bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does Central Vision Loss Impair Visual Search Performance of Adults More than Children?
Authors: Satgunam PremNandhini , Luo Gang 
Published: April 2018

SIGNIFICANCE
In general, young adults with normal vision show the best visual search performance when compared with children and older adults. Through our study, we show that this trend is not observed in individuals with vision impairment. An interaction effect of vision impairment with visual development and aging is observed.

PURPOSE
Performance in many visual tasks typically shows improvement with age until young adulthood and then declines with aging. Using a visual search task, this study investigated whether a similar age effect on performance is present in people with central vision loss.

METHODS
A total of 98 participants, 37 with normal sight (NS) and 61 with visual impairment (VI) searched for targets in 150 real-world digital images. Search performance was quantified by an integrated measure combining speed and accuracy. Participant ages ranged from 5 to 74 years, visual acuity from −0.14 (20/14.5) to 1.16 logMAR (20/290), and log contrast sensitivity (CS) from 0.48 to 2.0. Data analysis was performed with participants divided into three age groups: children (aged <14 years, n = 25), young adults (aged 14 to 45 years, n = 47), and older adults (aged >45 years, n = 26).

RESULTS
Regression (r
2 = 0.7) revealed CS (P < .001) and age (P = .003) were significant predictors of search performance. Performance of VI participants was normalized to the age-matched average performance of the NS group. In the VI group, it was found that children's normalized performance (52%) was better than both young (39%, P = .05) and older (40%, P = .048) adults.

CONCLUSIONS
Unlike NS participants, young adults in the VI group may not have search ability superior to children with VI, despite having the same level of visual functions (quantified by visual acuity and CS). This could be because of vision impairment limiting the developmental acquisition of the age dividend for peak performance. Older adults in the VI group had the worst performance, indicating an interaction of aging.
People with Hemianopia Report Difficulty with TV, Computer, Cinema Use, and Photography
Authors: Costela Francisco M. , Sheldon Sarah S. , Walker Bethany , Woods Russell L. 
Published: April 2018

SIGNIFICANCE
Our survey found that participants with hemianopia report more difficulties watching video in various formats, including television (TV), on computers, and in a movie theater, compared with participants with normal vision (NV). These reported difficulties were not as marked as those reported by people with central vision loss.

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to survey the viewing experience (e.g., frequency, difficulty) of viewing video on TV, computers and portable visual display devices, and at the cinema of people with hemianopia and NV. This information may guide vision rehabilitation.

METHODS
We administered a cross-sectional survey to investigate the viewing habits of people with hemianopia (n = 91) or NV (n = 192). The survey, consisting of 22 items, was administered either in person or in a telephone interview. Descriptive statistics are reported.

RESULTS
There were five major differences between the hemianopia and NV groups. Many participants with hemianopia reported (1) at least “some” difficulty watching TV (39/82); (2) at least “some” difficulty watching video on a computer (16/62); (3) never attending the cinema (30/87); (4) at least some difficulty watching movies in the cinema (20/56), among those who did attend the cinema; and (5) never taking photographs (24/80). Some people with hemianopia reported methods that they used to help them watch video, including video playback and head turn.

CONCLUSIONS
Although people with hemianopia report more difficulty with viewing video on TV and at the cinema, we are not aware of any rehabilitation methods specifically designed to assist people with hemianopia to watch video. The results of this survey may guide future vision rehabilitation.
Evidence of the Homeostatic Regulation With the Combination of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Physical Activity
Authors: Baltar Adriana , Nogueira Fernanda , Marques Déborah , Carneiro Maíra , Monte-Silva Kátia 
Published: April 2018

Background
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can optimize beneficial effects induced by motor practice in patients with neurological disorders. However, possibly because of homeostatic regulation, the conditioning effects of tDCS are often imprecise and variable, limiting its therapeutic application.

Objective
The aim of the study was to explore the magnitude and direction of the after effects induced by physical activity (PA) on tDCS-preconditioned cortical excitability (CE).

Design
First, a crossover experiment was performed with 12 subjects to determine whether a single session of low-, moderate-, and high-intensity PA on a treadmill modulates the motor CE measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation. In a second crossover experiment, we investigated long-lasting changes (until 90 mins) of the effects induced by PA (with intensities defined by the first experiment) on motor CE after the subject had been preconditioned by tDCS (using different polarities).

Results and Conclusions
In experiment 1, we found that high- and moderate-intensity PA modulate the CE. Experiment 2 demonstrated that preconditioning the CE using tDCS homeostatically changes the direction and magnitude of after effects induced by subsequent PA plasticity caused by motor activity. In conclusion, the results suggest that the direction of after effects induced by the combination of physical exercise with tDCS on the CE is regulated within a physiologically defined range.
A Modern Comparison of Urodynamic Findings in Diabetic Versus Nondiabetic Women
Authors: Malik Rena D. , Cohn Joshua A. , Volsky Jessica , Garvey Sarah , Chang Charles , Bales Gregory T. , Chung Doreen E. 
Published: April 2018

Objectives
Few contemporary studies exist regarding urodynamic (UDS) findings in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and data are conflicting. Our aim was to compare UDS findings in women with and without DM.

Methods
Data from female patients in a prospectively maintained UDS database (2010–2014) were reviewed. Studies were performed according to International Continence Society standards. Clinical data, presenting symptoms, and UDS findings were compared in women with and without DM, controlling for demographic and pertinent variables.

Results
There were 384 patients who met the inclusion criteria, of whom 88 (26%) had DM. Symptoms at presentation were not statistically different in women with and without DM. Women with DM had larger bladder capacity (mean, 493 mL vs 409 mL; P = 0.005) and had more detrusor underactivity (30% vs 18%, P = 0.042) when compared with nondiabetic women. Diabetic women were more frequently diagnosed as having impaired sensation, or lack of desire to void, at 75% of capacity (17% vs 5%, P = 0.001). In women with diabetes, a serum hemoglobin A1c level of at least 7.5% was associated with delayed first sensation and first urge. Diagnosis of DM of more than 10 years was associated with greater volume at first urge, and maximal capacity, lower detrusor pressures, and higher postvoid residual.

Conclusions
In this contemporary series, women with DM demonstrated similar presenting complaints to women without DM but had significantly altered UDS findings. Among diabetic female patients, diabetes control and duration of diabetes seem to impact bladder sensation and contractility. Urodynamics may be helpful in diabetic female patients to diagnose underlying concealed bladder dysfunction before initiation of treatment.
Association of Anticholinergic Risk Score With Functional Status in Patients Preparing for Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery
Authors: Brueseke Taylor J. , de la Luz Nieto Maria , Pulliam Samantha , Wu Jennifer M. 
Published: April 2018

Objectives
Anticholinergic medication use has been associated with cognitive impairment and other functional limitations, particularly in older patients. The anticholinergic risk score (ARS) can be used to measure a patient’s cumulative exposure to medications with anticholinergic properties. Our primary objective was to evaluate the correlation between ARS and functional status, as measured by instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), in patients preparing to undergo urogynecologic surgery. The secondary objective was to examine the correlation between ARS and physical function in this same cohort.

Methods
This was a planned cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of urogynecologic surgery on functional status. The ARS was calculated by summing the ARSs of each patient’s medications and classified as high (ARS > 5) or low (ARS ≤ 5). A patient’s ability to live independently was determined using the IADL questionnaire. The patient’s physical function status was determined using the functional comorbidity index.

Results
One hundred twenty-two patients were evaluated. A total of 89.3% of subjects had a low and 10.7% had a high ARS score. For our primary outcome, high ARS was associated with low IADL in logistic regression controlling for age and formal education level (odds ratio, 8.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–46.9). For our secondary outcome, ARS was not associated with the functional comorbidity index (P = 0.24).

Conclusions
These data support recognition of ARS as a potential risk factor for low functional status in patients planning urogynecologic surgery.
Therapeutic Outcomes of Haploidentical Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Li Yonghua , Duan Fengqi , Xiao Haowen , Wu Xiaoxiong , Wang Shunqing , Xu Duorong , Liu Qifa , Fan Zhiping , Nie Danian , Lai Yongrong , Wu Bingyi , Lin Dongjun , Du Xin , Weng Jianyu , Jiang Zujun , Pang Yan , Ouyang Ling , Liu Zenghui , Zhang Leqin , Han Na , Chen Lixuan , Xiao Yang 
Published: April 2018

Background
Haploidentical donor (HID) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an alternative curative treatment for patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who do not have suitable matched related donors (MRD). The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic outcomes of HID-HSCT with those of MRD-HSCT for SAA.

Methods
A total of 235 SAA patients who underwent HID-HSCT (116) or MRD-HSCT (119) at 11 transplantation centers from January 2007 to January 2016 were included. Complications and survival outcomes were evaluated and compared between the 2 groups.

Results
The HID group had a lower incidence of secondary graft failure but higher incidences of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD). However, the incidence of severe aGVHD (grades III-IV), poor graft function, and infections was comparable between groups. Patients in the HID group had a significantly lower survival and overall survival rates than those in the MRD group. The estimated 3-year survival rates for the MRD and HID groups were 82.82% and 75.00%, respectively. Ferritin levels, graft failure, poor graft function, severe aGVHD, and infections were the significant risk factors for survival.

Conclusions
The overall survival rate is acceptable for patients who underwent HID-HSCT, making it a feasible treatment choice for SAA patients.
One Hundred Fifteen Cases of Pure Laparoscopic Living Donor Right Hepatectomy at a Single Center
Authors: Lee Kwang-Woong , Hong Suk Kyun , Suh Kyung-Suk , Kim Hyo-Sin , Ahn Sung-Woo , Yoon Kyung Chul , Lee Jeong-Moo , Cho Jae-Hyung , Kim Hyeyoung , Yi Nam-Joon 
Published: April 2018

Background
The pure laparoscopic approach to donor hepatectomy is being taken more often. However, few centers perform pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) because it requires a high level of surgical skill. Studies reporting initial outcomes of PLDRH may prompt further implementation of the technique and help reduce initial learning curves at other transplant centers. This study reports performance of PLDRH at a single center with extensive experience of adult living donor liver transplantation.

Methods
Data from 115 donors (and recipients) who underwent PLDRH between November 2015 and June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare outcomes between the initial (November 2015 to October 2016) and more recent (November 2016 to June 2017) periods.

Results
During the initial period, 3 (2.6%) donors experienced complications greater than grade III on the Clavien-Dindo scale. By contrast, no donors developed complications during the recent period. The operative time (293.6 minutes vs 344.4 minutes; P < 0.001) and hospital stay (7.3 days vs 8.3 days; P = 0.002) were significantly shorter during the more recent period. Also, Δhemoglobin (Hb)%, calculated as ΔHb% = [(preoperative Hb − postoperative Hb)/preoperative Hb] × 100 (14.9% vs 17.5%; P = 0.042), and Δaspartate aminotransferase (AST)%, calculated as ΔAST% = [(peak AST − preoperative AST)/preoperative AST] × 100 (1048.9% vs 1316.6%; P = 0.009), were significantly lower during the recent period.

Conclusions
Pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy is both feasible and safe when performed at a center experienced in adult living donor liver transplantation. Performance of about 60 PLDRHs over 1 year is sufficient to standardize the procedure.
Seed predation increases from the Arctic to the Equator and from high to low elevations
Authors: Hargreaves A.L. , Suárez Esteban , Mehltreter Klaus , Myers-Smith Isla , Vanderplank Sula E. , Slinn Heather L. , Vargas-Rodriguez Yalma L. , Haeussler Sybille , David Santiago , Muñoz Jenny , Almazán Núñez Roberto Carlos , Loughnan Deirdre , Benning John W. , Moeller David A. , Brodie Jedediah F. , Thomas Haydn J.D. , Morales M.P.A. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSpecies interactions have long been predicted to increase in intensity towards the tropics and low elevations, due to gradients in climate, productivity, or biodiversity. Despite their importance for understanding global ecological and evolutionary processes, plant-animal interaction gradients are particularly difficult to test systematically across large geographic gradients, and evidence from smaller, disparate studies is inconclusive. By systematically measuring post-dispersal seed predation using 6980 standardized seed depots along 18 mountains in the Pacific cordillera, we found that seed predation increases 18% from the Arctic to Equator and 16% from 4000 masl to sea level. Clines in total predation, likely driven by invertebrates, were consistent across tree-line ecotones and in continuous forest, and were better explained by climate seasonality than by productivity, biodiversity, or latitude. These results suggest that species interactions play predictably greater ecological and evolutionary roles in tropical, lowland, and other less seasonal ecosystems.One Sentence SummaryPost-dispersal seed predation increases from the Arctic to the Equator and from high elevations to sea level.
Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha (HNF4α) Activation is Essential for Termination of Liver Regeneration
Authors: Huck Ian , Gunewardena Sumedha , Espanol-Suner Regina , Willenbring Holger , Apte Udayan 
Published: April 2018

AbstractHepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha (HNF4α) is critical for hepatic differentiation. Recent studies have highlighted its role in inhibition of hepatocyte proliferation and tumor suppression. However, the role of HNF4α in liver regeneration is not known. We hypothesized that hepatocytes modulate HNF4α activity when navigating between differentiated and proliferative states during liver regeneration. Western blot analysis revealed a rapid decline in nuclear and cytoplasmic HNF4α protein levels accompanied with decreased target gene expression within 1 hour after 2/3 partial hepatectomy (post-PH) in C57BL/6J mice. HNF4α protein expression did not recover to the pre-PH levels until day 3. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of HNF4α (HNF4α-KO) in mice resulted in 100% mortality post-PH despite increased proliferative marker expression throughout regeneration. Sustained loss of HNF4α target gene expression throughout regeneration indicated HNF4α-KO mice were unable to compensate for loss of HNF4α transcriptional activity. Deletion of HNF4α resulted in sustained proliferation accompanied by c-myc and cyclin D1 over expression and a complete deficiency of hepatocyte function after PH. Interestingly, overexpression of degradation-resistant HNF4α in hepatocytes did not prevent initiation of regeneration after PH. Finally, AAV8-mediated reexpression of HNF4α in hepatocytes of HNF4α-KO mice post-PH restored HNF4α protein levels, induced target gene expression and improved survival of HNF4α-KO mice post-PH. In conclusion, these data indicate that HNF4α reexpression following initial decrease is critical for hepatocytes to exit from cell cycle and resume function during the termination phase of liver regeneration. These results reveal the role of HNF4α in liver regeneration and have implications for therapy of liver failure.
Development of the P300 from childhood to adulthood: a multimodal EEG and MRI study
Authors: Overbye Knut , Huster Rene J. , Walhovd Kristine B. , Fjell Anders M. , Tamnes Christian K. 
Published: April 2018

ABSTRACTMaturation of attentional processes is central to cognitive development. The electrophysiological P300 is associated with rapid allocation of attention, and bridges stimulus and response processing. P300 is among the most studied and robust electrophysiological components, but how different subcomponents of the P300 develop from childhood to adulthood and relate to structural properties of the cerebral cortex is not well understood. We investigated age-related differences in both early visual and P300 components, and how individual differences in these components related to cortical structure in a cross-sectional sample of participants 8-19 years (n=86). Participants completed a three-stimulus visual oddball task while high-density EEG was recorded. Cortical surface area and thickness were estimated from T1-weighthed MRI. Group-level blind source separation of the EEG data identified two P300-like components, a fronto-central P300 and a parietal P300, as well as a component reflecting N1 and P2. Differences in activity across age were found for the parietal P300, N1 and P2, with the parietal P300 showing stronger activity for older participants, while N1 and P2 were stronger for younger participants. Stronger P300 components were positively associated with task performance, independently of age, while negative associations were found for P2 strength. Parietal P300 strength was age-independently associated with larger surface area in a region in left lateral inferior temporal cortex. We suggest that the age differences in component strength reflect development of attentional mechanisms, with increased brain responses to task-relevant stimuli representing an increasing ability to focus on relevant information and to respond accurately and efficiently.
Motor nuclei innervating eye muscles spared in mouse model of SOD1-linked ALS
Authors: Thomas Eleanor V. , Nagy Maria , Zhao Hongyu , Fenton Wayne A. , Horwich Arthur L. 
Published: April 2018

SummaryThe eye muscles of humans with either inherited or sporadic forms of ALS are relatively unaffected during disease progression, a function of sparing of the cranial nerve motor neurons supplying them. Here we observe that cranial nerve nuclei are also spared in a mouse model of inherited SOD1-linked ALS. We examined the cranial nerve motor nuclei in a mouse strain, G85R SOD1YFP, which carries a high copy transgene encoding a mutant human SOD1-YFP fusion protein, that exhibits florid YFP-fluorescent aggregates in spinal cord motor neurons and paralyzes by 6 months of age. We observed in the cranial nerve nuclei that innervate the eye, 3N (oculomotor), 4N (trochlear), and 6N (abducens), that there was little (4N, 6N) or no (3N) aggregation, in comparison with other motor nuclei, 5N (trigeminal), 7N (facial), and 12N (hypoglossal), in the latter two of which florid aggregation was observed. Correspondingly, the number of ChAT positive motor neurons in 3N of G85R SOD1YFP relative to that in 3N of ChAT-EGFP mice showed that there was no loss of motor neurons over time, whereas in 12N there was progressive loss of motor neurons, amounting to a loss of ∼30% from G85R SOD1YFP by end-stage. Thus, the sparing of extraocular motor neurons as occurs in humans with ALS appears to be replicated in our SOD1-linked ALS mouse strain, supporting the validity of the mouse model for studying this aspect of selective motor system loss in ALS. Comparisons of extraocular motor neurons (e.g., from 3N), resistant to ALS pathology, with other cranial motor neurons (e.g., from 12N), sensitive to such pathology, may thus be of value in understanding mechanisms of protection vs. susceptibility of motor neurons.
Robust predictions of specialized metabolism genes through machine learning
Authors: Moore Bethany M. , Wang Peipei , Fan Pengxiang , Leong Bryan , Schenck Craig A. , Lloyd John P. , Lehti-Shiu Melissa D. , Last Robert L. , Pichersky Eran , Shiu Shin-Han 
Published: April 2018

AbstractPlant specialized metabolism (SM) enzymes produce lineage-specific metabolites with important ecological, evolutionary, and biotechnological implications. UsingArabidopsis thalianaas a model, we identified distinguishing characteristics of SM and GM (general metabolism, traditionally referred to as primary metabolism) genes through a detailed study of features including duplication pattern, sequence conservation, transcription, protein domain content, and gene network properties. Analysis of multiple sets of benchmark genes revealed that SM genes tend to be tandemly duplicated, co-expressed with their paralogs, narrowly expressed at lower levels, less conserved, and less well connected in gene networks relative to GM genes. Although the values of each of these features significantly differed between SM and GM genes, any single feature was ineffective at predicting SM from GM genes. Using machine learning methods to integrate all features, a well performing prediction model was established with a true positive rate of 0.87 and a true negative rate of 0.71. In addition, 86% of known SM genes not used to create the machine learning model were predicted as SM genes, further demonstrating its accuracy. We also demonstrated that the model could be further improved when we distinguished between SM, GM, and junction genes responsible for reactions shared by SM and GM pathways. Application of the prediction model led to the identification of 1,217A. thalianagenes with previously unknown functions, providing a global, high-confidence estimate of SM gene content in a plant genome.SignificanceSpecialized metabolites are critical for plant-environment interactions, e.g., attracting pollinators or defending against herbivores, and are important sources of plant-based pharmaceuticals. However, it is unclear what proportion of enzyme-encoding genes play roles in specialized metabolism (SM) as opposed to general metabolism (GM) in any plant species. This is because of the diversity of specialized metabolites and the considerable number of incompletely characterized pathways responsible for their production. In addition, SM gene ancestors frequently played roles in GM. We evaluate features distinguishing SM and GM genes and build a computational model that accurately predicts SM genes. Our predictions provide candidates for experimental studies, and our modeling approach can be applied to other species that produce medicinally or industrially useful compounds.