bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Waiting for the Opportune Moment: The Tobacco Industry and Marijuana Legalization
Authors: BARRY RACHEL ANN , HIILAMO HEIKKI , GLANTZ STANTON A. 
Published: June 2014

ContextIn 2012, Washington State and Colorado legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and Uruguay, beginning in 2014, will become the first country to legalize the sale and distribution of marijuana. The challenge facing policymakers and public health advocates is reducing the harms of an ineffective, costly, and discriminatory “war on drugs” while preventing another public health catastrophe similar to tobacco use, which kills 6 million people worldwide each year.MethodsBetween May and December 2013, using the standard snowball research technique, we searched the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library of previously secret tobacco industry documents (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu).FindingsSince at least the 1970s, tobacco companies have been interested in marijuana and marijuana legalization as both a potential and a rival product. As public opinion shifted and governments began relaxing laws pertaining to marijuana criminalization, the tobacco companies modified their corporate planning strategies to prepare for future consumer demand.ConclusionsPolicymakers and public health advocates must be aware that the tobacco industry or comparable multinational organizations (eg, food and beverage industries) are prepared to enter the marijuana market with the intention of increasing its already widespread use. In order to prevent domination of the market by companies seeking to maximize market size and profits, policymakers should learn from their successes and failures in regulating tobacco.
What Are the Key Ingredients for Effective Public Involvement in Health Care Improvement and Policy Decisions? A Randomized Trial Process Evaluation
Authors: BOIVIN ANTOINE , LEHOUX PASCALE , BURGERS JAKO , GROL RICHARD 
Published: June 2014

ContextIn the past 50 years, individual patient involvement at the clinical consultation level has received considerable attention. More recently, patients and the public have increasingly been involved in collective decisions concerning the improvement of health care and policymaking. However, rigorous evaluation guiding the development and implementation of effective public involvement interventions is lacking. This article describes those key ingredients likely to affect public members’ ability to deliberate productively with professionals and influence collective health care choices.MethodWe conducted a trial process evaluation of public involvement in setting priorities for health care improvement. In all, 172 participants (including 83 patients and public members and 89 professionals) from 6 Health and Social Services Centers in Canada participated in the trial. We videorecorded 14 one‐day meetings, and 2 nonparticipant observers took structured notes. Using qualitative analysis, we show how public members influenced health care improvement priorities.FindingsLegitimacy, credibility, and power explain the variations in the public members’ influence. Their credibility was supported by their personal experience as patients and caregivers, the provision of a structured preparation meeting, and access to population‐based data from their community. Legitimacy was fostered by the recruitment of a balanced group of participants and by the public members’ opportunities to draw from one another's experience. The combination of small‐group deliberations, wider public consultation, and a moderation style focused on effective group process helped level out the power differences between professionals and the public. The engagement of key stakeholders in the intervention design and implementation helped build policy support for public involvement.ConclusionsA number of interacting active ingredients structure and foster the public's legitimacy, credibility, and power. By paying greater attention to them, policymakers could develop and implement more effective public involvement interventions.
Diagnostic accuracy of the BACs‐on‐Beads™ assay versus karyotyping for prenatal detection of chromosomal abnormalities: a retrospective consecutive case series
Authors: Choy KW , Kwok YK , Cheng YKY , Wong KM , Wong HK , Leung KO , Suen KW , Adler K , Wang CC , Lau TK , Schermer MJ , Lao TT , Leung TY 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic performance of the BACs‐on‐Beads™ (BoBs™) assay for prenatal detection of chromosomal abnormalities.DesignRetrospective study.SettingTertiary prenatal diagnosis centre.PopulationWomen referred for prenatal diagnosis.MethodsWe retrieved 2153 archived DNA samples collected between January 2010 and August 2011 for the BoBs™ assay. These samples had previously been tested by quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF‐PCR) and karyotyping. In the BoBs™ assay a sample was defined as normal disomic when the ratio of the fluorescence intensities in a chromosome locus lay within the threshold (mean ratio ± 2SD), and as deleted or duplicated when the ratio was below the lower threshold (0.6–0.8) or above the upper threshold (1.3–1.4), respectively. The BoBs™ results were further validated by microarray and compared in a blinded manner with the original QF‐PCR and karyotyping results.Main outcome measuresConcordance of any numerical, structural, and submicroscopic chromosomal abnormalities between the methods.ResultsBACs‐on‐Beads™ was similar to karyotyping and QF‐PCR in detecting trisomy 13, trisomy 18, trisomy 21, and sex chromosomal aneuploidies, and superior to QF‐PCR in detecting major structural abnormalities (53.3 versus 13.3%) and mosaicism (28.6 versus 0%) involving chromosomal abnormalities other than the common aneuploidies. BoBs™ detected six microdeletion syndromes missed by karyotyping and QF‐PCR; however, BoBs™ missed two cases of triploidy identified by QF‐PCR. Therefore, the sensitivity of BoBs™ is 96.7% (95% CI 92.6–98.7%), and its specificity is 100% (95% CI 99.8–100%).ConclusionsBACs‐on‐Beads™ can replace QF‐PCR for triaging in prenatal diagnosis, and gives a better diagnostic yield than current rapid aneuploidy tests.
Influence of interpregnancy interval on birth timing
Authors: DeFranco EA , Ehrlich S , Muglia LJ 
Published: June 2014

ObjectiveTo assess the influence of inadequate birth spacing on birth timing distribution across gestation.DesignPopulation‐based retrospective cohort study using vital statistics birth records.SettingOhio, USA.Study PopulationSingleton, non‐anomalous live births ≥20 weeks to multiparous mothers, 2006–2011.MethodsBirth frequency at each gestational week was compared following short IPIs of <6, 6–12 and 12–18 months versus referent group, normal IPI ≥18 months.Main outcome measuresFrequency of birth at each gestational week; preterm <37 weeks; <39 and ≥40 weeks.ResultsOf 454 716 births, 87% followed a normal IPI ≥18 months, 10.7% had IPI 12–18 months and 2.2% with IPI <12 months. The risk of delivery <39 weeks was higher following short IPI <12 months, adjOR (odds ratio) 2.78 (95% CI 2.64, 2.93). 53.3% of women delivered before the 39th week after IPI <12 months compared with 37.5% of women with normal IPI, P < 0.001. Likewise, birth at ≥40 weeks was decreased (16.9%) following short IPI <12 months compared to normal IPI, 23.2%, adjOR 0.67 (95% CI 0.64, 0.71). This resulted in a shift of the frequency distribution curve of birth by week of gestation to the left for pregnancies following a short IPI <12 months and 12–18 months compared to, birth spacing ≥18 months.ConclusionsWhile short IPI is a known risk factor for preterm birth, our data show that inadequate birth spacing is associated with decreased gestational age for all births. Pregnancies following short IPIs have a higher frequency of birth at all weeks of gestation prior to 39 and fewer births ≥40 weeks, resulting in overall shortened pregnancy duration.
Developing Exon‐Primed Intron‐Crossing (EPIC) markers for population genetic studies in three Aedes disease vectors
Authors: White Vanessa Linley , Endersby Nancy Margaret , Chan Janice , Hoffmann Ary Anthony , Weeks Andrew Raymond 
Published: June 2014

AbstractAedes aegypti, Aedes notoscriptus, and Aedes albopictus are important vectors of many arboviruses implicated in human disease such as dengue fever. Genetic markers applied across vector species can provide important information on population structure, gene flow, insecticide resistance, and taxonomy, however, robust microsatellite markers have proven difficult to develop in these species and mosquitoes generally. Here we consider the utility and transferability of 15 Ribosome protein (Rp) Exon‐Primed Intron‐Crossing (EPIC) markers for population genetic studies in these 3 Aedes species. Rp EPIC markers designed for Ae. aegypti also successfully amplified populations of the sister species, Ae. albopictus, as well as the distantly related species, Ae. notoscriptus. High SNP and good indel diversity in sequenced alleles plus support for amplification of the same regions across populations and species were additional benefits of these markers. These findings point to the general value of EPIC markers in mosquito population studies.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with significant coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetic patients: A computed tomography angiography study 在2型糖尿病患者中非酒精性脂肪性肝病与严重冠心病有关：一项计算机断层扫描血管造影研究
Authors: Idilman Ilkay S. , Akata Deniz , Hazirolan Tuncay , Doganay Erdogan Beyza , Aytemir Kudret , Karcaaltincaba Musturay 
Published: June 2014

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 2 diabetic patients, who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).MethodsBetween June 2007 and May 2010, a total of 273 type 2 diabetic patients without known liver disease underwent coronary CTA for chest pain were enrolled. Axial, multiplanar, and Maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were used for determining the cardiovascular disease. Liver fat content was measured from unenhanced CT images obtained for calcium scoring. Moderate and severe NAFLD was defined when mean liver attenuation value is ≤40 Hounsfield Unit (HU).ResultsAmong 273 patients, 76% of the patients (n = 207) had CAD; 48% of them had significant CAD (≥50 stenosis) by coronary CTA. Patients with CAD were older and male gender was predominant. Mean liver attenuation value calculated with CT was 50 ± 12 HU. Mean liver attenuation value was lower in patients with metabolic syndrome compared to patients without metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001). Moderate and severe NAFLD was observed in 22% of the patients (n = 59) with a mean attenuation value of 30 HU. After adjustment of age, gender, obesity, hypertension, smoking status and serum low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels as coronary risk factors, NAFLD was associated with significant CAD (P = 0.04).ConclusionsIn conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that NAFLD is associated with significant CAD in type 2 diabetic patients. Assessment of liver attenuation by CT represents noninvasive evaluation for detection of asymptomatic individuals with NAFLD during coronary CT angiography.
A multivariate approach to the analysis of within lifetime variation in life history
Authors: Billman Eric J. , Rasmussen Josh E. , Creighton J. Curtis , Johnson Jerald B. , Belk Mark C. 
Published: June 2014

Summary

Ecological and environmental gradients create varying selective pressures on organisms that result in differences in optimal life history tactics. Moreover, life histories are inherently multivariate, consisting of a coordinated suite of life history traits that vary over an organism's lifetime. Such variation can be described as a trajectory of phenotypic change through time in multivariate space defined by a set of life history traits.

We demonstrate the use of phenotypic trajectory analysis as a multivariate analytical approach for quantifying and comparing phenotypic change in life history throughout an organism's life. Life history trajectories have attributes – magnitude, direction, and shape – that can be quantified and statistically compared. We demonstrate the construction of trajectories using levels characterized by individuals with the same age or similar state, and we show how this approach can be used to evaluate the evolution of life history strategies given predictions from life history theory.

We demonstrate the utility of phenotypic trajectory analysis for life histories using two examples. We compare life history trajectories of burying beetles and show that females balance costs of reproduction differently based on resource availability. We also characterize life history trajectories of livebearing fish in different predation environments. We show that females in non‐predator environments, but not predator environments, exhibit trajectories consistent with the terminal investment hypothesis.

While analysing life history variation in a multivariate framework is not novel, we show that phenotypic trajectory analysis provides a method to statistically test age‐ and state‐based predictions of life history theory.
Multiple queens and biased sex ratios in the independent‐founding Ropalidia Guérin‐Méneville, 1831 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) wasps
Authors: Henshaw Michael T , Woller‐Skar M Megan , Pence Aimee N 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe social wasp genus Ropalidia includes both ‘swarm‐founding’ species with large, multi‐queen colonies, and ‘independent‐founding’ species that have smaller colonies and fewer queens. Swarm‐founding evolved from independent‐founding, and a key element of this transition was the evolution of queen cycling, which elevates relatedness despite high average queen numbers. Queen cycling is a form of split‐sex ratios; colonies with few queens specialise on new queen production, while colonies with many queens specialise on male production. This is consistent with worker preferences resulting from relatedness asymmetry (RA) to male and female brood but can also result from other factors. We characterised the demographic and genetic structure of colonies from three species of independent‐founding Ropalidia (R. excavata, R. revolutionalis and R. gregaria) to better understand the evolutionary origins of split‐sex ratios and queen cycling in their swarm‐founding relatives. We found that colonies of all three species varied in genetic structure, driving variation in RA. In colonies where the workers' RA was high (i.e. workers were more related to female than male brood), the proportion of males in the brood was lower, consistent with the relatedness‐based preferences of the workers. We also found that the proportion of males decreased in colonies with more mated and reproductively developed females. Our model explained 23% of the deviance in sex ratio across all three species and suggests that the workers manipulate the sex ratio in response to RA but that other factors are clearly important also. These results further suggest that split‐sex ratios and queen cycling in the swarm‐founding wasps are rooted in worker control of the colony sex ratio, and that such worker control may have occurred in their independent‐founding ancestors, enabling the subsequent evolution of large, multi‐queen societies.
Swallowed topical corticosteroids reduce the risk for long‐lasting bolus impactions in eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Kuchen T. , Straumann A. , Safroneeva E. , Romero Y. , Bussmann C. , Vavricka S. , Netzer P. , Reinhard A. , Portmann S. , Schoepfer A. M. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractBackgroundLong‐lasting food impactions requiring endoscopic bolus removal occur frequently in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and harbor a risk for severe esophageal injuries. We evaluated whether treatment with swallowed topical corticosteroids is able to reduce the risk of occurrence of this complication.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Swiss EoE Cohort Study. Patients with yearly clinic visits, during which standardized assessment of symptoms, endoscopic, histologic, and laboratory findings was carried out, were included.ResultsA total of 206 patients (157 males) were analyzed. The median follow‐up time was 5 years with a total of 703 visits (mean 3.41 visits/patient). During the follow‐up period, 33 patients (16 % of the cohort) experienced 42 impactions requiring endoscopic bolus removal. We evaluated the following factors regarding the outcome ‘bolus impaction’ by univariate logistic regression modeling: swallowed topical corticosteroid therapy (OR 0.503, 95%‐CI 0.255–0.993, P = 0.048), presence of EoE symptoms (OR 1.150, 95%‐CI 0.4668–2.835, P = 0.761), esophageal stricture (OR 2.832, 95%‐CI 1.508–5.321, P = 0.001), peak eosinophil count >10 eosinophils/HPF (OR 0.724, 95%‐CI 0.324–1.621, P = 0.433), blood eosinophilia (OR 1.532, 95%‐CI 0.569–4.118, P = 0.398), and esophageal dilation (OR 1.852, 95%‐CI 1.034–3.755, P = 0.017). In the multivariate model, the following factors were significantly associated with bolus impaction: swallowed topical corticosteroid therapy (OR 0.411, 95%‐CI 0.203–0.835, P = 0.014) and esophageal stricture (OR 2.666, 95%‐CI 1.259–5.645, P = 0.01). Increasing frequency of use of swallowed topical steroids was associated with a lower risk for bolus impactions.ConclusionsTreatment of EoE with swallowed topical corticosteroids significantly reduces the risk for long‐lasting bolus impactions.
Satisfaction of farm animal behavioral needs in behaviorally restricted systems: Reducing stressors and environmental enrichment
Authors: Ninomiya Shigeru 
Published: June 2014

AbstractIn modern intensive husbandry, systems often restrict farm animal behavior. Behavioral needs will be generated by external stimuli such as stressors deriving from environmental factors or the method of animal care, or some internal factor in farm animals. This means that behavioral restriction would induce maladaptation to stressors or chronic stress. Such a risk of behavioral restriction degrades an animal's physical and mental health and leads to economic loss at a farm. Methods to reduce the risk of behavioral restrictions are to ameliorate the source of a stressor through adequate animal management or to carry out environmental enrichment. This review is intended to describe the relation between animal management and behavioral needs from the perspective of animal motivation.
Stimulation of Erythrocyte Cell Membrane Scrambling by Nystatin
Authors: Malik Abaid , Bissinger Rosi , Jilani Kashif , Lang Florian 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe antifungal ionophore nystatin dissipates the Na+ and K+ gradients across the cell membrane, leading to cellular gain of Na+ and cellular loss of K+. The increase of cellular Na+ concentration may result in Ca2+ accumulation in exchange for Na+. Increase of cytosolic Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i) and loss of cellular K+ foster apoptosis‐like suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis, which is characterised by cell shrinkage and cell membrane scrambling leading to phosphatidylserine exposure at the erythrocyte surface. The present study explored whether nystatin stimulates eryptosis. Cell volume was estimated from forward scatter (FSC), phosphatidylserine exposure from annexin V binding and [Ca2+]i from Fluo3‐fluorescence in flow cytometry. A 48‐hr exposure to nystatin (15 μg/ml) was followed by a significant increase of [Ca2+]i, a significant increase of annexin V binding and a significant decrease of FSC. The annexin V binding after nystatin treatment was significantly blunted in the nominal absence of extracellular Ca2+. Partial replacement of extracellular Na+ with extracellular K+ blunted the nystatin‐induced erythrocyte shrinkage but increased [Ca2+]i and annexin V binding. Nystatin triggers cell membrane scrambling, an effect at least partially due to entry of extracellular Ca2+.
Divergent mucosal and systemic responses in children in response to acute otitis media
Authors: Verhoeven D , Pichichero M E 
Published: June 2014

Summary
Acute otitis media (AOM), induced by respiratory bacteria, is a significant cause of children seeking medical attention worldwide. Some children are highly prone to AOMs, suffering three to four recurrent infections per year (prone). We previously determined that this population of children could have diminished anti-bacterial immune responses in peripheral blood that could fail to limit bacterial colonization in the nasopharynx (NP). Here, we examined local NP and middle ear (ME) responses and compared them to peripheral blood to examine whether the mucosa responses were similar to the peripheral blood responses. Moreover, we examined differences in effector cytokine responses between these two populations in the NP, ME and blood compartments at the onset of an AOM caused by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. We found that plasma effector cytokines patterned antigen-recall responses of CD4 T cells, with lower responses detected in prone children. ME cytokine levels did not mirror blood, but were more similar to the NP. Interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17 in the NP were similar in prone and non-prone children, while IL-2 production was higher in prone children. The immune responses diverged in the mucosal and blood compartments at the onset of a bacterial ME infection, thus highlighting differences between local and systemic immune responses that could co-ordinate anti-bacterial immune responses in young children.
Rituximab impairs immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG (subclass) responses after influenza vaccination in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Westra J , van Assen S , Wilting K R , Land J , Horst G , de Haan A , Bijl M 
Published: June 2014

Summary
Rituximab (RTX) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients severely hampers humoral response after influenza vaccination as determined by haemagglutination inhibition assay (HI). It is not known whether HI reflects both immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG (subclass) influenza response, and whether IgM antibodies contribute to the low rate of influenza infection seen in RA patients. Twenty RA patients on methotrexate (MTX), 23 on RTX and 28 healthy controls (HC) received trivalent influenza subunit vaccination. Before and 28 days after vaccination, H1N1- and H3N2-specific antibodies were measured by HI and by IgM and IgG (subclass) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). B cell activating factor (BAFF) levels were determined in serum samples before vaccination. Vaccination induced a significant increase of IgM and IgG (IgG1 and IgG3) antibodies against both strains in the HC and MTX groups (all P &lt; 0·01), but not in the RTX group. HI correlated significantly in all cases with IgG (IgG1) but not with IgM. In RTX late patients (RTX treatment 6–10 months before vaccination), IgG (IgG1 and IgG3) response to vaccination was restored, but not IgM response. BAFF levels were significantly increased in RA-RTX patients and correlated with total IgG levels. Haemagglutination inhibition assay, used as gold standard, detects primarily IgG (IgG1) responses. IgM- and IgG influenza-specific antibodies increase after vaccination in HC and RA patients except in patients on RTX treatment. BAFF levels are increased in both early and late RTX-treated patients, but do not correlate with an influenza-specific antibody response.