bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Previous miscarriage and the subsequent risk of preterm birth in Scotland, 1980–2008: a historical cohort study
Authors: Oliver‐Williams C , Fleming M , Wood AM , Smith GCS 
Published: January 2015

ObjectiveTo determine whether the relationship between previous miscarriage and risk of preterm birth changed over the period 1980–2008, and to determine whether the pattern varied according to the cause of the preterm birth.DesignLinked birth databases.SettingAll Scottish NHS hospitals.PopulationA total of 732 719 nulliparous women with a first live birth between 1980 and 2008.MethodsRisk was estimated using logistic regression.Main outcome measuresPreterm birth, subdivided by cause (spontaneous, induced with a diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia, or induced without a diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia) and severity [extreme (24–28 weeks of gestation), moderate (29–32 weeks of gestation), and mild (33–36 weeks of gestation)].ResultsConsistent with previous studies, previous miscarriage was associated with an increased risk of all‐cause preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 1.22–1.29). This arose from associations with all subtypes. The strongest association was found with extreme preterm birth (aOR 1.73; 95% CI 1.57–1.90). Risk increased with the number of miscarriages. Women with three or more miscarriages had the greatest risk of all‐cause preterm birth (aOR 2.14; 95% CI 1.93–2.38), and the strongest association was with extreme preterm birth (aOR 3.87; 95% CI 2.85–5.26). The strength of the association between miscarriage and preterm birth decreased from 1980 to 2008. This was because of weakening associations with spontaneous preterm birth and induced preterm birth without a diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia.ConclusionsThe association between a prior history of miscarriage and the risk of preterm birth declined in Scotland over the period 1980–2008. We speculate that changes in the methods of managing incomplete termination of pregnancy might explain the trend, through reduced cervical damage.
Thermotolerant Campylobacter during Broiler Rearing: Risk Factors and Intervention
Authors: Robyn Joris , Rasschaert Geertrui , Pasmans Frank , Heyndrickx Marc 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThermotolerant Campylobacters are one of the most important bacterial causative agents of human gastrointestinal illness worldwide. In most European Union (EU) member states human campylobacteriosis is mainly caused by infection with Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli following consumption or inadequate handling of Campylobacter‐contaminated poultry meat. To date, no effective strategy to control Campylobacter colonization of broilers during rearing is available. In this review, we describe the public health problem posed by Campylobacter presence in broilers and list and critically review all currently known measures that have been researched to lower the numbers of Campylobacter bacteria in broilers during rearing. We also discuss the most promising measures and which measures should be investigated further. We end this review by elaborating on readily usable measures to lower Campylobacter introduction and Campylobacter numbers in a broiler flock.
Identification of Anticancer Peptides from Bovine Milk Proteins and Their Potential Roles in Management of Cancer: A Critical Review
Authors: Sah B. N. P. , Vasiljevic T. , McKechnie S. , Donkor O. N. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractCancer is the most widely recognized reason for human deaths globally. Conventional anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation, are very costly and induce severe side effects on the individual. The discovery of natural anticancer compounds like peptides may thus be a better alternative for cancer prevention and management. The anticancer peptides also exist in the amino acid chain of milk proteins and can be generated during proteolytic activities such as gastrointestinal digestion or food processing including fermentation. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of the contemporary literature on antitumor activities of peptides released from milk proteins. In addition, caseins and whey proteins have been evaluated for anticancer potential using the AntiCP database, a web‐based prediction server. Proline and lysine, respectively, dominate at various positions in anticancer peptides obtained from caseins and whey proteins. The remarkable number of potential anticancer peptides revealed milk proteins as favorable candidates for the development of anticancer agents or milk and milk products for reduction of cancer risks. Moreover, anticancer peptides liberated from milk proteins can be identified from fermented dairy products. Although current findings of correlation between dairy food intakes and cancer risks lack consistency, dairy‐derived peptides show promise as candidates for cancer therapy. This critical review supports the notion that milk proteins are not only a nutritious part of a normal daily diet but also have potential for prevention and/or management of cancer.
Relationship Between Epicardial Adipose Tissue, Inflammation and Volume Markers in Hemodialysis and Transplant Patients
Authors: Çolak Hülya , Kilicarslan Baris , Tekce Hikmet , Tanrisev Mehmet , Tugmen Cem , Aktas Gulali , Kursat Seyhun 
Published: January 2015

AbstractCardiovascular (CV) diseases are still the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in both patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) treatment and individuals with renal transplantation (Rtx). Measurement of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness is an easily applied, cheap, and useful recent method predicting increased CV risk. We aimed to compare EAT changes in HD and Rtx patients and the association between EAT and inflammatory and CV volume markers in both groups. A total of 124 patients: 45 Rtx, 43 HD patients and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Laboratory parameters and inflammatory markers (interleukin‐6 [IL‐6] and high sensitive C‐reactive protein [Hs‐CRP]) were evaluated from venous blood samples after an overnight fast. EAT thickness was measured with transthoracic echocardiography. The levels of Hs‐CRP, IL‐6, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, left atrial (LA) diameter, left atrial index (LAI), left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVM index (LVMI) were significantly higher in the HD patients than in the other groups. EAT was positively correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), time on dialysis, serum creatinine, total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, and LVM in Rtx group and positively correlated with age, BMI, duration of dialysis, Hs‐CRP, IL‐6, LAI and LVMI and inversely correlated with inferior vena cava collapse index (IVC‐CI) in HD group. EAT thickness of RTx patients (whose previous HD duration was similar to those in HD group) are similar to the healthy population and significantly thinner than patients on HD.
Theoretical expectations of the Isolation–Migration model of population evolution for inferring demographic parameters
Authors: Quinzin Maud C. , Mayer Francois , Elvinger Nora , Mardulyn Patrick 
Published: January 2015

Summary

The Bayesian inference of demographic parameters under an Isolation–Migration (IM) model of population evolution offers a major improvement over previously available approaches. This method is implemented in a popular program, IMa, widely used in population genetic studies.

While the robustness of the method to deviations of the IM model has previously been evaluated, we assess the performance of the program with two populations when the model used to generate the analysed data meets the assumptions of the IM model completely; the goal is to identify the conditions under which the method works best. Overall, we test eighteen sets of conditions and analyse ± 500 simulated data sets, for a total of over 200,000 hours of analyses using a large computer cluster.

Although we find clear differences in quality estimates among models, the best ranges of demographic parameter values to infer accurate estimates differ among parameters. Divergence time is best estimated in the absence of gene flow and when population sizes are large compared to divergence time. In contrast, the classic population parameter ϑ (= 4Nμ) is best estimated, for the two current populations, when divergence time is large compared to population size, with or without migration. The parameter is always poorly estimated in the case of the ancestral population. While it is possible to distinguish between scenarios with or without gene flow, estimating the extent of gene flow, when different from 0, is associated with relatively high error rates. In general, increasing the number of loci or the sample size reduces the variance and credible interval of the estimates, and only for the migration rate, it slightly improves the accuracy of the estimate as well. Increasing the prior distribution range of a parameter can dramatically increase that of its posterior distribution. Surprisingly, differences are highlighted among the estimates inferred from sequences generated by different simulation programs, especially for the simulation program SIMDIV.

Overall, the performances of the method shown here probably reflect the limitation of the method in general and/or of the historical information contained in DNA sequence data.
A new Magneto‐Inductive tracking technique to uncover subterranean activity: what do animals do underground?
Authors: Noonan Michael J. , Markham Andrew , Newman Chris , Trigoni Niki , Buesching Christina D. , Ellwood Stephen A. , Macdonald David W. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryDespite the importance of the subterranean ecotope, knowledge of underground movement and behaviour has been extremely limited. Previous technologies have relied upon techniques with very low spatial or temporal resolution, such asVHFtelemetry. Rather incongruously, therefore, relatively simple underground activity regimes have often been assumed, with insufficient attention to the ecological importance of burrow use.We test the capability of Magneto‐Inductive (MI) tracking, recording underground movement within a European badger sett over a 2 week period in February. These data allowed us to: quantify subterranean movement; extrapolate the three‐dimensional burrow architecture; simultaneously track multiple individuals; and establish the function of specific movement patterns; demonstrating the technique's utility. Contrasting data generated usingMItracking, against the resolution achievable withVHFtracking, we establish how sampling frequency can influence the perception of movement.Taking 20 locational fixes per minute,MIcollars operated for 1 year before on‐board batteries failed, resulting in an average five billion data points per collar deployment. Socio‐ecologically we found that rather than foraging continuously throughout the night, badgers returned to the sett an average of 2·2 times, approximately every 3–4 h. From burrow mapping, badgers tended to use peripheral chambers forc. 45 min on these return visits. These outlying chambers were used less by day, when badgers selected deeper chambers, suggesting each chamber type fulfils a different function. This technology also exposed that badgers exhibited a far greater extent of underground movement than revealed by former technologies, which by comparison captured <0·5% of subterranean activity. Importantly, these high‐resolution data showed that individuals left, returned to, and moved about the sett independently, with no tendency for synchronous subterranean activity.In overview, Magneto‐Inductive tracking proved relatively simple and cost‐effective to deploy, it provided very detailed and accurate subterranean fixes, and was robust enough for long‐term field deployment. Furthermore, the capabilities ofMIare highly transferable, enabling a better understanding of underground activity and the ecological importance of subterranean burrows for the conservation and management of a wide range of species.
Estimating diversity and entropy profiles via discovery rates of new species
Authors: Chao Anne , Jost Lou 
Published: January 2015

Summary

The compositional complexity of an assemblage is not expressible as a single number; standard measures such as diversities (Hill numbers) and entropies (Rényi entropies and Tsallis entropies) vary in their order q which determines the measures' emphasis on rare or common species. Ranking and comparing assemblages depend on the choice of q. Rather than selecting one or a few measures to describe an assemblage, it is preferable to convey the complete story by presenting a continuous profile, a plot of diversity or entropy as a function of q ≥ 0. This makes it easy to visually compare the compositional complexities of multiple assemblages and to judge the evenness of the relative abundance distributions of the assemblages. In practice, the profile is plotted for all values of q from 0 to q = 3 or 4 (beyond which it generally changes little).

These profiles are usually generated by substituting species sample proportions into the complexity measures. However, this empirical approach typically underestimates the true profile for low values of q, because samples usually miss some of the assemblage's species due to under‐sampling. Although bias‐reduction methods exist for individual measures of order q = 0, 1 and 2, there has been no analytic method that unifies these bias‐corrected estimates into a continuous profile.

For incomplete sampling data, this work proposes a novel analytic method to obtain accurate, continuous, low‐bias diversity and entropy profiles with focus on low orders of q (0 ≤ q ≤ 3). Our approach is based on reformulating the diversity and entropy of any order q in terms of the successive discovery rates of new species with respect to sample size, that is the successive slopes of the species accumulation curve. A bootstrap method is applied to obtain approximate variances of our proposed profiles and to construct the associated confidence intervals.

Extensive simulations from theoretical models and real surveys show that the proposed profiles greatly reduce under‐sampling bias and have substantially lower bias and mean‐squared error than the empirical profile, especially for q ≤ 1. Our method is also extended to deal with incidence data.
Factors affecting the distribution of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) in Australia
Authors: Bishop Alan L , Spohr Lorraine J , Harris Anne M , Collins Damian 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis study examined environmental and geographical factors affecting the distribution of the bluetongue virus vectors Culicoides brevitarsis Kieffer, C. actoni Smith, C. fulvus Sen and Das Gupta and C. wadai Kitaoka in Australia using graphical analysis. Calculations and mapping were carried out in the R programming environment using freely available data. Average low temperatures of 13.5°C in June and in September were estimated as thresholds and expressed as contours at which C. brevitarsis activity ceases and then recommences during and after winter, respectively. The June threshold also designated areas where populations would be unable to survive the winter. There was substantial variability in the contours between years, around which the activity of C. brevitarsis would be correspondingly dynamic. Culicoides wadai, C. actoni and C. fulvus appeared to be less tolerant of low temperatures. A high temperature limit was proposed at a maximum 35°C during summer. Culicoides brevitarsis was found in areas above and below this temperature, while C. actoni, C. fulvus and C. wadai occurred mainly in coastal environments at maximum temperatures of less than 35°C. Possible effects of global warming were considered with 1°C or 2°C rises in temperature. Changes to low temperature thresholds could expose greater areas of southern Australia to vector activity, while temperature rises in the north could increase the size of areas in which temperatures are lethal to the vectors. Rainfall had no apparent effect on C. brevitarsis during the northern wet and dry seasons. Distributions of C. brevitarsis and cattle overlapped until both ended with the climatic change to desert, which formed a physical barrier preventing C. brevitarsis movement to the south. Temperature restricted associations between C. brevitarsis and sheep. The other Culicoides spp. were found outside major cattle and sheep production areas. Apart from seasonal and dynamic activity around the contours, cattle and sheep in areas below a June average temperature of 13.5°C should remain vector free at current climatic temperatures.
Assessment of an updated double‐vasopressor automated system using Nexfin™ for the maintenance of haemodynamic stability to improve peri‐operative outcome during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section
Authors: Sng B. L. , Wang H. , Assam P. N. , Sia A. T. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryHypotension occurs commonly during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section, associated with maternal and fetal adverse effects. We developed a double‐vasopressor automated system with a two‐step algorithm and continuous non‐invasive haemodynamic monitoring using the Nexfin™ device. The system delivered 25 μg phenylephrine every 30 s when systolic blood pressure was between 90% and 100% of baseline, or 2 mg ephedrine at this blood pressure range and heart rate < 60 beats.min−1; and 50 μg phenylephrine or 4 mg ephedrine when systolic blood pressure was < 90% of baseline with the same heart rate criterion. Fifty‐seven women received standardised spinal anaesthesia. Twenty‐seven (47.4%) had at least one reading of hypotension defined as systolic blood pressure < 80% baseline. Systolic blood pressure was within 20% of the baseline in a mean (SD) of 79.8 (20.9)% of measurements. Fifty‐three (93.0%) women required phenylephrine before delivery while 10 (17.5%) required ephedrine. Six women (10.5%) experienced nausea and three (5.3%) vomited. The system was able to achieve a low incidence of maternal hypotension with good maternal and fetal outcomes.
Prevalence of experienced abuse in healthcare and associated obstetric characteristics in six European countries
Authors: Lukasse Mirjam , Schroll Anne‐Mette , Karro Helle , Schei Berit , Steingrimsdottir Thora , Van Parys An‐Sofie , Ryding Elsa Lena , Tabor Ann ,   the Bidens Study Group
Published: January 2015

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the prevalence and current suffering of experienced abuse in healthcare, to present the socio‐demographic background for women with a history of abuse in healthcare and to assess the association between abuse in healthcare and selected obstetric characteristics.DesignCross‐sectional study.SettingRoutine antenatal care in six European countries.PopulationIn total 6923 pregnant women.MethodsCross‐tabulation and Pearson's chi‐square was used to study prevalence and characteristics for women reporting abuse in healthcare. Associations with selected obstetric factors were estimated using multiple logistic regression analysis.Main outcome measuresAbuse in healthcare, fear of childbirth and preference for birth by cesarean section.ResultsOne in five pregnant women attending routine antenatal care reported some lifetime abuse in healthcare. Prevalence varied significantly between the countries. Characteristics for women reporting abuse in healthcare included a significantly higher prevalence of other forms of abuse, economic hardship and negative life events as well as a lack of social support, symptoms of post‐traumatic stress and depression. Among nulliparous women, abuse in healthcare was associated with fear of childbirth, adjusted odds ratio 2.25 (95% CI 1.23–4.12) for severe abuse in healthcare. For multiparous women only severe current suffering from abuse in healthcare was significantly associated with fear of childbirth, adjusted odds ratio 4.04 (95% CI 2.08–7.83). Current severe suffering from abuse in healthcare was significantly associated with the wish for cesarean section, and counselling for fear of childbirth for both nulli‐ and multiparous women.ConclusionAbuse in healthcare among women attending routine antenatal care is common and for women with severe current suffering from abuse in healthcare, this is associated with fear of childbirth and a wish for cesarean section.
The Use of Ventricular Assist Device Support in Children: The State of the Art
Authors: Mascio Christopher E. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractImproved survival, recognition, and management of patients with congenital heart disease have increased the number of pediatric patients with ventricular dysfunction. Many of these patients require mechanical support to bridge to transplant or recovery. Development of pediatric ventricular assist devices has lagged behind adult devices. Until recently, adult devices were used in pediatric patients, with suboptimal results in the smaller patient population. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be life saving, but is a poor choice for long‐term support. The Berlin Heart EXCOR (Berlin Heart AG, Berlin, Germany) is a paracorporeal device with a variety of pumps for patients of all sizes. The PumpKIN Trial will compare this device to the Infant Jarvik 2000 (Jarvik Heart, New York, NY, USA) in a prospective, randomized study. The single ventricle population presents unique challenges to placement and proper functioning of assist devices. Data are anecdotal and mortality is high. A registry has been developed to assist in caring for this challenging population.
Design of Axial Blood Pumps for Patients With Dysfunctional Fontan Physiology: Computational Studies and Performance Testing
Authors: Kafagy Dhyaa H. , Dwyer Thomas W. , McKenna Kelli L. , Mulles Jean P. , Chopski Steven G. , Moskowitz William B. , Throckmorton Amy L. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractLimited treatment options for patients having dysfunctional single ventricle physiology motivate the necessity for alternative therapeutic options. To address this unmet need, we are developing a collapsible axial flow blood pump. This study investigated the impact of geometric simplicity to facilitate percutaneous placement and maintain optimal performance. Three new pump designs were numerically evaluated. A transient simulation explored the impact of respiration on blood flow conditions over the entire respiratory cycle. Prototype testing of the top performing pump design was completed. The top performing Rec design generated the highest pressure rise range of 2–38 mm Hg for flow rates of 1–4 L/min at 4000–7000 RPM, exceeding the performance of the other two configurations by more than 26%. The blood damage indices for the new pump designs were determined to be below 0.5% and predicted hemolysis levels remained low at less than 7 × 10−5 g/100 L. Prototype testing of the Rec design confirmed numerical predictions to within an average of approximately 22%. These findings demonstrate that the pumps are reasonably versatile in operational ability, meet pressure‐flow requirements to support Fontan patients, and are expected to have low levels of blood trauma.