bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profiling maternal plasma microRNA expression in early pregnancy to predict gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zhu Yanan , Tian Fei , Li Hailing , Zhou Youxia , Lu Jiafeng , Ge Qinyu 
Published: April 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo profile the differential expression of plasma miRNAs in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsIn a pilot study conducted at a tertiary hospital in China between 2010 and 2014, peripheral blood samples were collected from women at 16–19 weeks of pregnancy. Pooled samples from 10 women who were subsequently diagnosed with GDM and from 10 healthy controls were used to construct two small RNA libraries. High‐throughput sequencing was performed, and differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), followed by target prediction, Gene Ontology analysis, and pathway identification.ResultsSequencing revealed 32 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in GDM, including 12 miRNAs that were upregulated and 20 that were downregulated. Differential expression of five upregulated miRNAs (hsa‐miR‐16‐5p, hsa‐miR‐17‐5p, hsa‐miR‐19a‐3p, hsa‐miR‐19b‐3p, hsa‐miR‐20a‐5p) was confirmed by qRT‐PCR. Target prediction showed that the major targets of these miRNAs were associated with insulin resistance and abnormal pregnancies.ConclusionThe five miRNAs that were differentially expressed in GDM could serve as noninvasive biomarkers. The results also provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie GDM, thereby contributing to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
KRAS and HRAS mutations confer resistance to MET targeting in preclinical models of MET‐expressing tumor cells
Authors: Leiser Dominic , Medová Michaela , Mikami Kei , Nisa Lluís , Stroka Deborah , Blaukat Andree , Bladt Friedhelm , Aebersold Daniel M. , Zimmer Yitzhak 
Published: April 2015

The MET receptor tyrosine kinase is often deregulated in human cancers and several MET inhibitors are evaluated in clinical trials. Similarly to EGFR, MET signals through the RAS‐RAF‐ERK/MAPK pathway which plays key roles in cell proliferation and survival. Mutations of genes encoding for RAS proteins, particularly in KRAS, are commonly found in various tumors and are associated with constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway. It was shown for EGFR, that KRAS mutations render upstream EGFR inhibition ineffective in EGFR‐positive colorectal cancers. Currently, there are no clinical studies evaluating MET inhibition impairment due to RAS mutations. To test the impact of RAS mutations on MET targeting, we generated tumor cells responsive to the MET inhibitor EMD1214063 that express KRAS G12V, G12D, G13D and HRAS G12V variants. We demonstrate that these MAPK‐activating RAS mutations differentially interfere with MET‐mediated biological effects of MET inhibition. We report increased residual ERK1/2 phosphorylation indicating that the downstream pathway remains active in presence of MET inhibition. Consequently, RAS variants counteracted MET inhibition‐induced morphological changes as well as anti‐proliferative and anchorage‐independent growth effects. The effect of RAS mutants was reversed when MET inhibition was combined with MEK inhibitors AZD6244 and UO126. In an in vivo mouse xenograft model, MET‐driven tumors harboring mutated RAS displayed resistance to MET inhibition. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time in details the role of KRAS and HRAS mutations in resistance to MET inhibition and suggest targeting both MET and MEK as an effective strategy when both oncogenic drivers are expressed.
Association Between Exercise Therapy Dose and Functional Improvements in the Early Postoperative Phase After Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: An Observational Study
Authors: Zech Astrid , Hendrich Simon , Pfeifer Klaus 
Published: April 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether intensity and duration of standard exercise therapy are associated with changes in function after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).DesignProspective cohort study.SettingOrthopedic inpatient rehabilitation center.ParticipantsA total of 123 patients 2 weeks after THA (n = 58; age, 62.5 ± 10.4 years) and TKA (n = 65; age, 66.6 ± 7.6 years).InterventionStandard rehabilitation (hands‐on physiotherapy, group exercise therapy, strength training, cycle ergometer therapy, continuous passive motion therapy, and water exercise therapy).Main Outcome MeasuresThe Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and hip and knee range of motion (ROM) were assessed before and after inpatient rehabilitation.ResultsThe individual rehabilitation period varied between 12‐25 days and included 48.1 ± 12.5 (THA) or 41.9 ± 9.7 (TKA) exercise interventions with intensities between 9.6 and 14.0 points on the Borg Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale. WOMAC pain (P < .001), stiffness (P < .001), and function (P < .001), as well as hip (P < .001) and knee (P < .001) ROM, improved significantly in THA and TKA patients. Analysis of covariance showed that these changes could not be explained by the total duration or mean intensity of exercise therapy.ConclusionsThe findings show a low dose‐response relationship between early postoperative exercise therapy and the improvements in function or ROM after THA and TKA. Although the findings raise questions about the efficacy of existing rehabilitation programs, the small sample size, single setting, and geographic differences in postoperative treatment standards limit the generalizability of findings.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with anaemia among African Americans in a US cohort
Authors: Smith Ellen M. , Alvarez Jessica A. , Martin Greg S. , Zughaier Susu M. , Ziegler Thomas R. , Tangpricha Vin 
Published: April 2015

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in the US population and is associated with numerous diseases, including those characterised by inflammatory processes. We aimed to investigate the link between vitamin D status and anaemia, hypothesising that lower vitamin D status would be associated with increased odds of anaemia, particularly anaemia with inflammation. A secondary aim was to examine the effects of race in the association between vitamin D status and anaemia. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis in a cohort of generally healthy adults in Atlanta, GA (n 638). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and anaemia. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) < 50 nmol/l (compared to 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/l) was associated with anaemia in bivariate analysis (OR 2·64, 95 % CI 1·43, 4·86). There was significant effect modification by race (P= 0·003), such that blacks with 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l had increased odds of anaemia (OR 6·42, 95 % CI 1·88, 21·99), v. blacks with 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/l, controlling for potential confounders; this association was not apparent in whites. When categorised by subtype of anaemia, blacks with 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l had significantly increased odds of anaemia with inflammation than blacks with serum 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/l (OR 8·42, 95 % CI 1·96, 36·23); there was no association with anaemia without inflammation. In conclusion, serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l was significantly associated with anaemia, particularly anaemia with inflammation, among blacks in a generally healthy adult US cohort.
Exploring the supply and demand factors of varietal turnover in Indian wheat
Authors: KRISHNA V. V. , SPIELMAN D. J. , VEETTIL P. C. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYCultivar depreciation – the gradual decline in relative advantage of a cultivated variety over time – accentuates the vulnerability of resource-poor farmers to production risks. The current paper addresses constraints in combating cultivar depreciation of wheat in India. National level data on quoted demand for breeder seeds and breeder seed production indicated a slowdown in the rate of cultivar turnover of wheat, with average varietal age increasing from 9 years in 1997 to 12 years in 2009. Analysis of cultivar adoption patterns among farmer households of Haryana State also indicates that farmers prefer cultivars that were released a decade ago over the recent ones. Cultivar turnover rates are found to be particularly low among marginal farmers. While the structure of India's wheat breeding and seed delivery systems might be the primary cause of slow cultivar turnover, a number of social and economic factors at the micro-level are also responsible. Many of the constraints to technology adoption and wheat productivity growth, identified during the Green Revolution era, persist even today.
Effects of nitrogen rate and genotype on seed protein and amino acid content in canola
Authors: ZUO Q. S. , ZHOU G. S. , YANG S. F. , YANG Y. , WU L. R. , LENG S. H. , YANG G. , WU J. S. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYCanola (Brassica napusL.) meal is widely used in animal feed as a protein source, and its quality relies on protein and amino acid content. However, little information is available regarding amino acid regulation in canola seed with nitrogen (N) application. The present study is aimed to evaluate the effect of N rate and genotype on canola seed amino acid concentrations under field conditions. A split-plot design comprising four N rates (0, 120, 240 and 360 kg N/ha) and three genotypes differing in seed protein content were used in 2010/11 and 2011/12. The results showed that increasing N rate decreased seed oil content linearly but increased seed protein content in all of the genotypes. The total amino acid concentration and absolute concentrations of individual amino acids in canola seed also improved significantly with the N rates in all of the genotypes. Regarding the proportions of amino acids, a group that included glutamic acid (Glu), proline (Pro) and arginine (Arg) dominated and occupied > 0·30 compared with other amino acids. The ratio of amino acids in this group increased by 8·3% with 360 kg N/ha compared with the control. However, the proportions of the other amino acids showed negative responses to the N rates. The results of regression analysis of the responses of individual amino acids to N rate indicated that Glu, Pro and Arg had a greater improvement potential with application of N fertilizer, as revealed by higher slopes in the linear equations compared with the other amino acids. Additionally, the concentrations of sulphur-containing amino acids, methionine and cysteine, were also a potential target for improving with N application because these are always deficient in major crops. In conclusion, N application cannot only improve seed protein content but also enhance deposition of amino acids such as Glu, Pro and Arg.
Impact of influenza vaccination on respiratory illness rates in children attending private boarding schools in England, 2013–2014: a cohort study
Authors: BROUSSEAU N. , GREEN H. K. , ANDREWS N. , PRYSE R. , BAGUELIN M. , SUNDERLAND A. , ELLIS J. , PEBODY R. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYSeveral private boarding schools in England have established universal influenza vaccination programmes for their pupils. We evaluated the impact of these programmes on the burden of respiratory illnesses in boarders. Between November 2013 and May 2014, age-specific respiratory disease incidence rates in boarders were compared between schools offering and not offering influenza vaccine to healthy boarders. We adjusted for age, sex, school size and week using negative binomial regression. Forty-three schools comprising 14 776 boarders participated. Almost all boarders (99%) were aged 11–17 years. Nineteen (44%) schools vaccinated healthy boarders against influenza, with a mean uptake of 48·5% (range 14·2–88·5%). Over the study period, 1468 respiratory illnesses were reported in boarders (5·66/1000 boarder-weeks); of these, 33 were influenza-like illnesses (ILIs, 0·26/1000 boarder-weeks) in vaccinating schools and 95 were ILIs (0·74/1000 boarder-weeks) in non-vaccinating schools. The impact of vaccinating healthy boarders was a 54% reduction in ILI in all boarders [rate ratio (RR) 0·46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·28–0·76]. Disease rates were also reduced for upper respiratory tract infections (RR 0·72, 95% CI 0·61–0·85) and chest infections (RR 0·18, 95% CI 0·09–0·36). These findings demonstrate a significant impact of influenza vaccination on ILI and other clinical endpoints in secondary-school boarders. Additional research is needed to investigate the impact of influenza vaccination in non-boarding secondary-school settings.
Temporal and spatial patterns of diarrhoea in the Mekong Delta area, Vietnam
Authors: PHUNG D. , HUANG C. , RUTHERFORD S. , CHU C. , WANG X. , NGUYEN M. , NGUYEN N. H. , DO C. M. , NGUYEN T. H. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYThis study examined the temporal and spatial patterns of diarrhoea in relation to hydro-meteorological factors in the Mekong Delta area in Vietnam. A time-series design was applied to examine the temporal pattern of the climate–diarrhoea relationship using Poisson regression models. Spatial analysis was applied to examine the spatial clusters of diarrhoea using Global Moran'sIand local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA). The temporal pattern showed that the highest peak of diarrhoea was from weeks 30–42 corresponding to August–October annually. A 1 cm increase in river water level at a lag of 1 week was associated with a small [0·07%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·01–0·1] increase in the diarrhoeal rate. A 1 °C increase in temperature at lag of 2 and 4 weeks was associated with a 1·5% (95% CI 0·3−2·7) and 1·1% (95% CI 0·1−2·3) increase in diarrhoeal risk, respectively. Relative humidity and diarrhoeal risk were in nonlinear relationship. The spatial analysis showed significant clustering of diarrhoea, and the LISA map shows three multi-centred diarrhoeal clusters and three single-centred clusters in the research location. The findings suggest that climatic conditions projected to be associated with climate change have important implication for human health impact in the Mekong Delta region.
Shrinking a large dataset to identify variables associated with increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in Western Kenya
Authors: TREMBLAY M. , DAHM J. S. , WAMAE C. N. , DE GLANVILLE W. A. , FÈVRE E. M. , DÖPFER D. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYLarge datasets are often not amenable to analysis using traditional single-step approaches. Here, our general objective was to apply imputation techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), elastic net and generalized linear models to a large dataset in a systematic approach to extract the most meaningful predictors for a health outcome. We extracted predictors for Plasmodium falciparum infection, from a large covariate dataset while facing limited numbers of observations, using data from the People, Animals, and their Zoonoses (PAZ) project to demonstrate these techniques: data collected from 415 homesteads in western Kenya, contained over 1500 variables that describe the health, environment, and social factors of the humans, livestock, and the homesteads in which they reside. The wide, sparse dataset was simplified to 42 predictors of P. falciparum malaria infection and wealth rankings were produced for all homesteads. The 42 predictors make biological sense and are supported by previous studies. This systematic data-mining approach we used would make many large datasets more manageable and informative for decision-making processes and health policy prioritization.
Disease prioritization: what is the state of the art?
Authors: BROOKES V. J. , DEL RIO VILAS V. J. , WARD M. P. 
Published: April 2015

SUMMARYDisease prioritization is motivated by the need to ensure that limited resources are targeted at the most important problems to achieve the greatest benefit in improving and maintaining human and animal health. Studies have prioritized a range of disease types, for example, zoonotic and foodborne diseases, using a range of criteria that describe potential disease impacts. This review describes the progression of disease prioritization methodology fromad hoctechniques to decision science methods (including multi-criteria decision analysis, conjoint analysis and probabilistic inversion), and describes how these methods aid defensible resource allocation. We discuss decision science in the context of disease prioritization to then review the development of disease prioritization studies. Structuring the prioritization and assessing decision-makers' preferences through value trade-offs between criteria within the decision context are identified as key factors that ensure transparency and reproducibility. Future directions for disease prioritization include the development of validation techniques, guidelines for model selection and neuroeconomics to gain a deeper understanding of decision-making.
An automatic approach to identify word sense changes in text media across timescales
Authors: MITRA SUNNY , MITRA RITWIK , MAITY SUMAN KALYAN , RIEDL MARTIN , BIEMANN CHRIS , GOYAL PAWAN , MUKHERJEE ANIMESH 
Published: April 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we propose an unsupervised and automated method to identify noun sense changes based on rigorous analysis of time-varying text data available in the form of millions of digitized books and millions of tweets posted per day. We construct distributional-thesauri-based networks from data at different time points and cluster each of them separately to obtain word-centric sense clusters corresponding to the different time points. Subsequently, we propose a split/join based approach to compare the sense clusters at two different time points to find if there is ‘birth’ of a new sense. The approach also helps us to find if an older sense was ‘split’ into more than one sense or a newer sense has been formed from the ‘join’ of older senses or a particular sense has undergone ‘death’. We use this completely unsupervised approach (a) within the Google books data to identify word sense differences within a media, and (b) across Google books and Twitter data to identify differences in word sense distribution across different media. We conduct a thorough evaluation of the proposed methodology both manually as well as through comparison with WordNet.
Self-Efficacy Buffers the Relationship between Educational Disadvantage and Executive Functioning
Authors: Zahodne Laura B. , Nowinski Cindy J. , Gershon Richard C. , Manly Jennifer J. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractPrevious studies showed that control beliefs are more strongly related to global cognition and mortality among adults with low education, providing preliminary evidence that self-efficacy buffers against the negative impact of educational disadvantage on physical and cognitive health. The current study extends these findings to a nationally representative sample of men and women aged 30 to 85 and explores which cognitive domains are most strongly associated with self-efficacy, educational attainment, and their interaction. Data were obtained from 1032 adult (30–85) participants in the United States norming study for the NIH Toolbox. Self-efficacy, executive functioning, working memory, processing speed, episodic memory, and vocabulary were assessed with the NIH Toolbox. Multivariate analysis of covariance and follow-up regressions tested the hypothesis that self-efficacy would be more strongly related to cognitive performance among individuals with lower education, controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, reading level, testing language, and depressive symptoms. Higher education was associated with higher self-efficacy and better performance on all cognitive tests. Higher self-efficacy was associated with better set-switching and attention/inhibition. Significant self-efficacy by education interactions indicated that associations between self-efficacy and executive abilities were stronger for individuals with lower education. Specifically, individuals with low education but high self-efficacy performed similarly to individuals with high education. This study provides evidence that self-efficacy beliefs buffer against the negative effects of low educational attainment on executive functioning. These results have implications for future policy and/or intervention work aimed at reducing the deleterious effects of educational disadvantage on later cognitive health. (JINS, 2015, 21, 297–304)
Importance of Carbon Contamination in High-Resolution (FEG) EPMA of Silicate Minerals
Authors: Buse Ben , Kearns Stuart 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe effect of carbon contamination on the analysis of carbon-coated silicate minerals at 5 kV for X-ray energies 0.7–4 keV is examined. For individual spot analyses, carbon is found to deposit adjacent to the beam spot forming ring-shaped deposits with no impact on the analysis. Carbon contamination becomes important for closely spaced analyses such as multipoint transects, where each subsequent analysis overlaps the carbon ring of the previous analysis. X-ray intensity loss due to contamination is most severe for low-overvoltage elements such as Ca K consistent with carbon deposition effectively reducing beam energy. Rates of contamination are calculated and the use of a liquid nitrogen cold trap is shown to greatly reduce the amount of carbon deposited. A complimentary empirical correction is developed to correct for X-ray intensity loss from measured carbon, assuming the carbon is a film, and is compared with corrections derived from thin film calculations. PENELOPE electron probe microanalysis (PENEPMA) calculations confirm that asymmetry of the carbon deposition can be ignored for X-ray energies where intensity loss is predominantly through energy loss of beam electrons. Using a cold trap and/or an empirical correction high spatial resolution analysis (ca. 400 nm between points) is achievable with analytical errors of ca. 1–3%.
Genetic diversity provides opportunities for improvement of fresh-cut pepper quality
Authors: Stommel John R. , Camp Mary J. , Luo Yaguang , Welten-Schoevaars Anne Marie 
Published: April 2015

Genetic diversity identified in the Capsicum genepool has been utilized extensively to improve pepper disease resistance, fruit quality and varied yield attributes. Little attention has been dedicated to evaluating the breadth of potential diversity within Capsicum for fresh-cut attributes and genetic enhancement of fresh-cut fruit quality. We evaluated fresh-cut attributes in pepper accessions with diverse fruit phenotype selected from available cultivars and the USDA, ARS Capsicum genebank. Subjective assessment of product quality and objective measurement of package atmospheric composition, tissue juice leakage and membrane electrolyte leakage after 7, 10 and 14 d of storage identified significant differences for fresh-cut attributes among as well as within sweet bell, large elongate, jalapeno and serrano germplasm. Sweet bell and large elongate fruited accessions generally exhibited increasing electrolyte leakage over days of storage, whereas jalapeno and serrano accessions maintained stable electrolyte leakage levels. Jalapeno and serrano fruit classes were typified by faster decline in package headspace O2 and accumulation in CO2 partial pressures in comparison to sweet bell and large elongated fruit classes. Regression analysis demonstrated a relationship between overall visual quality and electrolyte leakage after 14 d of storage for sweet bell and large elongated fruit classes. The results demonstrate extensive variation in Capsicum germplasm to improve pepper for fresh-cut applications and facilitate research to better understand physiological and heritable determinants of fresh-cut product quality.