bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lower life expectancy among people with an HCV notification: a population‐based linkage study
Authors: Alavi M. , Law M. G. , Grebely J. , Thein H. H. , Walter S. , Amin J. , Dore G. J. 
Published: May 2014

SummaryAmong people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, liver disease‐related deaths have risen over the last 20 years. Life expectancy has not been estimated in this population. HCV notifications (mandatory notification of anti‐HCV‐positive serology since 1991) reported to the New South Wales Health Department from 1992 to 2006 were linked to cause of death data. Abridged life tables were constructed from age‐specific mortality rates. Life expectancy from ages 18–70 years for non‐drug‐related mortality causes was estimated using competing risk methods and compared to the general population of Australia. The cohort comprised 81 644 individuals with an HCV notification, with median follow‐up of 7.6 years. Median age at notification was 34 years [interquartile range (IQR) 28–42] and 63% were male. Between 1992 and 2006, 4607 deaths occurred. Median age at liver‐ and drug‐related death among males was 51 (IQR 45–66) and 36 (IQR 31–42) years, respectively, and among females was 63 (IQR 49–74) and 36 (IQR 30–41) years, respectively. In each year of follow‐up before 2000, 15–21% of deaths were liver‐ and 30–39% were drug‐related. After 2000, liver‐related deaths increased to 20–26% of deaths in each year and drug‐related deaths decreased to 13–19%. Excluding drug‐related causes of death, life expectancy was lowered by an average of 4.2 (SD ± 1.0) and 5.4 (SD ± 0.7) years for males and females, respectively. Among people with an HCV notification, an increasing proportion of deaths are liver‐related. Following removal of drug‐related mortality, life expectancy in this population remained considerably lower, compared with the general population.
Flexibility‐Corotational Formulation of Space Frames with Large Elastic Deformations and Buckling
Authors: Ray Tathagata , Schachter‐Adaros Macarena , Reinhorn Andrei M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractWhile the joints of a frame move in the space with large displacements and rotations, the deformations of the frame member with respect to the imaginary line connecting end joints, known as the chord, remain relatively small but still affect the stress field along the member length. A separation, known also as the corotational formulation, is simple for small displacements and rotations, and for small deformations, while in presence of large geometric changes the kinematic and dynamic interaction between the two systems (rigid and deformational) requires enhanced treatment. An enhanced corotational formulation, based on the flexibility modeling of elastic space frames with large deformations and rotations, expanding the prior developments by the authors, is presented in this article. The enhancements with respect to previous formulations cover: (1) rigid translations and expanded rotations of the chord; (2) a combination of axial and flexural deformations expanded to include torsional and shear influences; (3) a consistent formulation of geometric stiffness matrix; and (4) a rederivation of the formulation in time‐independent incremental form. The entire reformulation enables the application of flexibility‐based solutions to space frames addressing flexural and torsional buckling or postbuckling problems and allows for further integration of material nonlinearity.
Nicotinic receptor subtypes mediating relaxation of the normal human clasp and sling fibers of the upper gastric sphincter
Authors: Ruggieri M. R. , Braverman A. S. , Vegesna A. K. , Miller L. S. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBackgroundProper function of the gastro‐esophageal high pressure zone is essential for the integrity of the antireflux barrier. Mechanisms include tonic contractions and the decreased tone during transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations.MethodsWe characterized the pharmacology of nicotinic receptors mediating relaxations of the human upper gastric sphincter (clasp and sling fibers) using currently available subtype selective nicotinic antagonists in tissue from organ transplant donors. Donors with either a history of gastro‐esophageal reflux disease or histologic evidence of Barrett's esophagus were excluded. Clasp and sling muscle fiber strips were used for one of three paradigms. For paradigm 1, each strip was exposed to carbachol, washed, exposed to nicotinic antagonists then re‐exposed to carbachol. In paradigm 2, strips were exposed to a near maximally effective bethanechol concentration then nicotine was added. Strips then were washed, exposed to nicotinic antagonists then re‐exposed to bethanechol followed by nicotine. In paradigm 3, strips were exposed to bethanechol then choline or cytisine.Key Results100 μM methyllycaconitine has no inhibitory effects on relaxations, eliminating homomeric α7 subtypes. Subtypes composed of α4β2 subunits are also eliminated because choline acts as an agonist and dihydro‐beta‐erythroidine is ineffective.Conclusions & InferencesBecause mecamylamine blocks the relaxations and both choline and cytisine act as agonists in both clasp and sling fibers, the nicotinic receptor subtypes responsible for these relaxations could be composed of α3β4β2, α2β4, or α4β4 subunits.
Maxillary dentigerous cyst associated with an ectopic third molar in the maxillary sinus: a literature review and report of six consecutive cases
Authors: Sivolella S. , Ricci S. , Busca M. , Stellini E. , Valente M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractDentigerous cysts are benign odontogenic cysts associated with the crowns of deciduous, permanent or supernumerary teeth. When dentigerous cysts surround impacted teeth, they often displace the teeth into ectopic positions; ectopic teeth in the maxilla may be displaced into the maxillary sinus. A review of the literature on this condition is provided, and we report on six consecutive cases of dentigerous cysts associated with an ectopic third molar in the maxillary sinus, focusing on their conservative surgical treatment.
Clinical efficacy of psoralen + sunlight vs. combination of isotretinoin and psoralen + sunlight for the treatment of chronic plaque‐type psoriasis vulgaris: a randomized hospital‐based study
Authors: Gahalaut Pratik , Soodan Puneet Singh , Mishra Nitin , Rastogi Madhur Kant , Soodan Hardev Singh , Chauhan Sandhya 
Published: May 2014

SummaryBackgroundIsotretinoin has been used in combination with oral psoralen + UVA (PUVA) and narrowband UVB (NBUVB) for treating psoriasis, especially in women of child‐bearing age. The efficacy of oral psoralen + sun exposure (PUVAsol) is comparable to that of PUVA. This study was planned to compare the efficacy of oral PUVAsol with that of the combination of oral isotretinoin and PUVAsol in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.MethodsForty patients with psoriasis vulgaris were randomized to two groups. Group A (control group) received PUVAsol only. Group B (intervention group) received PUVAsol + isotretinoin (0.5 mg/kg/day). Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score was recorded at baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12. Dermatology Life Quality Index was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. The end point of the study was PASI 75 or 12 weeks, whichever came earlier.ResultsThirty‐five patients completed the study. There were statistically significant differences between the two study groups for the number of patients achieving the endpoint of PASI 75, PASI scores at the end of 12 weeks, mean duration to achieve PASI 75, number of PUVAsol sessions needed to achieve PASI75 and mean cumulative dosage of 8‐methoxypsoralen needed to achieve PASI 75.ConclusionThe combination of isotretinoin with PUVAsol is more effective compared with PUVAsol alone for treating chronic plaque psoriasis.
Estimation of the Marginal Expected Shortfall: the Mean When a Related Variable is Extreme
Authors: Cai Juan-Juan , Einmahl John H. J. , Haan Laurens , Zhou Chen 
Published: May 2014

SummaryDenote the loss return on the equity of a financial institution as X and that of the entire market as Y. For a given very small value of p &gt; 0, the marginal expected shortfall (MES) is defined as E{X|Y&gt;QY(1−p)}, where Q Y(1 − p) is the (1 − p)th quantile of the distribution of Y. The MES is an important factor when measuring the systemic risk of financial institutions. For a wide non-parametric class of bivariate distributions, we construct an estimator of the MES and establish the asymptotic normality of the estimator when p ↓ 0, as the sample size n → ∞. Since we are in particular interested in the case p = O(1/n), we use extreme value techniques for deriving the estimator and its asymptotic behaviour. The finite sample performance of the estimator and the relevance of the limit theorem are shown in a detailed simulation study. We also apply our method to estimate the MES of three large US investment banks.
Farm Women and Agritourism: Representing a New Rurality
Authors: Wright Wynne , Annes Alexis 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis article examines how farm women represent rurality and agriculture within the context of farm tourism. We draw upon qualitative data analysis of a farm women's agritourism network in southern France centred on sheep milk production for Roquefort cheese. Through the use of choreography, staging, performances, and their bodies, we found that women represent rurality and agriculture in multiple and seemingly contradictory ways. At times they paint portraits of rural life that reproduce human‐nature and masculine‐feminine binaries affiliated with tradition and cultural heritage. At other times, they choreograph, stage, and perform modernity by accentuating materials, ideals, and roles more accurately articulated as a product of contemporary society. The result is a complex amalgam of agriculture and rural life representations constructed for tourist consumption. We conclude by discussing the opportunities such representations hold for enabling farm women to access cultural influence in agriculture.
Measurement of the time of flight of photons into the skin: influence of site, age and gender, correlation with other skin parameters
Authors: Bernengo J.‐C. , Adhoute H. , Mougin D. 
Published: May 2014

Background/purposeThe speed of light (time of flight) into the skin is obviously relied to its structure, and might appear as a tool for non‐invasive investigation of skin physico‐chemical properties, among them aging is of primary importance. Though already published, such time of flight measurements have never been extensively correlated with other well‐documented skin parameters such as localization, the influence of gender and age, the elasticity and roughness, and the water trans‐epidermal diffusion (TEWL).MethodsA specific practical device was designed to routinely measure the time of flight (TOF) of the light into the human skin ‘in vivo’, in a totally non‐invasive process. This system was tested on volunteers, to relate the TOF parameter to the widely investigated skin properties already mentioned.An Infra‐red laser at 1064 nm delivered powerful pulses of less than 1 ns duration, sent to the skin surface through a lossless fibre. The light backscattered at a given distance was collected and led onto an Avalanche Photodiode, and the mean TOF was measured on a fast sampling scope. A resolution and a reproducibility of a few picoseconds has been achieved. Experiments were carried out on 100 volunteers of both gender, aged from 18 to 65, on 12 different locations.ResultsNo matter age and gender, important variations of TOF according to the localization were observed: On the inner forearm, an increase from wrist to elbow, and much higher values on the forehead and neck, whether orientation parallel or perpendicular to Langer lines did not appear significant. Ageing appeared to increase the TOF on forehead and neck, while this effect could not be confirmed on the forearm. Usual skin parameters such as elasticity, roughness and TEWL have been compared to TOF on the same location for each volunteer: TOF and skin roughness were significantly anti‐correlated, i.e. the TOF got shorter when the Roughness increased, while a striking correlation was observed between TEWL and TOF.ConclusionThese results assert the dependence of TOF on the nature of the skin upper layers (roughness, water diffusion) and on the dermis layer (ageing), and show the potential capabilities offered by TOF to investigate deeply into the skin structure. They have to be confirmed through further experiments, involving measurements at shorter wavelengths, at which the light path into the skin is much smaller, to get a distribution of the TOF inside the tissue.
MHC class I signaling: new functional perspectives for an old molecule
Authors: Tsai E. W. , Reed E. F. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractDonor‐specific antibodies are associated with refractory rejection episodes and poor allograft outcomes in solid organ transplantation. Our understanding of antibody‐mediated allograft injury is expanding beyond complement deposition. In fact, unique mechanisms of alloantibodies are advancing our knowledge about transplant vasculopathy and antibody‐mediated rejection. These include direct effects on the endothelium, resulting in the recruitment of leukocytes, chemokine and cytokine production, and stimulation of innate and adaptive alloresponses. These effects will be the focus of the following review.
Cytokine profiles in mouse models of experimental immune thrombocytopenia reveal a lack of inflammation and differences in response to intravenous immunoglobulin depending on the mouse strain
Authors: Leontyev Danila , Neschadim Anton , Branch Donald R. 
Published: May 2014

BackgroundMouse models of human immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) have been used for years to investigate the mechanism of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to ameliorate ITP; however, how closely these experimental mouse models mirror the human autoimmune inflammatory disease is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the cytokine profiles in experimental ITP with and without IVIG treatment.Study Design and MethodsWe examined the production of 23 cytokines that included pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines, in two different mouse strain models of ITP, BALB/c and C57BL/6J, with and without IVIG treatment.ResultsIn contrast to human ITP, in mouse models of ITP generated by passive transfer of an alloantibody we find no evidence of inflammatory disease even when ITP is robust, suggesting that while these models capture the innate response phase of the disease, they may not be capturing the adaptive mechanisms of autoimmune initiation of the disorder. Regardless of the mouse strain examined, interleukin (IL)‐1α, ‐2, ‐6, ‐17, and ‐23; granulocyte‐macrophage–colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF); monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1; macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1β; RANTES; tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α; and interferon‐γ remain at negligible levels after ITP induction. IVIG treatment in the absence of ITP induced significant levels of IL‐4, ‐10, ‐11, ‐17, and ‐23; GM‐CSF; MCP‐1; and TNF‐α in BALB/c mice, but only IL‐11 was elevated in C57BL/6J mice. In response to IVIG treatment of ITP, both strains produced IL‐4, ‐10, ‐11, and ‐23; GM‐CSF; MCP‐1; MIP‐1β; and TNF‐α; however, only BALB/c exhibited increased MCP‐3 and RANTES. IL‐11 levels were the highest of any cytokine after IVIG administration, given either alone or as treatment of ITP.ConclusionsWe conclude that mouse models for human ITP do not capture the full range of autoimmune inflammatory mechanisms of this disease. Furthermore, cytokine profiles differ in response to IVIG depending on the mouse strain used.
Stick Insect Genomes Reveal Natural Selection’s Role in Parallel Speciation
Authors: Soria-Carrasco Víctor , Gompert Zachariah , Comeault Aaron A. , Farkas Timothy E. , Parchman Thomas L. , Johnston J. Spencer , Buerkle C. Alex , Feder Jeffrey L. , Bast Jens , Schwander Tanja , Egan Scott P. , Crespi Bernard J. , Nosil Patrik 
Published: May 2014

Stick to the BushCan the underlying genetic changes driving the divergence of populations into new species be predicted or repeated?Soria-Carrascoet al.(p.738) investigated the genetic changes observed after one generation when stick insect (Timema cristinae) populations were transplanted from their preferred host plants to alternative hosts. Diverged genetic regions were relatively small, with most loci showing divergence in a single population pair. However, the number of loci showing parallel divergence was greater than expected by chance. Thus, selection can drive parallel phenotypic evolution via parallel genetic changes.
Process of Assay Selection and Optimization for the Study of Case and Control Samples from a Phase IIb Efficacy Trial of a Candidate Tuberculosis Vaccine, MVA85A
Authors: Harris Stephanie A. , Satti Iman , Matsumiya Magali , Stockdale Lisa , Chomka Agnieszka , Tanner Rachel , O'Shea Matthew K. , Manjaly Thomas Zita-Rose , Tameris Michele , Mahomed Hassan , Scriba Thomas J. , Hanekom Willem A. , Fletcher Helen A. , McShane Helen 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThe first phase IIb safety and efficacy trial of a new tuberculosis vaccine since that for BCG was completed in October 2012. BCG-vaccinated South African infants were randomized to receive modified vaccinia virus Ankara, expressing theMycobacterium tuberculosisantigen 85A (MVA85A), or placebo. MVA85A did not significantly boost the protective effect of BCG. Cryopreserved samples provide a unique opportunity for investigating the correlates of the risk of tuberculosis disease in this population. Due to the limited amount of sample available from each infant, preliminary work was necessary to determine which assays and conditions give the most useful information. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were stimulated with antigen 85A (Ag85A) and purified protein derivative fromM. tuberculosisin anex vivogamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISpot) and a Ki67 proliferation assay. The effects of a 2-h or overnight rest of thawed PBMC on ELISpot responses and cell populations were determined. Both the ELISpot and Ki67 assays detected differences between the MVA85A and placebo groups, and the results correlated well. The cell numbers and ELISpot responses decreased significantly after an overnight rest, and surface flow cytometry showed a significant loss of CD4+and CD8+T cells. Of the infants tested, 50% had a positive ELISpot response to a single pool of flu, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) (FEC) peptides. This pilot work has been essential in determining the assays and conditions to be used in the correlate study. Moving forward, PBMC will be rested for 2 h before assay setup. The ELISpot assay, performed in duplicate, will be selected over the Ki67 assay, and further work is needed to evaluate the effect of high FEC responses on vaccine-induced immunity and susceptibility to tuberculosis disease.
Emergence and Prevalence of Non-H
2
S-Producing Salmonella enterica Serovar Senftenberg Isolates Belonging to Novel Sequence Type 1751 in China
Authors: Yi Shengjie , Xie Jing , Liu Nan , Li Peng , Xu Xuebin , Li Hao , Sun Jichao , Wang Jian , Liang Beibei , Yang Chaojie , Wang Xu , Hao Rongzhang , Wang Ligui , Wu Zhihao , Zhang Jianmin , Wang Yong , Huang Liuyu , Sun Yansong , Klena John D. , Meng Jianghong , Qiu Shaofu , Song Hongbin 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
serovar Senftenberg is a common nontyphoidal
Salmonella
serotype which causes human
Salmonella
infections worldwide. In this study, 182
S
. Senftenberg isolates, including 17 atypical non-hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S)-producing isolates, were detected in China from 2005 to 2011. The microbiological and genetic characteristics of the non-H
2
S-producing and selected H
2
S-producing isolates were determined by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) analysis. The
phs
operons were amplified and sequenced. The 17 non-H
2
S-producing and 36 H
2
S-producing isolates belonged to 7 sequence types (STs), including 3 new STs, ST1751, ST1757, and ST1758. Fourteen of the 17 non-H
2
S-producing isolates belonged to ST1751 and had very similar PFGE patterns. All 17 non-H
2
S-producing isolates had a nonsense mutation at position 1621 of
phsA
. H
2
S-producing and non-H
2
S-producing
S
. Senftenberg isolates were isolated from the same stool sample from three patients; isolates from the same patients displayed the same antimicrobial susceptibility, ST, and PFGE pattern but could be discriminated based on CRISPR spacers. Non-H
2
S-producing
S
. Senftenberg isolates belonging to ST1751 have been prevalent in Shanghai, China. It is possible that these emerging organisms will disseminate further, because they are difficult to detect. Thus, we should strengthen the surveillance for the spread of this atypical
S
. Senftenberg variant.
Microbial Profiling of Combat Wound Infection through Detection Microarray and Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Be Nicholas A. , Allen Jonathan E. , Brown Trevor S. , Gardner Shea N. , McLoughlin Kevin S. , Forsberg Jonathan A. , Kirkup Benjamin C. , Chromy Brett A. , Luciw Paul A. , Elster Eric A. , Jaing Crystal J. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACT

Combat wound healing and resolution are highly affected by the resident microbial flora. We therefore sought to achieve comprehensive detection of microbial populations in wounds using novel genomic technologies and bioinformatics analyses. We employed a microarray capable of detecting all sequenced pathogens for interrogation of 124 wound samples from extremity injuries in combat-injured U.S. service members. A subset of samples was also processed via next-generation sequencing and metagenomic analysis. Array analysis detected microbial targets in 51% of all wound samples, with
Acinetobacter baumannii
being the most frequently detected species. Multiple
Pseudomonas
species were also detected in tissue biopsy specimens. Detection of the
Acinetobacter
plasmid pRAY correlated significantly with wound failure, while detection of enteric-associated bacteria was associated significantly with successful healing. Whole-genome sequencing revealed broad microbial biodiversity between samples. The total wound bioburden did not associate significantly with wound outcome, although temporal shifts were observed over the course of treatment. Given that standard microbiological methods do not detect the full range of microbes in each wound, these data emphasize the importance of supplementation with molecular techniques for thorough characterization of wound-associated microbes. Future application of genomic protocols for assessing microbial content could allow application of specialized care through early and rapid identification and management of critical patterns in wound bioburden.