41; P = 0·023) and 0·32 mm (95% CI 0·13; 0·5; P = 0·001). It can be concluded that even in a well‐maintained patient group statistically significant although minor detrimental effects of PRDPs on periodontal health are measurable.