bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Presepsin for the Detection of Late-Onset Sepsis in Preterm Newborns
Authors: Poggi Chiara , Bianconi Tommaso , Gozzini Elena , Generoso Marta , Dani Carlo 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND:Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in preterm newborns, and currently available diagnostic tools are inadequate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of presepsin (P-SEP) as novel biomarker of bacterial infection for the diagnosis of LOS in preterm newborns.METHODS:We prospectively studied newborns ≤32 weeks’ gestational age with LOS (n = 19) and noninfected controls (n = 21) at 4 to 60 days’ postnatal age. At enrollment, and 1, 3, and 5 days later, we ascertained the C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and P-SEP in the LOS group, whereas P-SEP alone was ascertained in the control group.RESULTS:P-SEP at enrollment was higher in the LOS than the control group (median 1295 vs 562 ng/L, P = .00001) and remained higher throughout the study period. In the LOS group, P-SEP had a borderline reduction at day 1 versus values at enrollment (median 1011 vs 1295 ng/L, P = .05), whereas C-reactive protein and procalcitonin at day 1 did not differ from baseline values. The receiver operating characteristic curve of P-SEP at enrollment shows an area under the curve of 0.972. The best calculated cutoff value was 885 ng/L, with 94% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Negative likelihood ratio was 0.05, and positive likelihood ratio was infinity.CONCLUSIONS:We demonstrated for the first time in a cohort of preterm newborns that P-SEP is an accurate biomarker for the diagnosis of possible LOS and may also provide useful information for monitoring the response to therapeutic interventions.
Population Densities of Birds Breeding in Urbanized Habitats in the Grabiszyn District in the City of Wrocław
Authors: Kopij Grzegorz 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Studies were carried out in 2010 by mean of simplified version of the mapping method. The study area (395 ha) was located close to the city centre. It comprised a mosaic of urbanized habitats, with a clear dominance of green areas, such as parks (41.1 ha), gardens, cemeteries and tree clumps. A total of 48 breeding bird species were recorded in the whole study area. The most common (<25 pairs/100 ha) were Passer domesticus, Passer montanus, Sturnus vulgaris, Parus caeruleus, Parus major, Apus apus and Columba livia. Numerous (7-15 pairs/100 ha) were also the following species: Columba palumbus, Turdus pilaris, Sylvia atricapilla, Serinus serinus, Turdus merula and Pica pica. Insectivorous birds were the most common birds constituting 63.3%, and granivorous -32.6% of all pairs recorded. Most birds nested in tree holes (39.3%), in/on buildings (30.2%) and in trees/shrubs (25.6%). Distribution of breeding pairs of 23 bird species was presented on maps. Population trends for 17 species were documented. Rapid increase in numbers of Turdus pilaris, Corvus cornix and Phoenicurus phoenicurus and decrease of Pica pica were recorded.
New Records of Lilypad Whiteface Leucorrhinia Caudalis (Odonata: Libellulidae) in the Czech Republic
Authors: Dolný Aleš , Waldhauser Martin , Kvita Lubomír , Kocourková Lydie 
Published: December 2014

Abstract

Leucorrhinia caudalis is listed on the European Red List as near threatened. The species had been thought to be extinct in the Czech Republic for the last fifty years, until an accidental discovery of adult males in 2012. In 2014, larvae of Leucorrhinia caudalis were recorded from water reservoirs in the Česká Lípa region, northern Bohemia, for the first time. Thus, it is the first breeding site of L. caudalis in the Czech Republic. A male Leucorrhinia caudalis was also repeatedly recorded in Havířov-Dolní Suchá in the north-eastern Czech Republic.
Urban Expansion and Its Impact on Green Spaces of Dehradun City, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Gupta Peeyush , Goyal Swati 
Published: December 2014

Urbanization is on increase because of heavy population pressure, industrialization, and better job opportunities in plane areas compared to Himalayan terrain. The urbanization has also added hypertension because of very fast life and lack of recreational opportunities within easily accessible distances. Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. The term does not include the removal of industrial forests such as plantations of gums or pines. Deforestation is clearing of forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Urbanization is one of the major causes of the deforestation. Urban green space planning is an important component of urban ecosystems; provide many environmental and social services that contribute quality of life in the cities.The green spaces are said to be the lungs of the urban ecosystem. The process of urbanization led to natural landscape change. In the process tree cover, green spaces and wetlands were recklessly converted into built-up areas in the past and the process is still going on. Due to availability of required infrastructure, Dehradun was named interim capital of the nascent Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in 2000. Other regions of Uttarakhand is also experiencing rapid urbanization. The hill districts adjoining Dehradun district have witnessed a four-fold increase in the number of towns between 1901 and 2001. The population of Dehradun registered increase of 41.08 % between1961-1971, 32.84 % between 1971-81, 25.39 % between 1981-91 and during 1991-2001 it increased by 52.45 %. The temporal imaging of remote sensing data and socio-economic data of 1982 will be used for overall spatial monitoring.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11731 International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 57-73
Adoption of Root and Tuber Technologies among Farmers (Agricultural Development Programme -Adp)
Authors: Ekwere G. E , Edem I. D. , Agbasi O. E. 
Published: December 2014

This paper analyzed the adoption rate of root and tuber technologies in Anambra state Agricultural Development Programme. Specific objectives were to ascertain the root and tuber expansion programme (RTEP) technologies, find out the extension methods and level of access to extension services among members of farmers based groups and to assess the farmers’ awareness on various varieties of root and tuber technologies. Three hypotheses were formulated to test the effect of variables on the adoption rate. Stratified random sampling techniques were used to determine the sample size of 112 including the farmers and RTEP staff. Findings showed that various varieties and technologies promoted in the area by RTEP were ABANA 85, ADAKA 96 and EKPE 88 for Yam, while TMS 305SS, TMS 30 and TMS 30572 for Cassava and White P. 179 and RED P. 162 for Potatoes. Comparatively the income levels of the farmers remained unchanged but they expressed satisfaction with the use of RTEP technologies.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i4.11741 International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-3, Issue-4, Sep-Nov 2014Page: 117-132
Sea-ice conditions in the Adélie Depression, Antarctica, during besetment of the icebreaker RV Xuelong
Authors: Zhai Mengxi , Li Xinqing , Hui Fengming , Cheng Xiao , Heil Petra , Zhao Tiancheng , Jiang Tianyu , Cheng Cheng , Ci Tianyu , Yan Liu  , Chi Zhaohui , Liu Jian 
Published: December 2014

AbstractDuring the 30th Chinese Antarctic Expedition in 2013/14, the Chinese icebreaker RV Xuelong answered a rescue call from the Russian RV Akademik Shokalskiy. While assisting the repatriation of personnel from the Russian vessel to the Australian RV Aurora Australis, RV Xuelong itself became entrapped within the compacted ice in the Adélie Depression region. Analysis of MODIS and SAR imagery provides a detailed description of the regional sea-ice conditions which led to the 6 day long besetment of RV Xuelong. The remotely sensed imagery revealed four stages of sea-ice characteristics during the entrapment: the gathering, compaction, dispersion and calving stages. Four factors characterizing the local sea-ice conditions during late December 2013 and early January 2014 were identified: surface component of the coastal current; near-surface wind; ocean tides; and surface air temperature. This study demonstrates that shipping activity in ice-invested waters should be underpinned by general knowledge of the ice situation. In addition, during such activity high spatiotemporal resolution remotely sensed data should be acquired regularly to monitor local and regional sea-ice changes with a view to avoiding the besetment of vessels.
Surge motion of an ice floe in waves: comparison of a theoretical and an experimental model
Authors: Meylan Michael H. , Yiew Lucas J. , Bennetts Luke G. , French Benjamin J. , Thomas Giles A. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractA theoretical model and an experimental model of surge motions of an ice floe due to regular waves are presented. The theoretical model is a modified version of Morrison’s equation, valid for small floating bodies. The experimental model is implemented in a wave basin at a scale 1:100, using a thin plastic disc to model the floe. The processed experimental data display a regime change in surge amplitude when the incident wavelength is approximately twice the floe diameter. It is shown that the theoretical model is accurate in the high-wavelength regime, but highly inaccurate in the low-wavelength regime.
Experimental determination of a double-valued drag relationship for glacier sliding
Authors: Zoet Lucas K. , Iverson Neal R. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe contribution of glaciers to sea-level rise and their effects on landscape evolution depend on the poorly known relationship between sliding speed and drag at the ice/bed interface. Results from experiments with a new rotary laboratory device demonstrate empirically for the first time a double-valued drag relationship like that suggested by some sliding theories: steady drag on a rigid, sinusoidal bed increases, peaks and declines at progressively higher sliding speeds due to growth of cavities in the lee sides of bed undulations. Drag decreases with increased sliding speed if cavities extend beyond the inflection points of up-glacier facing surfaces, so that adverse bed slopes in contact with ice diminish with further cavity growth. These results indicate that shear tractions on glacier beds can potentially decrease due to increases in sliding speed driven by weather or climate variability, promoting even more rapid glacier motion by requiring greater strain rates to produce resistive stresses. Although a double-valued drag relationship has not yet been demonstrated for the complicated geometries of real glacier beds, both its potential major implications and the characteristically convex stoss surfaces of bumps on real glacier beds provide stimulus for exploring the effects of this relationship in ice-sheet models.
The Interleukin 33/ST2 Axis in Patients with Primary Sjögren Syndrome: Expression in Serum and Salivary Glands, and the Clinical Association
Authors: Jung Seung Min , Lee Jaeseon , Baek Seung Ye , Lee Jae Ho , Lee Jennifer , Park Kyung-Su , Park Sung-Hwan , Kim Ho-Youn , Kwok Seung-Ki 
Published: December 2014

Objective.To evaluate the expression of interleukin 33 (IL-33) and its receptor in sera and salivary tissues of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), and to investigate the association with clinical profiles.Methods.Serum IL-33 and soluble ST2 (sST2) of 55 patients with pSS and 48 controls were determined by ELISA and assessed for clinical correlation. The expression of IL-33/ST2 in salivary tissues was investigated by immunohistochemical staining and was further characterized by confocal microscopy. We also measured IL-33 production in salivary glandular epithelial cells by proinflammatory stimuli.Results.Serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 were higher in patients with pSS compared to those in controls (p = 0.018 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Among patients with pSS, sST2 concentration was associated with thrombocytopenia (p = 0.029) and correlated with disease duration (p = 0.013) and the European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren Syndrome Disease Activity Index (p = 0.042). The expression of IL-33 and ST2 was elevated in salivary glands of patients with pSS with grade 2 inflammation, and diminished in advanced inflammation. In patients with pSS, IL-33 was mainly observed in epithelial and endothelial cells of glandular tissue. The production of IL-33 mRNA by salivary gland epithelial cell line increased under stimulation with interferon-γ.Conclusion.The expression of IL-33 and its receptor was elevated in sera and salivary tissues of patients with pSS. These results suggest that the IL-33/ST2 axis might have a role in the pathogenesis of pSS.
Elevated Serum Levels of Syndecan-1 Are Associated with Renal Involvement in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Kim Ki-Jo , Kim Ji-Young , Baek In-Woon , Kim Wan-Uk , Cho Chul-Soo 
Published: December 2014

Objective.Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) is a major constituent of the endothelial glycocalyx, which plays a role in maintaining vascular homeostasis and functions as a glomerular filtration barrier. SDC-1 is readily shed into the blood under various conditions, but the clinical implication of circulating SDC-1 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of serum SDC-1 level with certain clinical manifestations of SLE.Methods.We measured serum SDC-1 levels by ELISA in 111 patients with SLE, 18 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 20 healthy subjects, and investigated its association with clinical manifestations and laboratory variables.Results.Serum SDC-1 levels were higher in patients with SLE than in those with RA and healthy controls (both p < 0.001) and were positively correlated with SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; r = 0.367, p < 0.001) and anti-dsDNA antibody level (r = 0.259, p = 0.007), but inversely correlated with serum C3 and CH50 levels (r = −0.305, p = 0.001 and r = −0.244, p = 0.012). Patients with active nephritis had higher serum SDC-1 levels than patients with inactive nephritis and those without nephritis (both p < 0.001). In addition, serum SDC-1 levels were correlated with renal SLEDAI score (r = 0.540, p < 0.001) and excretion of proteinuria as measured by spot urine protein/creatinine ratio (r = 0.538, p < 0.001). In 14 patients with lupus nephritis (LN) whose serum samples were obtained at the time of renal biopsy, there was a positive correlation between serum SDC-1 levels and activity index (r = 0.632, p = 0.015).Conclusion.Serum SDC-1 levels are increased in SLE patients with nephritis, indicating that SDC-1 might be a useful serum biomarker for active LN.
Remission in Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis Treated with Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-α Drugs: An Italian Multicenter Study
Authors: Lubrano Ennio , Perrotta Fabio Massimo , Marchesoni Antonio , D’Angelo Salvatore , Ramonda Roberta , Addimanda Olga , Olivieri Ignazio , Punzi Leonardo , Salvarani Carlo 
Published: December 2014

Objective.To investigate the possibility of achieving partial remission (PR) in patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) versus ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonists, such as adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETN), and infliximab (IFX), in a real clinical practice setting. The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) 20, ASAS40, and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score were also calculated.Methods.A retrospective study was conducted in patients with axSpA treated with ADA, ETN, and IFX from 2000 to 2013. All patients fulfilled the ASAS or the modified New York criteria. PR was reached when the score was < 20 mm (on a visual analog scale of 0–100 mm) in each of these domains: (1) patient global assessment, (2) pain, (3) function, and (4) inflammation.Results.A total of 321 patients with axSpA were treated. Among them, 62 were nr-axSpA while the remaining 259 were AS. Log-rank test to compare survival curves showed that the probability of obtaining PR in nr-axSpA and AS during treatment with anti-TNF-α was not significantly different. At 12 weeks of exposure to the first anti-TNF-α drug, PR was achieved in 7 patients with nr-axSpA (11.3%) and in 68 patients with AS (26.2%).Conclusion.Our results, obtained from clinical practice, showed that PR is an achievable target of anti-TNF-α treatment in nr-axSpA. The PR rate, as a reliable indicator of sustained effectiveness, is similar in nr-axSpA and in AS.
Is Statin Exposure Associated with Occurrence or Better Outcome in Giant Cell Arteritis? Results from a French Population-based Study
Authors: Pugnet Grégory , Sailler Laurent , Bourrel Robert , Montastruc Jean-Louis , Lapeyre-Mestre Maryse 
Published: December 2014

Objective.To investigate the potential association between statin use and giant cell arteritis (GCA) course.Methods.Using the French National Health Insurance system, we included patients with incident GCA from the Midi-Pyrenees region, southern France, from January 2005 to December 2008 and randomly selected 6 controls matched by age, sex, and date of diagnosis. Statin exposure was compared between patients with GCA and their controls before GCA occurrence with a logistic regression. Influence of statin exposure on prednisone requirements during GCA course was explored with a Cox model, considering statin exposure as a time-varying variable.Results.The cohort included 103 patients (80 women, mean age 74.8 ± 9 yrs, mean followup 48.9 ± 14.8 mos), compared to 606 controls. Statin exposure (27.2% of patients with GCA and 23.4% of controls) was not associated with GCA occurrence (adjusted OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.76–1.96; p = 0.41). Diabetes mellitus was significantly associated to GCA occurrence (adjusted OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.11–0.72; p = 0.008). After diagnosis, exposure to statins up to 20 months was associated with maintenance while taking low prednisone doses (p = 0.01).Conclusion.Statin exposure was not associated with GCA occurrence in the general population. However, exposure to statins up to 20 months may favor a quicker corticosteroid tapering. Based on those results, statin effect on GCA course should not be definitively ruled out.
Luttes revendicatives et syndicalisme : le ‘travail d'émancipation' des femmes salariées
Authors: Le Quentrec Yannick 
Published: December 2014

À distance des analyses sociologiques qui se centrent exclusivement sur l’exploitation capitaliste et la domination et mettent en scène des salariées impuissantes et résignées, il s’agit d’interroger dans cet article les conditions du travail d’émancipation des femmes salariées, au croisement des rapports sociaux de classe, de sexe et de race. Après avoir montré dans, un premier temps, les enjeux pour le féminisme de reconnaître l’existence d’espaces de liberté dans le travail et dans le syndicalisme, je m’appuie sur quelques cas de figure de luttes de femmes pour mettre au jour et discuter, dans un second temps, trois dimensions du travail d’émancipation des femmes : l’auto-nomination collective, la praxis émancipatrice et la sororité de classe et de race.
Les femmes dans la médiation sociale : une minorité ‘complémentaire' ou discriminée
Authors: Divay Sophie 
Published: December 2014

La mise en place des emplois de médiation sociale dans le cadre du programme « Nouveaux services – emplois-jeunes » représente l’un des épisodes de l’histoire des mesures de lutte contre le chômage, en l’occurrence des jeunes. Toutefois, le chômage demeure d’actualité et il est utile de tirer les leçons de ce dispositif récent afin d’éviter la répétition des effets pervers de certaines orientations idéologiques impensées qui ont sanctionné les hommes et plus particulièrement les femmes engagées dans ces contrats aidés, notamment en raison d’une invisibilisation des rapports sociaux de sexe au profit d’une catégorisation d’âge.
Social Policy Arrangements across Europe : Continuing Disparities between Social Models in the EU ?
Authors: Kostadinova Petia 
Published: December 2014

Gardant à l’esprit la classification existante des régimes de protection sociale, ce document passe en revue les différentes typologies afin d’examiner les cinq politiques sociales - les prestations de vieillesse, de maladie et de maternité, d’accident du travail, de chômage, et les allocations familiales - réparties dans 30 pays européens. Ces programmes sont comparés de deux points de vue : (1) les sources de financement, à savoir, le gouvernement central, les employeurs, les personnes assurées, ou bien une combinaison des trois, et (2) les restrictions d’admissibilité, à savoir, l’emploi, les critères de revenus, et/ou la couverture universelle. Ces deux dimensions comprennent la solidarité et les aspects de l’inclusion des programmes sociaux, qui sont essentielles en les replaçant dans le contexte du modèle social européen. En outre, par le développement de cette nouvelle base de données des politiques sociales à travers l’Europe, le document met en évidence la diversité continue des dispositifs institutionnels à travers plusieurs types de modèles d’État providence en Europe, ainsi que l’absence de modèle postcommuniste commun.<
Computational Modeling Predicts IL-10 Control of Lesion Sterilization by Balancing Early Host Immunity–Mediated Antimicrobial Responses with Caseation duringMycobacterium tuberculosisInfection
Authors: Cilfone Nicholas A. , Ford Christopher B. , Marino Simeone , Mattila Joshua T. , Gideon Hannah P. , Flynn JoAnne L. , Kirschner Denise E. , Linderman Jennifer J. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractAlthough almost a third of the world’s population is infected with the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, our understanding of the functions of many immune factors involved in fighting infection is limited. Determining the role of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 at the level of the granuloma has proven difficult because of lesional heterogeneity and the limitations of animal models. In this study, we take an in silico approach and, through a series of virtual experiments, we predict several novel roles for IL-10 in tuberculosis granulomas: 1) decreased levels of IL-10 lead to increased numbers of sterile lesions, but at the cost of early increased caseation; 2) small increases in early antimicrobial activity cause this increased lesion sterility; 3) IL-10 produced by activated macrophages is a major mediator of early antimicrobial activity and early host-induced caseation; and 4) increasing levels of infected macrophage derived IL-10 promotes bacterial persistence by limiting the early antimicrobial response and preventing lesion sterilization. Our findings, currently only accessible using an in silico approach, suggest that IL-10 at the individual granuloma scale is a critical regulator of lesion outcome. These predictions suggest IL-10–related mechanisms that could be used as adjunctive therapies during tuberculosis.