bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
062 Alcohol associated toxic myelopathy with normal hepatic function
Authors: Vijayan Srimathy , Davies Scott , Leong Wai 
Published: July 2019

IntroductionAlcohol related neurological dysfunction affects the central and peripheral nervous system. We present a rare consequence of excessive alcohol consumption. A 42-year-old female consuming 2 bottles of wine daily for the preceding 5 years presented with 12 months of progressive gait disturbance. Examination revealed a spastic paraparesis with prominent dorsal column signs. Extensive work up found no alternate cause for her presentation. The final diagnosis was direct alcohol mediated toxic myelopathy. We reviewed the current literature on this rare condition.MethodsWe searched PubMED/OVID databases with the terms ‘alcohol AND myelopathy’.ResultsThere is a paucity of research on this clinical entity. Sage et al.1 described 5 well-nourished alcoholics presenting with a progressive myelopathy. As with our patient, routine laboratory tests, including nutritional screen, were normal. CT Myelogram revealed no structural cause. CSF was normal. In contrast, a myelopathic syndrome can occur in alcoholic hepatic failure, attributed to portosystemic shunting of blood, with resultant hyper-ammonaemia and demyelination of corticospinal tracts.2–4ConclusionAlcohol associated toxic myelopathy is a rare entity, distinct from hepatic myelopathy. It is thought to result from direct toxic effects of ethanol on corticospinal and large myelinated sensory tracts. The sensory involvement is unique for this entity, which distinguishes it from hepatic myelopathy, where corticospinal involvement predominates. It is prudent to look for other potentially treatable secondary causes of myelopathy. Abstinence from alcohol results in modest improvement in symptoms. Minimal literature exists on this clinical entity and further research is required.ReferencesSage JI, et al. Alcoholic myelopathy without substantial liver disease. A syndrome of progressive dorsal and lateral column dysfunction. Arch Neurol. 1984 Sep;41(9):999–1001.Premkumar M, et al. Hepatic Myelopathy in a Patient with Decompensated Alcoholic Cirrhosis and Portal Colopathy. Volume 2012, Article ID 735906, 4 pages.Koo JE, et al. Hepatic myelopathy as a presenting neurological complication in patients with cirrhosis and spontaneous splenorenal shunt. Korean J Hepatol. 2008 Mar;14(1):89–96.Kori P, et al. Hepatic myelopathy: an unusual neurological complication of chronic liver disease presenting as quadriparesis. BMJ Case Rep. 2013; 2013: bcr2013009078.
094 Towards objective testing in parkinson’s disease: a systematic review of the literature looking at assessment of postural sway
Authors: Ge Wenbo , Apthorp Deborah , Lueck Christian J , Suominen Hanna 
Published: July 2019

IntroductionParkinson’s Disease (PD) is associated with increased mortality and reduced quality of life. There is currently no accurate objective measure for use in diagnosis or assessment of severity. Analysis of postural sway may help in this regard. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of the various features currently used to analyse postural sway.MethodsFive databases were searched for articles that examined postural sway in both PD patients and controls. An effect size (ES) was derived for every feature reported in each article. The most effective features and feature-families were determined, along with the influence on these measures of data sampling rate and experimental condition.Results441 papers were initially retrieved, of which 31 met the requirements for analysis. The most commonly-used features were not the most effective (e.g. PathLength had an ES of 0.47 while TotalEnergy had an ES of 1.78). Decreased sampling rate was associated with decreased ES (e.g. ES of PathLength lowered from 1.12 at 100 Hz to 0.40 at 10 Hz). Being off medication was associated with a larger ES (e.g. ES of PathLength was 0.21 on medication and 0.83 off medication).ConclusionsSome measures of postural sway are better able to distinguish PD patients from controls than others. ES is enhanced by using a higher sampling rate and studying patients off medication. These results will inform future studies looking at postural sway in PD and contribute to the aim of finding an objective marker of the disease.
Assessment of Local Councillors’ Attitudes Towards Energy Efficiency Projects in Croatia
Authors: Kordej-De Villa Zeljka , Slijepcevic Suncana 
Published: July 2019

Energy efficiency is an important element of Europe's Climate and Energy scheme to meet the target of a 20% reduction in energy demand by 2020. To achieve this goal, it is essential to transform to low-carbon economy and much of required transformations take place at the local and regional level, while regional authorities have the tools to influence and encourage this process. The paper presents the results of a survey relating to the energy efficiency projects conducted among councilors at the regional level. The paper investigates local councilors' attitudes about the impact of energy efficiency projects, prerequisites for successful implementation of energy efficiency projects and preconditions for efficient public procurement in the field of energy efficiency. Survey results could provide some useful insights for policy recommendations in the field of energy efficiency.
Selective applicative functors
Authors: Mokhov Andrey , Lukyanov Georgy , Marlow Simon , Dimino Jeremie 
Published: July 2019

Applicative functors and monads have conquered the world of functional programming by providing general and powerful ways of describing effectful computations using pure functions. Applicative functors provide a way to compose independent effects that cannot depend on values produced by earlier computations, and all of which are declared statically. Monads extend the applicative interface by making it possible to compose dependent effects, where the value computed by one effect determines all subsequent effects, dynamically.
This paper introduces an intermediate abstraction called selective applicative functors that requires all effects to be declared statically, but provides a way to select which of the effects to execute dynamically. We demonstrate applications of the new abstraction on several examples, including two industrial case studies.
Impact of heart rate on cross-bridge cycling kinetics in failing and nonfailing human myocardium
Authors: Chung Jae-Hoon , Milani-Nejad Nima , Davis Jonathan P. , Weisleder Noah , Whitson Bryan A. , Mohler Peter J. , Janssen Paul M. L. 
Published: July 2019

The force-frequency relationship (FFR) is an important regulatory mechanism that increases the force-generating capacity as well as the contraction and relaxation kinetics in human cardiac muscle as the heart rate increases. In human heart failure, the normally positive FFR often becomes flat, or even negative. The rate of cross-bridge cycling, which has been reported to affect cardiac output, could be potentially dysregulated and contribute to blunted or negative FFR in heart failure. We recently developed and herein use a novel method for measuring the rate of tension redevelopment. This method allows us to obtain an index of the rate of cross-bridge cycling in intact contracting cardiac trabeculae at physiological temperature and assess physiological properties of cardiac muscles while preserving posttranslational modifications representative of those that occur in vivo. We observed that trabeculae from failing human hearts indeed exhibit an impaired FFR and a reduced speed of relaxation kinetics. However, stimulation frequencies in the lower spectrum did not majorly affect cross-bridge cycling kinetics in nonfailing and failing trabeculae when assessed at maximal activation. Trabeculae from failing human hearts had slightly slower cross-bridge kinetics at 3 Hz as well as reduced capacity to generate force upon K+ contracture at this frequency. We conclude that cross-bridge kinetics at maximal activation in the prevailing in vivo heart rates are not majorly impacted by frequency and are not majorly impacted by disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, we confirm that cardiac relaxation kinetics are impaired in filing human myocardium and that cross-bridge cycling rate at resting heart rates does not contribute to this impaired relaxation. At high heart rates, failing myocardium cross-bridge rates are slower than in nonfailing myocardium.
The Tumor Microenvironment Innately Modulates Cancer Progression
Authors: Hinshaw Dominique C. , Shevde Lalita A. 
Published: July 2019

Abstract

Cancer development and progression occurs in concert with alterations in the surrounding stroma. Cancer cells can functionally sculpt their microenvironment through the secretion of various cytokines, chemokines, and other factors. This results in a reprogramming of the surrounding cells, enabling them to play a determinative role in tumor survival and progression. Immune cells are important constituents of the tumor stroma and critically take part in this process. Growing evidence suggests that the innate immune cells (macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, innate lymphoid cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and natural killer cells) as well as adaptive immune cells (T cells and B cells) contribute to tumor progression when present in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cross-talk between cancer cells and the proximal immune cells ultimately results in an environment that fosters tumor growth and metastasis. Understanding the nature of this dialog will allow for improved therapeutics that simultaneously target multiple components of the TME, increasing the likelihood of favorable patient outcomes.
Potential Markers from Serum-Purified Exosomes for Detecting Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Metastasis
Authors: Li Cuiping , Zhou Yang , Liu Junjun , Su Xiaoping , Qin Hao , Huang Suhua , Huang Xuanping , Zhou Nuo 
Published: July 2019

Abstract

Background:
Blood contains exosomes that are related to tumor cells. Those exosomes can regulate communication between cells and have a great influence on a variety of tumor-associated proceedings through their target cells. Therefore, serum exosomes (SE) were supposed to play a crucial role in cancer development.

Methods:
This study presented a quantitative proteomics analysis to identify the protein content in SEs including 30 subjects from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM), OSCC patients with no LNM (NLNM), and healthy controls (HC). Differentially expressed proteins (DEP) were analyzed by bioinformatics, and then a total of 30 subjects were used for Western blot and 60 subjects for IHC, ELISA, and RT-PCR verifications. The correlations were assessed between DEP expression and clinicopathologic factors.

Results:
A total of 415 proteins were identified. Comparing with HC and OSCC-NLNM, we found 37 proteins and 28 proteins in the SEs of OSCC-LNM, respectively. There were significant correlations among the expression of PF4V1 with tumor differentiation level, PF4V1 and F13A1 with the number of positive nodes, and ApoA1 with smoking and drinking. ROC curve analysis indicated that the combinations of the different biomarkers or specimen were obviously superior to single biomarker or specimen for diagnosing OSCC-LNM.

Conclusions:
We conclude that PF4V1, CXCL7, F13A1, and ApoA1 from SEs may be related to the metastasis of OSCC, which would be helpful in the diagnosis of OSCC-LNM.

Impact:
Biomarkers from SEs could help with the diagnosis of metastasis in OSCC.
Parallel Analyses of Somatic Mutations in Plasma Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) and Matched Tumor Tissues in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhang Xianyu , Zhao Weiwei , Wei Wei , You Zilong , Ou Xiaohua , Sun Mingming , Yin Yanling , Tang Xiaoyan , Zhao Zhen , Hu Changming , Liu Feifei , Deng Junhao , Mao Linlin , Zhou Danyan , Ren Yuxia , Li Xiaoxia , Zhang Shangfei , Liu Chang , Geng Jingshu , Yao Guodong , Song Bingbing , Liu Yupeng , Li Dalin , Jiang Yongdong , Chen Yanbo , Zhao Yashuang , Yu Shihui , Pang Da 
Published: July 2019

Abstract

Purpose:
Early detection and intervention can decrease the mortality of breast cancer significantly. Assessments of genetic/genomic variants in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have generated great enthusiasm for their potential application as clinically actionable biomarkers in the management of early-stage breast cancer.
Experimental Design: In this study, 861 serial plasma and matched tissue specimens from 102 patients with early-stage breast cancer who need chemotherapy and 50 individuals with benign breast tumors were deeply sequenced via next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques using large gene panels.

Results:
Cancer tissues in this cohort of patients showed profound intratumor heterogeneities (ITHGs) that were properly reflected by ctDNA testing. Integrating the ctDNA detection rate of 74.2% in this cohort with the corresponding predictive results based on Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification (BI-RADS) could increase the positive predictive value up to 92% and potentially dramatically reduce surgical overtreatment. Patients with positive ctDNA after surgery showed a higher percentage of lymph node metastasis, indicating potential recurrence and remote metastasis. The ctDNA-positive rates were significantly decreased after chemotherapy in basal-like and Her2+ tumor subtypes, but were persistent despite chemotherapy in luminal type. The tumor mutation burden in blood (bTMB) assessed on the basis of ctDNA testing was positively correlated with the TMB in tumor tissues (tTMB), providing a candidate biomarker warranting further study of its potentials used for precise immunotherapy in cancer.

Conclusions:
These data showed that ctDNA evaluation is a feasible, sensitive, and specific biomarker for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of patients with early-stage breast cancer who need chemotherapy.
Spiders of Odisha: a preliminary checklist
Authors: Choudhury Sudhir Ranjan , Siliwal Manju , Das Sanjay Keshari 
Published: July 2019

The present checklist of spiders of Odisha is the result of the compilation of all published literature on spiders and primary data collected during the present study carried out from July 2016 to March 2017 in Odisha. A total of 138 species of spiders belonging to 95 genera and 33 families were recorded in the present study. Of which, seven families, 36 genera and 80 species of spiders were reported for the first time from Odisha. Of these 80 species, 78 spider species were exclusively reported from the Eastern Ghats of Odisha. With this study, spider diversity of Odisha comprised of 248 species belonging to 139 genera and 39 families. Whereas, Eastern Ghats of Odisha comprised of 181 species belonging to 109 genera and 35 families. Of total spiders from Odisha, 23 species were found to be endemic to southern Asia, 49 species endemic to India and 19 species endemic to Odisha.
Greater One-horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis (Mammalia: Perissodactyla: Rhinocerotidae) population census in the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Assam, India
Authors: Dutta Deba Kumar , Kakati Parikshit 
Published: July 2019

The complete-count of rhino or rhino census is an integral part of conservation and management of wild rhino-bearing areas of Assam. The direct count of rhinos in their wild habitat continues as the accepted method of determining rhino population. As a part of the periodic process, the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park (RGONP) organized a one-day direct rhino count on 2 April 2018. The results showed 1% increment of the population after a gap of six years. Such slow increment is considered to be a matter of concern. More research is necessary for better understanding of the population dynamics and identification of factors for better management of rhino population at RGONP.
Is canine distemper virus (CDV) a lurking threat to large carnivores? A case study from Ranthambhore landscape in Rajasthan, India
Authors: Sidhu Nadisha , Borah Jimmy , Shah Sunny , Rajput Nidhi , Jadav Kajal Kumar 
Published: July 2019

Canine distemper virus (CDV) was reported in wild tigers from Russia and recently from India. Very few studies, however, have been carried out to gain an insight into the prevalence of the disease in India, particularly in the wild. CDV is the etiological agent of one of the most infectious diseases of domestic dogs. With the aim of exploring the threat CDV poses for tigers, a preliminary assessment was carried out to determine its prevalence from villages near Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, India. Free-roaming dog populations within a 4-km-radius of the park’s periphery were tested for antibodies against CDV. The seroprevalence of CDV antibodies in the sampled dogs was 86% (95% CI 78–91 %), indicating the probability of the dogs acting as a reservoir and having been exposed to CDV in the past. The seroprevalence of CAV antibodies was 44.23% (95% CI 35–54 %) and CPV antibodies was 95.19% (95% CI 91–99 %). This could threaten the tiger populations in the park, considering the close proximity of dogs to tigers. It is, therefore, crucial to assess disease threats at the domestic-wildlife interface and to establish management strategies for more effective conservation practices in the landscape.
New record of Blanford’s Fox Vulpes cana (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in central Oman: a connection between the northern and southern populations
Authors: Alsaid Taimur , Aluwaisi Abdularahman , Albalushi Sultan , Alabdulsalam Zahran , Alharsusi Said , Ross Steven 
Published: July 2019

The Blanford’s Fox Vulpes cana is known to be distributed in the Hajar Mountains and the mountains of Dhofar in northern and southern Oman, respectively. We report the first record of the Blanford’s Fox in Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve in central Oman. Despite a large survey effort of 169 camera traps set for 53,524 trap nights in an area of 5,400km2, only two camera traps detected Blanford’s Fox in a small area covering 46km2. The survey suggests that the population is small and possibly isolated, as the northern and southern Blanford’s Fox populations are 310km and 330km away, respectively.
Safety of Amlodipine in Early Pregnancy
Authors: Mito Asako , Murashima Atsuko , Wada Yoshinao , Miyasato‐Isoda Mai , Kamiya Chizuko A. , Waguri Masako , Yoshimatsu Jun , Yakuwa Naho , Watanabe Omi , Suzuki Tomo , Arata Naoko , Mikami Masashi , Ito Shinya 
Published: July 2019

Background
Amlodipine is used for the treatment of hypertension, but reports on its use in early pregnancy are limited.

Methods and Results

In the present study, we recruited 231 women with chronic hypertension, including those who received amlodipine or other antihypertensives during early pregnancy, and investigated frequencies of morphologic abnormalities in their 231 offspring. Specifically, we evaluated 48 neonates exposed to amlodipine in the first trimester (amlodipine group, Group A), 54 neonates exposed to antihypertensives other than amlodipine (other antihypertensive group, Group O), and 129 neonates not exposed to antihypertensives (no‐antihypertensive group, Group N). The number of morphologic abnormalities of offspring in each group were 2 in Group A (4.2%; 95%
CI
, 0.51–14.25); 3 in Group O (5.6%; 95%
CI
, 1.16–15.39) and 6 in Group N (4.7%; 95% CI, 1.73–9.85). The odds ratio of the primary outcome comparing Group A and Group O was 0.74 (95%
CI
: 0.118–4.621) and Group A and Group N was 0.89 (95%
CI
: 0.174–4.575).

Conclusions
The odds of birth defects in Group A in the first trimester were not significantly different from those with or without other antihypertensives.
Posterior Arterial Ischemic Stroke in Childhood
Authors: Fink Mirjam , Slavova Nedelina , Grunt Sebastian , Perret Eveline , Regényi Maria , Steinlin Maja , Bigi Sandra 
Published: July 2019

Background and Purpose—
Literature on the clinical manifestation and neuroradiological findings in pediatric patients with posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke is scarce. This study aims to describe epidemiological features, clinical characteristics, and neuroimaging data on pediatric posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke in Switzerland using the population-based Swiss Neuropediatric Stroke Registry.

Methods—
Children aged from 1 month to 16 years presenting with an isolated posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke between 2000 and 2016 were included. Epidemiology, clinical manifestation, stroke cause, and neuroradiological features were summarized using descriptive statistics. Stroke severity was assessed using the pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman correlation coefficient.

Results—

Forty-three children with posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke were included (27 boys [62.8%], median age 7.9 years, interquartile range, 5 to 11.7 years). The incidence of posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke is Switzerland was 0.183/100 000 and represented 16% of all childhood arterial ischemic strokes. Most patients presented with nonspecific neurological complaints, such as headache (58.1%) and nausea/vomiting (46.5%). The most frequent clinical manifestations were ataxia (58.1%) and motor/sensory hemisyndrome (53.5%/51.2%). Unilateral focal cerebral arteriopathy was the most common cause (11 children, 25.6%). Most infarcts were located in the cerebellum (46.5%) and thalamus (39.5%). A shorter diagnostic delay correlated with more severe stroke symptoms at presentation (rho= −0.365,
P
=0.016).

Conclusions—
Pediatric posterior circulation arterial ischemic stroke was caused by focal cerebral arteriopathy in one quarter of the patients in our cohort. The frequently reported nonspecific clinical symptoms, especially when associated with mild neurological findings, risk delaying the diagnosis of stroke. A high index of suspicion and increased awareness are required for timely diagnosis and treatment initiation.
The Church Slavonic Song of Songs Translated from a Jewish Source in the Ruthenian Codex from the 1550s (RSL Mus. 8222)
Authors: Grishchenko Alexander I. 
Published: July 2019

Abstract
This paper presents the new and actually the first diplomatic publication of the unique 16th-century copy of the Church Slavonic Song of Songs translated from a Jewish original, most likely not the proper Masoretic Text but apparently its Old Yiddish translation. This Slavonic translation is extremely important for Judaic-Slavic relations in the context of literature and language contacts between Jews and Slavs in medieval Slavia Orthodoxa.