bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demographic and clinical features of neuromyelitis optica: A review
Authors: Pandit L , Asgari N , Apiwattanakul M , Palace J , Paul F , Leite MI , Kleiter I , Chitnis T ,   the GJCF International Clinical Consortium & Biorepository for Neuromyelitis Optica
Published: April 2015

The comparative clinical and demographic features of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are not well known. In this review we analyzed peer-reviewed publications for incidence and prevalence, clinical phenotypes, and demographic features of NMO. Population-based studies from Europe, South East and Southern Asia, the Caribbean, and Cuba suggest that the incidence and prevalence of NMO ranges from 0.05–0.4 and 0.52–4.4 per 100,000, respectively. Mean age at onset (32.6–45.7) and median time to first relapse (8–12 months) was similar. Most studies reported an excess of disease in women and a relapsing course, particularly in anti-aquaporin 4 antibody (anti AQP4-IgG)-positive patients. Ethnicity may have a bearing on disease phenotype and clinical outcome. Despite limitations inherent to the review process, themes noted in clinical and demographic features of NMO among different populations promote a more global understanding of NMO and strategies to address it.
miRNA in multiple sclerosis: search for novel biomarkers
Authors: Gandhi Roopali
Published: April 2015

A major challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS) is to develop biomarkers that could help in understanding individual MS patients, i.e. whether they are a responder or non-responder to therapy, which medicine is more effective, and the degree to which they may be entering the progressive phase of disease. In the last few years, a lot of attention has been drawn toward identification of diagnostic, prognostic, process-specific, and treatment-related biomarkers for MS. In this review, we will focus on the micro RNAs (miRNAs) as potential candidates for MS biomarkers.
An exploratory study comparing psychological profiles and its congruence with clinical performance among patients with functional or motility digestive disorders
Authors: Eiroa-Orosa Francisco Jose , Rodriguez-Urrutia Amanda , Accarino Anna , Santamarina-Perez Pilar , Parramon Gemma , Azpiroz Fernando
Published: April 2015

Functional gastrointestinal disorders have been related with different psychological conditions. On the contrary, the role of psychological factors within gastrointestinal motor disorders remains unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the differences and congruence with clinical performance of the psychological profile and subjective functionality among patients diagnosed with functional gastrointestinal disorders and gastrointestinal motor disorders. Using a double-blind design, 56 inpatients from a Gastroenterology Department were included in the study. No major differences were detected between the two groups. However, clinical performance was coherent with subjective physical functioning only among patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal motor disorders. These results may provide useful information for gastroenterologists dealing with patients’ complaints not consistent with their clinical profile.
Daily living skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder from 2 to 21 years of age
Authors: Bal Vanessa Hus , Kim So-Hyun , Cheong Daniel , Lord Catherine
Published: April 2015

Daily living skills (DLS), such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, and money management, are important to independent living. Research suggests that many individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit impairments in daily living skills relative to their cognitive skills. This study examined predictors of daily living skills attainment and trajectories of daily living skills in a longitudinal sample referred for possible autism spectrum disorder and followed from 2 to 21 years of age. Consistent with previous studies, participants with autism spectrum disorder and nonspectrum diagnoses showed continual development of daily living skills throughout childhood and adolescence. Early childhood nonverbal mental age was the strongest predictor of daily living skills attainment for both diagnostic groups. Group-based modeling suggested two distinct trajectories of daily living skills development for participants with autism spectrum disorder. Skill levels for both groups of young adults with autism spectrum disorder remained considerably below age level expectations. Whereas the “High-DLS” group gained approximately 12 years in daily living skills from T2 to T21, the “Low-DLS” group’s daily living skills improved 3–4 years over the 16- to 19-year study period. Nonverbal mental age, receptive language, and social-communication impairment at 2 years predicted High- versus Low-DLS group membership. Receiving greater than 20 h of parent-implemented intervention before age 3 was also associated with daily living skills trajectory. Results suggest that daily living skills should be a focus of treatment plans for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, particularly adolescents transitioning to young adulthood.
A comparative, cross-cultural criminal career analysis
Authors: Rocque Michael , Posick Chad , Marshall Ineke Haen , Piquero Alex R
Published: April 2015

For over 30 years, the criminal career paradigm in criminology has raised important theoretical and policy questions as well as research on the ‘dimensions’ of the criminal career (for example, onset, duration, lambda, persistence, chronicity, desistance). Yet few studies have examined criminal career dimensions using a cross-national comparative approach. In this paper, we use an international sample of students (aged 12–15 years) from 30 countries (International Self-Report Delinquency Study-2): (1) to determine the extent of cross-national variation in the prevalence and correlates of high-frequency, serious offenders; and (2) to explore cross-national variation in offending patterns and selected correlates of offense specialization (for example, gender, self-control, delinquent peer association). Although we find several factors are correlated with criminal career dimensions across context, important differences emerged as well that have implications for developing context-specific theories of crime and effective offender programming.
Foil comparisons or foiled comparisons? Learning from Italian juvenile justice
Authors: Nelken David
Published: April 2015

This paper introduces the idea of ‘foil comparisons’, ones where the overriding goal is to change given practices in the light of what are claimed to be better (or, sometimes, worse) practices elsewhere. Using as an example a recent blog about what can be learned from Italian juvenile justice, it shows the potential weaknesses of such comparisons in terms of understanding other people’s practices. But it also warns that they are becoming ever more common.
Association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and vascular complications of diabetes mellitus: A population-based study
Authors: Martikainen Mika H , Rönnemaa Tapani , Majamaa Kari
Published: April 2015

We investigated whether mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplogroups and maternal family history of diabetes mellitus were associated with vascular diabetes mellitus complications in a population-based cohort of 299 Finnish diabetes mellitus patients with disease onset in young adult age. We found that haplogroup U was more prevalent among patients with no vascular diabetes mellitus complications than among those with at least one complication ( p = 0.038). Haplogroup U was also more prevalent among the patients who reported maternal family history of diabetes mellitus than among those who did not ( p = 0.0013). Furthermore, haplogroup U was more prevalent among patients with maternal family history of diabetes mellitus but no vascular diabetes mellitus complications than among those with at least one vascular diabetes mellitus complication but no maternal family history of diabetes mellitus ( p = 0.0003 for difference). These findings suggest that different mtDNA-related factors may influence the risk of diabetes mellitus per se and the risk of vascular diabetes mellitus complications. Further studies are, however, warranted to replicate and elaborate on these results.
Hyperhomocysteinaemia is associated with low plasma apolipoprotein AI levels in patients with impaired glucose tolerance
Authors: Liu Jia , Wang Ying , Fan Hui , Miao Li , Zhang Heng , Wang Guang
Published: April 2015

Homocysteine suppresses hepatic apolipoprotein AI synthesis in mice. We assessed the relationship between homocysteine and apolipoprotein AI levels in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. A total of 217 participants, including 95 impaired glucose tolerance patients and 122 healthy subjects, were classified as normal control subjects without hyperhomocysteinaemia, control subjects with hyperhomocysteinaemia, impaired glucose tolerance patients without hyperhomocysteinaemia (n-IGT) and impaired glucose tolerance patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia (H-IGT). The impaired glucose tolerance patients had higher plasma levels of homocysteine and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance values, and lower plasma apolipoprotein AI levels than the normal control and control subjects with hyperhomocysteinaemia (all p < 0.01). Decreased plasma apolipoprotein AI levels and increased homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance values were observed in the H-IGT group compared with the n-IGT group ( p < 0.05). Plasma homocysteine levels were negatively correlated with apolipoprotein AI levels after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance. Plasma homocysteine level independently influenced the apolipoprotein AI levels ( β = −0.02, p < 0.05). In conclusion, increased plasma homocysteine levels were associated with decreased apolipoprotein AI levels in impaired glucose tolerance subjects.
Survey of current practice in clinical transvaginal ultrasound scanning in the UK
Authors: Martin Eleanor , Shaw Adam , Lees Christoph
Published: April 2015

During transvaginal ultrasound scanning, the fetus and other sensitive tissues are placed close to the transducer. Heating of these tissues occurs by direct conduction from the transducer and by absorption of ultrasound in the tissue. The extent of any heating will depend on the equipment and settings used, the duration of the scan, imaging modes and other aspects of scanning practice. To ensure that scans are performed with minimum risk, staff should have an appropriate knowledge of safety and follow guidelines issued by professional bodies.

An online survey aiming to document current practice in transvaginal ultrasound in the UK was created and distributed to individuals performing this type of scanning. The survey posed questions about the respondents, the departments where scans were performed, the equipment used, knowledge of ultrasound safety, scanning practice and the frequency, duration and mode of transvaginal ultrasound scans for gynaecology, obstetrics and fertility applications. In all, 294 responses were obtained, mostly from sonographers (94%). From the analysis of the responses, it was clear that there was a good understanding of the general meaning of thermal and mechanical index and high awareness of guidelines issued by professional bodies. However, 40% of respondents stated that they rarely or never monitor Thermal or Mechanical indices during scanning. Scanning practice was consistent in terms of the duration of scans, scan protocols followed and use of imaging modes. The results highlight the importance of continued ultrasound safety training and promotion of safety guidelines to users.
Are lifestyle shifts fuelling the obesity epidemic in urbanised Africans?
Authors: Ojiambo Robert M.
Published: April 2015

Humans evolved for active lifestyles involving hunting–gathering and agriculture. To sustain these energy-intensive lifestyles, diets consisting of energy-dense foods were selected. It can therefore be argued that humans are physiologically adapted for active lifestyles. However, with rapid industrialisation, there has been an upsurge in the usage of labour-saving devices as well as a glut in the supply of energy-dense foods. This mismatch between energy supply and expenditure in modern man may be fuelling the contemporary trends in obesity in urbanised man. On the other hand, recent emerging evidence indicates that air pollution related to motorised transportation in urban areas may be obesogenic by causing alterations in the lipid metabolic pathways, resulting in fat deposition. These lifestyle shifts are drastically different from traditional rural African lifestyles and mirror the different prevalence rates of obesity and related co-morbidities between rural versus urban areas.
Machine learning methods for the classification of gliomas: Initial results using features extracted from MR spectroscopy
Authors: Ranjith G , Parvathy R , Vikas V , Chandrasekharan Kesavadas , Nair Suresh
Published: April 2015

Context

With the advent of new imaging modalities, radiologists are faced with handling increasing volumes of data for diagnosis and treatment planning. The use of automated and intelligent systems is becoming essential in such a scenario. Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is increasingly being used in medical image analysis applications such as image segmentation, registration and computer-aided diagnosis and detection. Histopathological analysis is currently the gold standard for classification of brain tumors. The use of machine learning algorithms along with extraction of relevant features from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) holds promise of replacing conventional invasive methods of tumor classification.

Aims

The aim of the study is to classify gliomas into benign and malignant types using MRI data.

Settings and design

Retrospective data from 28 patients who were diagnosed with glioma were used for the analysis. WHO Grade II (low-grade astrocytoma) was classified as benign while Grade III (anaplastic astrocytoma) and Grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme) were classified as malignant.

Methods and materials

Features were extracted from MR spectroscopy. The classification was done using four machine learning algorithms: multilayer perceptrons, support vector machine, random forest and locally weighted learning.

Results

Three of the four machine learning algorithms gave an area under ROC curve in excess of 0.80. Random forest gave the best performance in terms of AUC (0.911) while sensitivity was best for locally weighted learning (86.1%).

Conclusions

The performance of different machine learning algorithms in the classification of gliomas is promising. An even better performance may be expected by integrating features extracted from other MR sequences.
Segregated Diversity
Authors: Pinto-Coelho Joanna Marie , Zuberi Tukufu
Published: April 2015

As both older and newer immigrant gateway metropolitan areas grow more racially diverse, scholars of neighborhood change want to know whether these areas are also becoming more residentially integrated. While it is logically and mathematically plausible to assume that increasing racial diversity directly leads to increased racial residential integration, this paper argues that the empirical reality may actually be the opposite. To investigate this concept, we use statistical and cartographic methods to analyze tract-level Census data of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, a case study that is both representative and unique. Results indicate that increasing racial diversity in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area between 1990 and 2010 coincided with increased racial residential segregation. We discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of these findings and make recommendations for future research.
Good, Bad, and Extraordinary Mothers
Authors: Carter Shannon K. , Anthony Amanda Koontz
Published: April 2015

Dominant discourses promote breastfeeding as essential to “good mothering,” shown in research to set a difficult standard that many white mothers internalize. Little is known about African American mothers’ perceptions of the connection between breastfeeding and mothering ideals. We analyzed perceptions of the relationship between breastfeeding and formula feeding and mothering through in-depth semistructured interviews with 22 predominantly middle-class African American mothers in the southeastern United States who breastfeed. One-third of participants upheld the dominant ideology that breastfeeding is required for good mothering, constructing formula feeding as lazy and selfish. Two-thirds associated breastfeeding with “extraordinary mothering,” exceeding good mothering through additional hard work, self-sacrifice, and dedication. These participants were divided, with half (one-third of total) stating that mothers who formula feed are also good mothers and half (one-third of total sample) expressing ambivalence toward formula. Both groups acknowledged structural barriers and personal circumstances that prevent some mothers from breastfeeding, and therefore they either withheld or were conflicted about applying judgment. These findings confirm that although a powerful cultural association between breastfeeding and good mothering is evident, it is not uniform across race and class.
A Misdiagnosed Recurrent Pleural Effusion
Authors: Rappaport Maximilien , Meyer Armin
Published: April 2015

Introduction:

Dyspnea due to pleural effusions is a common clinical scenario and has many underlying etiologies. Our case of a recurrent pleural effusion was misdiagnosed in part due to the complicated nature of the patient’s medical history. Nonetheless after a bedside thoracic ultrasound examination (TUE), the diagnosis became obvious.

Case Description:

A 63-year-old black female with congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, atrial fibrillation as well as a previously treated rare odontogenic carcinoma presented with shortness of breath. She reported having had “fluid drained” from her lungs a few months prior. During our encounter with this patient, a TUE was performed at beside and a large diaphragmatic mass was visualized. A malignant pleural effusion was suspected and an efficient and focused workup was tailored to our patient.

Discussion:

Apart from guiding the thoracentesis, the TUE is not part of the current recognized guidelines when evaluating a pleural effusion. The TUE may be undervalued and play an important impact on diagnosis and management of this condition. Our case demonstrates the utility of a thorough TUE in conjunction with the full clinical picture. A few studies have shown good sensitivities and specificities in the use of the TUE to determine the type and etiology of pleural effusions. This case is a further example of the utility in performing this relatively inexpensive diagnostic test in the evaluation of the patient with a pleural effusion.
Japanese Young Adults’ Disrespectful Forms of Address for Fathers Predict Feelings of Rejection and Depression
Authors: Yokotani Kenji
Published: April 2015

AbstractJapanese young adults’ forms of address for their parents (e.g., Dad) reportedly demonstrate their respect for their parents. Such respect has been linked to young adults’ interpersonal attitudes as well as depressive symptoms. Given these relationships, the present study identified possible links between young adults’ forms of address for their parents, perceived parent-child relationships, interpersonal attitudes, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 226 Japanese college students. Young adults’ disrespectful forms of address for parents were positively correlated with feelings of rejection and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, young adults’ disrespectful forms of address for fathers predicted the adults’ feelings of rejection and depressive symptoms, although there were no such relationships for disrespectful forms of address for mothers. These findings indicated that young adults’ disrespectful forms of address for parents, especially fathers, were linked to their negative interpersonal attitudes and depressive symptoms.
The Etymology and History of the Placename “Des Moines”
Authors: McCafferty Michael
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe original form of the placename “Des Moines” was created by a seventeenth-century French mapmaker. It was given a new life — and its present form — by an early nineteenth-century French-speaking mapmaker. However, the name “Moines” comes from an American Indian tribe name that has undergone extensive and interesting changes since it was first recorded around the summer solstice in the year 1673 by the Jesuit missionary-explorer Jacques Marquette. The following article presents this placename’s history and explains its unusual meaning in the Miami-Illinois language.
STAT1 is phosphorylated and downregulated by the oncogenic tyrosine kinase NPM-ALK in ALK-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
Authors: Wu Chengsheng , Molavi Ommoleila , Zhang Haifeng , Gupta Nidhi , Alshareef Abdulraheem , Bone Kathleen M. , Gopal Keshav , Wu Fang , Lewis Jamie T. , Douglas Donna N. , Kneteman Norman M. , Lai Raymond
Published: April 2015

Key Points

Oncogenic tyrosine kinase NPM-ALK binds to and phosphorylates STAT1, thereby promoting its proteasome-/STAT3-dependent degradation. STAT1 tumor suppressor effects in ALK+ ALCL include creating a STAT1/interferon-γ loop and interfering with STAT3 transcriptional activities.
Look beyond Catechol-O-Methyltransferase genotype for cathecolamines derangement in migraine: the BioBIM rs4818 and rs4680 polymorphisms study
Authors: De Marchis Maria Laura , Barbanti Piero , Palmirotta Raffaele , Egeo Gabriella , Aurilia Cinzia , Fofi Luisa , Piroso Serena , Ialongo Cristiano , Della-Morte David , D’Andrea Giovanni , Ferroni Patrizia , Guadagni Fiorella
Published: April 2015

Background

The study of COMT gene polymorphisms in migraine could be of particular interest since impaired catecholaminergic neurotransmission, namely chronic dopaminergic and noradrenergic hypofunction, is a peculiar migraine trait. In this study, for the first time, we focused on the role of COMT rs4818 genetic variant, the polymorphism most strongly affecting COMT activity, in migraine. This study was conducted in a cohort of carefully clinical characterized Caucasian migraineurs recruited in a specifically dedicated migraine biobank, providing also a replication study on rs4680 polymorphism.

Findings

Genotyping of rs4680 and rs4818 Catechol-O-Methyltransferase gene polymorphisms was performed on 380 unrelated migraine patients, and 132 healthy subjects matched for age, gender and race-ethnicity, with no clinical evidence or family history of migraine or other neurological diseases. The rs4680 and rs4818 genotypic frequencies did not deviate from those expected for a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and did not correlate with demographics or clinical migraine features, even when considering migraine subtypes such as dopaminergic migraine, menstrual migraine, and menstrually related migraine.

Conclusions

COMT genotype does not influence migraine susceptibility or phenotype, even considering rs4818 polymorphism and peculiar clinical subtypes. This finding prompts to go over COMT to explain catecholamine derangement in migraine, exploring enzymes involved in catecholamines synthesis and catabolism, such as monoamine-oxidase, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, tyrosine-hydroxylase or tyrosine-decarboxylase, among others.
Domain atrophy creates rare cases of functional partial protein domains
Authors: Prakash Ananth , Bateman Alex
Published: April 2015

Background

Protein domains display a range of structural diversity, with numerous additions and deletions of secondary structural elements between related domains. We have observed a small number of cases of surprising large-scale deletions of core elements of structural domains. We propose a new concept called domain atrophy, where protein domains lose a significant number of core structural elements.

Results

Here, we implement a new pipeline to systematically identify new cases of domain atrophy across all known protein sequences. The output of this pipeline was carefully checked by hand, which filtered out partial domain instances that were unlikely to represent true domain atrophy due to misannotations or un-annotated sequence fragments. We identify 75 cases of domain atrophy, of which eight cases are found in a three-dimensional protein structure and 67 cases have been inferred based on mapping to a known homologous structure. Domains with structural variations include ancient folds such as the TIM-barrel and Rossmann folds. Most of these domains are observed to show structural loss that does not affect their functional sites.

Conclusion

Our analysis has significantly increased the known cases of domain atrophy. We discuss specific instances of domain atrophy and see that there has often been a compensatory mechanism that helps to maintain the stability of the partial domain. Our study indicates that although domain atrophy is an extremely rare phenomenon, protein domains under certain circumstances can tolerate extreme mutations giving rise to partial, but functional, domains.
Bone geometry of the hip is associated with obesity and early structural damage – a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging study of community-based adults
Authors: Teichtahl Andrew J , Wang Yuanyuan , Smith Sam , Wluka Anita E , Zhu Michael , Urquhart Donna , Giles Graham G , O’Sullivan Richard , Cicuttini Flavia M
Published: April 2015

Introduction

The mechanism by which obesity increases the risk of hip osteoarthritis is unclear. One possibility may be by mediating abnormalities in bony geometry, which may in turn be associated with early structural abnormalities, such as cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions.

Methods

One hundred and forty one older adults with no diagnosed hip osteoarthritis had weight and body mass index measured between 1990 and 1994 and again in 2009 to 2010. Acetabular depth and lateral centre edge angle, both measures of acetabular over-coverage, as well as femoral head cartilage volume, cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions were assessed with 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging performed in 2009 to 2010.

Results

Current body mass index, weight and weight gain were associated with increased acetabular depth and lateral centre edge angle (all P ≤ 0.01). For every 1 mm increase in acetabular depth, femoral head cartilage volume reduced by 59 mm3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 20 mm3 to 98 mm3, P < 0.01). Greater acetabular depth was associated with an increased risk of cartilage defects (odds ratio (OR) 1.22, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.44, P = 0.02) and bone marrow lesions (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.64, P = 0.04) in the central region of the femoral head. Lateral centre edge angle was not associated with hip structure.

Conclusions

Obesity is associated with acetabular over-coverage. Increased acetabular depth, but not the lateral centre edge angle, is associated with reduced femoral head cartilage volume and an increased risk of cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions. Minimising any deepening of the acetabulum (for example, through weight management) might help to reduce the incidence of hip osteoarthritis.
Assessment of combined textural and morphological features for diagnosis of breast masses in ultrasound
Authors: Prabusankarlal Kadayanallur Mahadevan , Thirumoorthy Palanisamy , Manavalan Radhakrishnan
Published: April 2015

The objective of this study is to assess the combined performance of textural and morphological features for the detection and diagnosis of breast masses in ultrasound images. We have extracted a total of forty four features using textural and morphological techniques. Support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used to discriminate the tumors into benign or malignant. The performance of individual as well as combined features are assessed using accuracy(Ac), sensitivity(Se), specificity(Sp), Matthews correlation coefficient(MCC) and area AZ under receiver operating characteristics curve. The individual features produced classification accuracy in the range of 61.66% and 90.83% and when features from each category are combined, the accuracy is improved in the range of 79.16% and 95.83%. Moreover, the combination of gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) and ratio of perimeters (P
ratio
) presented highest performance among all feature combinations (Ac 95.85%, Se 96%, Sp 91.46%, MCC 0.9146 and AZ 0.9444).The results indicated that the discrimination performance of a computer aided breast cancer diagnosis system increases when textural and morphological features are combined.
Central Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Browns White Fat via Sympathetic Action in Male Mice
Authors: Douris Nicholas , Stevanovic Darko M. , Fisher ffolliott M. , Cisu Theodore I. , Chee Melissa J. , Nguyen Ngoc L. , Zarebidaki Eleen , Adams Andrew C. , Kharitonenkov Alexei , Flier Jeffrey S. , Bartness Timothy J. , Maratos-Flier Eleftheria
Published: April 2015

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has multiple metabolic actions, including the induction of browning in white adipose tissue. Although FGF21 stimulated browning results from a direct interaction between FGF21 and the adipocyte, browning is typically associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system through cold exposure. We tested the hypothesis that FGF21 can act via the brain, to increase sympathetic activity and induce browning, independent of cell-autonomous actions. We administered FGF21 into the central nervous system via lateral ventricle infusion into male mice and found that the central treatment increased norepinephrine turnover in target tissues that include the inguinal white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. Central FGF21 stimulated browning as assessed by histology, expression of uncoupling protein 1, and the induction of gene expression associated with browning. These effects were markedly attenuated when mice were treated with a β-blocker. Additionally, neither centrally nor peripherally administered FGF21 initiated browning in mice lacking β-adrenoceptors, demonstrating that an intact adrenergic system is necessary for FGF21 action. These data indicate that FGF21 can signal in the brain to activate the sympathetic nervous system and induce adipose tissue thermogenesis.
Surveying Nepal's Third Gender
Authors: Knight Kyle G. , Flores Andrew R. , Nezhad Sheila J.
Published: April 2015

This article discusses research undertaken in the wake of Nepal's 2011 federal census, the world's first to include a gender category in addition to male and female. It presents the methodology and initial findings of a new survey of 1,178 sexual and gender minorities in Nepal conducted to determine inclusive and locally relevant methodologies for demographic information gathering. Nepal has legally recognized a third gender since 2007 and in 2011 added that category to the census. However, due to confusion and discrimination among census enumerators and a data entry system that only allowed for two genders, those who identified as third gender were not accurately measured. Beyond those limitations, the term third gender is contested, and by itself it may not fully represent the many sexual and gender minorities in Nepal, including people who are gender nonconforming. This article discusses the development of new survey data measuring the identity, behavioral, and attraction dimensions of gender and sexuality across different terms that are in use in Nepal. Initial findings show that seven distinct groups of respondents can be described, and this article discusses how to expand the concepts and considerations for inclusive data collection in Nepal.
Aggregated Excimer Formation through Hydrogen Bonding in a Pyrene–Urea Derivative
Authors: Matsumoto Hisato , Nishimura Yoshinobu , Arai Tatsuo
Published: April 2015

We examined intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions of pyrene derivatives bearing a urea unit, referred to as 1PUP (one pyrenyl group) and 1DPU (two pyrenyl groups). 1DPU showed a new emission band around 530 nm along with a locally excited emission (LE) attributed to the pyrene moiety, even at 10−7 M, in contrast to 1PUP, which only had an LE, indicating that the symmetrical configuration allowed stable stacking of 1DPU. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy revealed that the intensity of the new band increased relative to that of the LE with the concentration of 1DPU. Furthermore, addition of tetrabutylammonium acetate (TBAAc) resulted in the disappearance of the new band, due to the formation of hydrogen bonds with 1DPU. These results indicate that the new band may originate from intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between 1DPU molecules through the urea unit, even at very low concentrations, and can be attributed to an excimer emission. This implies that hydrogen bond formation by the urea units of 1DPU favors a conformation that results in the formation of the excimer in the absence of anions, and the strength of the hydrogen-bonding interaction between 1DPU molecules is weaker than the interaction between a 1DPU molecule and an anion.
Legal, Political, and Institutional Constraints on the Financial Crisis Policy Response
Authors: Swagel Phillip
Published: April 2015

As the financial crisis manifested itself and peaked in 2007 and 2008, the response of US policymakers and regulators was shaped in important ways by legal and political constraints. Policymakers lacked certain legal authorities that would have been useful for addressing the crisis, notably to use public capital to stabilize the banking sector or to deal with the failure of large financial firms such as insurance companies and investment banks that were outside the scope of bank regulators' authority to resolve deposit-taking commercial banks. Legal constraints were keenly felt at the US Department of the Treasury, where I served as a senior official from December 2006 to January 2009. Treasury had virtually no emergency economic authority at the onset of the crisis in 2007, with the exception of the Treasury's Exchange Stabilization Fund, which was intended for use in exchange rate interventions. As the systemic risks of the financial crisis became apparent, the initial policy response largely fell to the Federal Reserve, which had the authority to act under emergency circumstances. There will inevitably be another financial crisis, and the response will be shaped by both the lessons learned from recent history and the statutory and political changes in the wake of the crisis. The paper thus concludes by discussing changes in constraints since the crisis, with a focus on two developments: 1) the political reality that there will not in the near future be another wide-ranging grant of fiscal authority as was given with the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and 2) the new legal authorities provided in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, commonly known as the Dodd–Frank law.
Systematic Bias and Nontransparency in US Social Security Administration Forecasts
Authors: Kashin Konstantin , King Gary , Soneji Samir
Published: April 2015

We offer an evaluation of the Social Security Administration demographic and financial forecasts used to assess the long-term solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds. This same forecasting methodology is also used in evaluating policy proposals put forward by Congress to modify the Social Security program. Ours is the first evaluation to compare the SSA forecasts with observed truth; for example, we compare forecasts made in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s with outcomes that are now available. We find that Social Security Administration forecasting errors—as evaluated by how accurate the forecasts turned out to be—were approximately unbiased until 2000 and then became systematically biased afterward, and increasingly so over time. Also, most of the forecasting errors since 2000 are in the same direction, consistently misleading users of the forecasts to conclude that the Social Security Trust Funds are in better financial shape than turns out to be the case. Finally, the Social Security Administration's informal uncertainty intervals appear to have become increasingly inaccurate since 2000. At present, the Office of the Chief Actuary, at the Social Security Administration, does not reveal in full how its forecasts are made. Every future Trustees Report, without exception, should include a routine evaluation of all prior forecasts, and a discussion of what forecasting mistakes were made, what was learned from the mistakes, and what actions might be taken to improve forecasts going forward. And the Social Security Administration and its Office of the Chief Actuary should follow best practices in academia and many other parts of government and make their forecasting procedures public and replicable, and should calculate and report calibrated uncertainty intervals for all forecasts.
The Rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Authors: Frame W. Scott , Fuster Andreas , Tracy Joseph , Vickery James
Published: April 2015

The imposition of federal conservatorships on September 6, 2008, at the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation—commonly known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—was one of the most dramatic events of the financial crisis. These two government-sponsored enterprises play a central role in the US housing finance system, and at the start of their conservatorships held or guaranteed about $5.2 trillion of home mortgage debt. The two firms were often cited as shining examples of public-private partnerships—that is, the harnessing of private capital to advance the social goal of expanding homeownership. But in reality, the hybrid structures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were destined to fail at some point, owing to their singular exposure to residential real estate and moral hazard incentives emanating from the implicit guarantee of their liabilities. We describe the financial distress experienced by the two firms, the events that led the federal government to take dramatic action in an effort to stabilize housing and financial markets, and the various resolution options available to US policymakers at the time; and we evaluate the success of the choice of conservatorship in terms of its effects on financial markets and financial stability, on mortgage supply, and on the financial position of the two firms themselves. Conservatorship achieved its key short-run goals of stabilizing mortgage markets and promoting financial stability during a period of extreme stress. However, conservatorship was intended to be a temporary fix, not a long-term solution, and more than six years later, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac still remain in conservatorship.
AIG in Hindsight
Authors: McDonald Robert , Paulson Anna
Published: April 2015

The near-failure on September 16, 2008, of American International Group (AIG) was an iconic moment in the financial crisis. Two large bets on real estate made with funding vulnerable to bank-run-like dynamics pushed AIG to the brink of bankruptcy. AIG used securities lending to transform insurance company assets into residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations, ultimately losing at least $21 billion and threatening the solvency of the life insurance companies. AIG also sold insurance on multisector collateralized debt obligations, backed by real estate assets, ultimately losing more than $30 billion. These activities were apparently motivated by a belief that AIG's real estate bets would not suffer defaults and were “money-good.” We find that these securities have in fact suffered write-downs and that the stark “money-good” claim can be rejected. Ultimately, both liquidity and solvency were issues for AIG.
Positive Modifications in Law
Authors: Pomazanskiy Andrey , Nanba Sariya , Tsomartova Fatima
Published: April 2015

The article aims to identify the positive potential of the deviations in law. The authors explore issues related to the definition and essence of positive deviations in law, identification of causes, factors and conditions of their occurrence, elaboration on mechanisms for the development of positive deviations in law; identification of the consequences of such deviations. Special attention is given to self-regulation and civil initiatives as the favourable environment for the emergence of positive deviations in law and legal technologies of registering such deviations. The authors emphasize the interrelationship between the legal models and legal deviations. Their coexistence is inevitable, they are inextricably linked, and only their combined study is able to explain the processes of interest. Positive deviations in law are not per se, but only from the point of view of the given legal models. The recognition of deviations as positive depends on the assessment of the relevant legal model. The authors offer their own definition of positive deviations in law as the stable displacement of means of legal regulation from regulatory purposes, which resulted in unforeseen socially useful results. The authors conclude that positive deviations in law facilitate the selection of variants of lawful behavior and legal discretion, and are a source of lawmaking, as well as they promote correction of archaic legal models or creation of new ones.
Central Corneal Thickness in Mentally Challenged (MC) Children
Authors: Jethani Jitendra , Patel Mital , Shah Mehul
Published: April 2015

Purpose: A case-control study to assess central corneal thickness (CCT) values in mentally challenged (MC) children. 
Participants and Methods: Children with mental disability were enrolled in the study. Age-matched and healthy control subjects from a similar ethnic background were enrolled in the study. Central corneal thickness was measured by ultrasound pachymetry. Six consecutive measurements were made at the center of the cornea of each eye. Only the right eye of each child in each group was included in the statistical analysis. 
Results: Twenty-seven children in the MC group (14 boys and 13 girls) and 34 age-matched and healthy control subjects (23 boys and 11girls) were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 9.74 ± 2.697 years (range 7- 17years). The mean age in control group was 10.2 ± 2.185 years (range, 8-17 years). In the MC group, mean CCT value was 505.76 ± 31.23 mm in the right eye. In the control group, mean CCT value was 528.59 ± 30.35 mm in the right eye. CCT value in the MC group was significantly lesser than in the control group for right eye (P =0.006). 
Conclusions: Mentally challenged (MC) children had a decreased central corneal thickness compared with healthy control subjects. CCT should be kept in mind during measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP) in MC children with because decreased central corneal thickness may give an artificially low intraocular pressure measurement by applanation tonometry.
Histological Characteristics of Altered Human Lingual Frenulum
Authors: De Castro Martinelli Roberta Lopes , Marchesan Irene Queiroz , Gusmão Reinaldo Jordão , De Castro Rodrigues Antonio , Berretin-Felix Giédre
Published: April 2015

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the histological characteristics of altered human lingual frenulum. 
Materials and Methods: Between March and July, 2011, 50 children between 6 months and 4 years of age were assessed by a Speech Language Pathologist in a Public Health Care Service in Brotas – Sao Paulo, Brazil. The lingual frenulum evaluation protocol proposed by Marchesan (2010, 2012) was administered to the 50 children – 26 male and 24 female. Of the 50, 8 children had lingual frenulum alterations. The 8 children with lingual frenulum alteration underwent lingual frenectomy. The materials for analyses were taken from 7-micrometer-thick tissues sections. Staining was employed using haematoxylin paired with eosin (H&E), Masson’s trichrome and picrosirius red. 
Results: The assessment of the lingual frenulum indicated that 8 children had lingual frenulum alteration. Surgery was performed and the material collected was submitted to analyses. The histological analyses demonstrated that the lingual frenulum of children with ankyloglossia or with short frenulum had bundles of striated skeletal muscle fibers, high frequency of type I collagen in the deep layers and compact bundles of elastic fibers positioned near the epithelial lining. Bundles of muscle fibers were not observed in anterior frenulum and short frenulum with anterior fixation. Type I collagen and bundles of elastic fibers sparse and far from the epithelial lining were observed in those types of frenulum. 
Conclusion: The analysis of the histological sections demonstrated the characteristics of altered human lingual frenulum.
Drops Supplementation for Treating Vitamin D Deficiency in Healthy Children and Adolescents: The Important Role of Sun Exposure
Authors: Papadopoulou A. , Makris K. , Tsohantari M. , Paulakou M. , Lambidi S. , Marketou H. , Tsoumakas K.
Published: April 2015

Background: High prevalence of Vit D deficiency had been worldwide reported and supplementation was recommended in deficient cases with rapid therapeutic response. As there is no clear evidence to what really is required during childhood in order to prevent adult diseases, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of supplementation therapy in healthy children with vit D deficiency. Methods: Thirty six children, mean age 10.9+3.4 years old, with Vit D deficiency were included in the study and were randomly divided in two groups: Those who received supplementation therapy with 2000 IU Vit D3 drops daily for three months and those who had no intervention. Socioeconomic status, sun protection and diet habits, outdoors physical activity and fracture history were evaluated through a questionnaire and blood samples before and after intervention were collected to assess 25(OH)Vit D levels and bone mineral status. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to socioeconomic and family characteristic, outdoors physical activity and dietary intake. Sunscreen use was limited during summer vacation in 85% of the cases but the amount of use was significantly negatively correlated to baseline levels of Vit D during last year. The 25(OH)Vit D levels at baseline were 14.72+3.63 ng/ml (6.7 - 19.7 ng/ml) whereas a significant increase 25.21+7.08 ng/ml (8-42.2 ng/ml) was observed on re-evaluation (p=0.0001). No difference was found between treated children and non-treated (p=0.13). Skin type and sunscreen habits were not related to therapeutic response rate in both groups. Conclusion: This randomized clinical trial revealed a significant improvement in Vit D levels both in treated and non treated groups but no significant difference was established between the groups. The supplementation of vit D in healthy children and adolescents with Vit D deficiency could not be suggested. Sun protection may interfere with Vit D levels. Re-evaluation and re discussion of sun health benefits on Vit D synthesis and national sun protection strategies may be needed.
Role of Nutrition in Periodontal Health - A Review
Authors: Mahajan Ajay , Mahajan Poonam , Thakur Saroj , Kashyap Divya , Kumar Amit
Published: April 2015

The relation between the systemic and oral health is now well established. Researches have shown that many systemic diseases either cause or exaggerate the course of the certain periodontal conditions. Nutrition plays an important role in growth, development as well as the maintenance of the hard and soft tissue and also has a significant influence on the host immune response. Nutritional deficiencies therefore adversely affect periodontal health, causing as well as affecting the course and severity of periodontal diseases. The purpose of this article is thus to elaborate in detail the interrelation between the nutrition, periodontal health and diseases.