bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tolerability and effectiveness of an antitrauma cream with comfrey herb extract in pediatric use with application on intact and on broken skin
Authors: Kucera Alexander , Barna Milos , Holcova Simona , Horacek Ondrej , Hladiková Marie , Ottillinger Bertram 
Published: December 2018

Objective:
The safety of comfrey herbal cream application to broken skin is still a matter of regulatory debate. It was therefore examined in children with intact and with broken skin treated for blunt traumas and sports injuries, with the aim of collecting data for pharmacovigilance and clinical safety assessments.

Methods:
A total of 712 children (386 children with intact skin and 326 children with abrasions and superficial wounds) were openly treated for up to 2 weeks with 1–5 applications daily of comfrey herb cream after presenting for blunt traumas and sports accidents. The incidence rate of adverse events was calculated, next to a global assessment of treatment effects.

Results:
No adverse events occurred in the group of children with intact skin, and one intolerability reaction (burning and reddening) was observed after application to broken skin. The overall incidence rate of intolerability reactions per patient was calculated as 0.14% (95% CI 0.00–0.78%) and that of systemic adverse effects as 0.00% (95% CI 0.00–0.42%). Accordingly, the probability of the occurrence of local reactions and systemic adverse events is well below, which is one in 100 treated patients. The global assessment of effects corresponded to previously published experience.

Conclusion:
These studies confirm an excellent benefit-to-risk ratio for the application of comfrey herb cream in the treatment of blunt traumas and sports injuries in children with intact and with broken skin.
A quality initiative to improve exclusive breast milk feeding in preterm neonates
Authors: Bagga Nitasha , Nadipineni Ramya , Mohamed Ashik , Poddutoor Preetham , Chirla Dinesh Kumar 
Published: December 2018

Background and Objective:
Preterm babies thrive well on exclusive breastfeeding with fewer complications. In a retrospective analysis, challenges were noticed in the form of delayed first milk expression and frequency of expression, which was limited to 2–3 times a day. A quality improvement initiative was designed to increase the exclusive breast milk feeding rates in admitted preterm babies. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the proportion of preterm neonates receiving mother's own milk by day 7 of life after such an initiative.

Methods:
The quality improvement initiative was conducted at a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit from May 10, 2018, to August 10, 2018. Inborn preterm neonates <34 weeks with a minimum hospital stay of 7 days were included. Neonates of critically sick mothers and neonates having major congenital malformations were excluded. Mothers were given structured antenatal counseling regarding expressing breast milk (EBM). Postnatal visits were conducted to provide information through a video and a leaflet and formation of breastfeeding support group.

Results:
A total of 30 babies were recruited during a period of 3 months and compared to historical controls. The median age of the first EBM improved from 2.5 days to 1.16 days, and the amount of EBM on the first day improved from 0.24 ml to 2.6 ml (P = .002). The proportion of babies receiving EBM on the first day improved from 24% to 80% (P = .0001), and at the end of 7 days, it increased to 73% from 46% (P = .02). The factors time to reach full enteral feeds, time to regain birth weight, rate of necrotizing enterocolitis, rate of sepsis, and proportion of babies on exclusive mother's milk during discharge appear comparable in both the groups.

Conclusions:
A simple quality improvement approach through the formation of breastfeeding support group, antenatal counseling, and postnatal support for breast milk expression has made a significant improvement in milk expression from mothers delivered prematurely. It reflects on a team approach using the available resources.
Subjective cognitive decline and rates of incident Alzheimer's disease and non–Alzheimer's disease dementia
Authors: Slot Rosalinde E.R. , Sikkes Sietske A.M. , Berkhof Johannes , Brodaty Henry , Buckley Rachel , Cavedo Enrica , Dardiotis Efthimios , Guillo‐Benarous Francoise , Hampel Harald , Kochan Nicole A. , Lista Simone , Luck Tobias , Maruff Paul , Molinuevo José Luis , Kornhuber Johannes , Reisberg Barry , Riedel‐Heller Steffi G. , Risacher Shannon L. , Roehr Susanne , Sachdev Perminder S. , Scarmeas Nikolaos , Scheltens Philip , Shulman Melanie B. , Saykin Andrew J. , Verfaillie Sander C.J. , Visser Pieter Jelle , Vos Stephanie J.B. , Wagner Michael , Wolfsgruber Steffen , Jessen Frank ,   the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,   the DESCRIPA working group,   the INSIGHT‐preAD study group,   SCD‐I working group, van der Flier Wiesje M. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntroductionIn this multicenter study on subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in community‐based and memory clinic settings, we assessed the (1) incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non‐AD dementia and (2) determinants of progression to dementia.MethodsEleven cohorts provided 2978 participants with SCD and 1391 controls. We estimated dementia incidence and identified risk factors using Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsIn SCD, incidence of dementia was 17.7 (95% Poisson confidence interval 15.2‐20.3)/1000 person‐years (AD: 11.5 [9.6‐13.7], non‐AD: 6.1 [4.7‐7.7]), compared with 14.2 (11.3‐17.6) in controls (AD: 10.1 [7.7‐13.0], non‐AD: 4.1 [2.6‐6.0]). The risk of dementia was strongly increased in SCD in a memory clinic setting but less so in a community‐based setting. In addition, higher age (hazard ratio 1.1 [95% confidence interval 1.1‐1.1]), lower Mini–Mental State Examination (0.7 [0.66‐0.8]), and apolipoprotein E ε4 (1.8 [1.3‐2.5]) increased the risk of dementia.DiscussionSCD can precede both AD and non‐AD dementia. Despite their younger age, individuals with SCD in a memory clinic setting have a higher risk of dementia than those in community‐based cohorts.
A Simple Model of Convectively Coupled Equatorial Rossby Waves
Authors: Fuchs‐Stone Željka , Raymond David J. , Sentić Stipo 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIntraseasonal oscillations affect the weather not just in the tropics but all around the globe. The convectively coupled equatorial Rossby wave is observed as the westward‐moving intraseasonal oscillation. The fundamental physics of its coupling is still unknown; thus, many questions remain unanswered. How is its phase speed altered by convection? What makes it unstable? Why is it an intraseasonal oscillation? Using the Fuchs and Raymond model with linearized governing equations on an equatorial beta plane, first baroclinic mode vertical structure, and moisture and wind‐induced surface heat exchange (WISHE) convective parametrizations, this paper seeks a fundamental analytical theory that can explain the basic features of the convectively coupled equatorial Rossby wave. The WISHE‐moisture theory leads to a large‐scale, unstable westward propagating mode in the n = 1 case, which we call the westward propagating WISHE‐moisture mode. We find that the westward propagating WISHE‐moisture mode is indeed the free equatorial Rossby wave in the absence of moisture closure and WISHE. It is propagating westward due to the beta effect, and it slows down when it is convectively coupled. Its phase speed decreases mainly due to WISHE and cloud‐radiation interactions. The x‐y structure of the pressure and horizontal winds is similar to the free and observed Rossby wave, with convergent net flow. The strongest easterlies are to the west of the precipitation maximum increasing the moisture in that area. The mode is unstable due to the interplay of surface fluxes and moisture, which increases as a function of zonal wavelength.
Improving pharmacogenetic prediction of extrapyramidal symptoms induced by antipsychotics
Authors: Boloc Daniel , Gortat Anna , Cheng-Zhang Jia Qi , García-Cerro Susana , Rodríguez Natalia , Parellada Mara , Saiz-Ruiz Jeronimo , Cuesta Manolo J. , Gassó Patricia , Lafuente Amalia , Bernardo Miquel , Mas Sergi 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn previous work we developed a pharmacogenetic predictor of antipsychotic (AP) induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) based on four genes involved in mTOR regulation. The main objective is to improve this predictor by increasing its biological plausibility and replication. We re-sequence the four genes using next-generation sequencing. We predict functionality “in silico” of all identified SNPs and test it using gene reporter assays. Using functional SNPs, we develop a new predictor utilizing machine learning algorithms (Discovery Cohort, N = 131) and replicate it in two independent cohorts (Replication Cohort 1, N = 113; Replication Cohort 2, N = 113). After prioritization, four SNPs were used to develop the pharmacogenetic predictor of AP-induced EPS. The model constructed using the Naive Bayes algorithm achieved a 66% of accuracy in the Discovery Cohort, and similar performances in the replication cohorts. The result is an improved pharmacogenetic predictor of AP-induced EPS, which is more robust and generalizable than the original.
Nuclear-accumulated SQSTM1/p62-based ALIS act as microdomains sensing cellular stresses and triggering oxidative stress-induced parthanatos
Authors: Noguchi Takuya , Suzuki Midori , Mutoh Natsumi , Hirata Yusuke , Tsuchida Mei , Miyagawa Sayoko , Hwang Gi-Wook , Aoki Junken , Matsuzawa Atsushi 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAggresome-like induced structures (ALIS) have been described as ubiquitinated protein-containing aggresomes transiently formed in response to various stresses. In this study, we provide evidence that ALIS composed of SQSTM1/p62 act as a key determinant of oxidative stress-induced parthanatos, which is newly discovered and distinct from regular programmed cell death. Interestingly, we first found that chemical stresses induced by particular chemical drugs, such as several cephalosporin antibiotics, cause oxidative stress-mediated parthanatos, accompanied by the ALIS formation. Blocking the ALIS formation potently suppressed the parthanatos, and p62 knockout cells exhibited the attenuated ALIS formation and high resistance to parthanatos. Moreover, we also found that the redox-sensing activity of p62 is required for nuclear accumulation of the p62-based ALIS, resulting in the induction of parthanatos. Together, our results demonstrate unexpected functions of p62 and ALIS as cell death mediators sensing oxidative stress, and thus uncover a novel mechanism whereby p62 mediates parthanatos.
Diverse associations between oxidative stress and thromboxane A2 in hypertensive glomerular injury
Authors: Nakano Yukihito , Nakatani Yoshihisa , Takami Masahiro , Taniyama Yoshihiro , Arima Shuji 
Published: December 2018

AbstractWe examined the potential contributions of oxidative stress and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) to the development of regional heterogeneity in hypertensive glomerular injury using stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP), an animal model of human essential hypertension. We also examined the effect of antioxidant treatment on the regional expression of thromboxane synthase (TXAS) mRNA using a microdissection method. Increases in the glomerular expression of TXAS mRNA were observed in the SHRSP at 15 weeks of age compared with those in the age-matched normotensive control Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats: 2.4-fold and 3.1-fold in the superficial and juxtamedullary glomeruli, respectively (P < 0.05). The heme oxygenase-1 mRNA expression was markedly increased (greater than eightfold, P < 0.05) in both the superficial and juxtamedullary glomeruli in the SHRSP compared with the expression in the WKY rats. In contrast to our expectations, the treatment of SHRSP with tempol (a superoxide dismutase mimetic) significantly (P < 0.05) increased the TXAS mRNA expression in the superficial glomeruli and did not improve the histological injury or albuminuria, which were both aggravated. Moreover, ozagrel (a TXAS inhibitor) had a suppressive effect on the TXAS mRNA expression and significantly (P < 0.05) improved the histological injury. These results indicated that although TXA2 and oxidative stress are linked to each other, TXA2 rather than oxidative stress may be a better therapeutic target to improve hypertensive glomerular injury.
Organizing principles of pulvino-cortical functional coupling in humans
Authors: Arcaro Michael J. , Pinsk Mark A. , Chen Janice , Kastner Sabine 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe pulvinar influences communication between cortical areas. We use fMRI to characterize the functional organization of the human pulvinar and its coupling with cortex. The ventral pulvinar is sensitive to spatial position and moment-to-moment transitions in visual statistics, but also differentiates visual categories such as faces and scenes. The dorsal pulvinar is modulated by spatial attention and is sensitive to the temporal structure of visual input. Cortical areas are functionally coupled with discrete pulvinar regions. The spatial organization of this coupling reflects the functional specializations and anatomical distances between cortical areas. The ventral pulvinar is functionally coupled with occipital-temporal cortices. The dorsal pulvinar is functionally coupled with frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortices, including the attention, default mode, and human-specific tool networks. These differences mirror the principles governing cortical organization of dorsal and ventral cortical visual streams. These results provide a functional framework for how the pulvinar facilitates and regulates cortical processing.
Structure of the type VI secretion system TssK–TssF–TssG baseplate subcomplex revealed by cryo-electron microscopy
Authors: Park Young-Jun , Lacourse Kaitlyn D. , Cambillau Christian , DiMaio Frank , Mougous Joseph D. , Veesler David 
Published: December 2018

AbstractType VI secretion systems (T6SSs) translocate effectors into target cells and are made of a contractile sheath and a tube docked onto a multi-protein transmembrane complex via a baseplate. Although some information is available about the mechanisms of tail contraction leading to effector delivery, the detailed architecture and function of the baseplate remain unknown. Here, we report the 3.7 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of an enteroaggregative Escherichia coli baseplate subcomplex assembled from TssK, TssF and TssG. The structure reveals two TssK trimers interact with a locally pseudo-3-fold symmetrical complex comprising two copies of TssF and one copy of TssG. TssF and TssG are structurally related to each other and to components of the phage T4 baseplate and of the type IV secretion system, strengthening the evolutionary relationships among these macromolecular machines. These results, together with bacterial two-hybrid assays, provide a structural framework to understand the T6SS baseplate architecture.
Concurrent influence of top-down and bottom-up inputs on correlated activity of Macaque extrastriate neurons
Authors: Merrikhi Yaser , Clark Kelsey , Noudoost Behrad 
Published: December 2018

AbstractCorrelations between neurons can profoundly impact the information encoding capacity of a neural population. We studied how maintenance of visuospatial information affects correlated activity in visual areas by recording the activity of neurons in visual area MT of rhesus macaques during a spatial working memory task. Correlations between MT neurons depended upon the spatial overlap between neurons’ receptive fields. These correlations were influenced by the content of working memory, but the effect of a top-down memory signal differed in the presence or absence of bottom-up visual input. Neurons representing the same area of space showed increased correlations when remembering a location in their receptive fields in the absence of visual input, but decreased correlations in the presence of a visual stimulus. This set of results reveals the correlating nature of top-down signals influencing visual areas and uncovers how such a correlating signal, in interaction with bottom-up information, could enhance sensory representations.
Resonant terahertz detection using graphene plasmons
Authors: Bandurin Denis A. , Svintsov Dmitry , Gayduchenko Igor , Xu Shuigang G. , Principi Alessandro , Moskotin Maxim , Tretyakov Ivan , Yagodkin Denis , Zhukov Sergey , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Grigorieva Irina V. , Polini Marco , Goltsman Gregory N. , Geim Andre K. , Fedorov Georgy 
Published: December 2018

AbstractPlasmons, collective oscillations of electron systems, can efficiently couple light and electric current, and thus can be used to create sub-wavelength photodetectors, radiation mixers, and on-chip spectrometers. Despite considerable effort, it has proven challenging to implement plasmonic devices operating at terahertz frequencies. The material capable to meet this challenge is graphene as it supports long-lived electrically tunable plasmons. Here we demonstrate plasmon-assisted resonant detection of terahertz radiation by antenna-coupled graphene transistors that act as both plasmonic Fabry-Perot cavities and rectifying elements. By varying the plasmon velocity using gate voltage, we tune our detectors between multiple resonant modes and exploit this functionality to measure plasmon wavelength and lifetime in bilayer graphene as well as to probe collective modes in its moiré minibands. Our devices offer a convenient tool for further plasmonic research that is often exceedingly difficult under non-ambient conditions (e.g. cryogenic temperatures) and promise a viable route for various photonic applications.
Rare TP53 variant associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome exhibits variable penetrance in a Saudi family
Authors: AlHarbi Musa , Mubarak Nahla , AlMubarak Latifa , Aljelaify Rasha , AlSaeed Mariam , Almutairi Amal , AlJabarat Weal , Alqubaishi Fatimah , Al-Subaie Lamia , AlTassan Nada , Neben Cynthia L. , Zhou Alicia Y. , Abedalthagafi Malak 
Published: December 2018

AbstractLi-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is an inherited, autosomal-dominant condition that predisposes individuals to a wide-spectrum of tumors at an early age. Approximately 70% of families with classic LFS have pathogenic variants in the tumor suppressor gene TP53 that disrupt protein function or stability. While more than 70% of pathogenic variants in TP53 are missense variants, the vast majority occur very infrequently, and thus their clinical significance is uncertain or conflicting. Here, we report an extremely rare TP53 missense variant, c.799C > T (p.Arg267Trp), identified in a 2-year-old Saudi proband diagnosed with choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) and six of his first- and second-degree relatives. CPC is frequently found in families with LFS, and this is the first detailed report of a family with this variant. Intriguingly, the proband’s father is homozygous for TP53 c.799C > T and phenotypically normal at 39 years of age. While loss of TP53 heterozygosity is often observed in tumors from individuals with LFS, homozygous germline TP53 pathogenic variants are rare. Based on our analysis of this single family, we hypothesize that TP53 c.799C > T has low or variable penetrance for LFS, with predisposition to the development of CPC. The observations from this family have furthered our understanding of the phenotypic variability that may be caused by one variant of TP53, even in the same family, and suggest that other factors (genetic and/or environmental) may play a role in mechanism of disease manifestation in LFS.
Profile and outcome of post stroke patients managed at selected public primary care health centres in Peninsular Malaysia: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Abdul Aziz Aznida Firzah , Ali Mohd Fairuz , Yusof Mohammad Fhaisol , Che’ Man Zuraidah , Sulong Saperi , Aljunid Syed Mohamed 
Published: December 2018

AbstractData on post stroke outcomes in developing countries are scarce due to uncoordinated healthcare delivery systems. In Malaysia, the national stroke clinical practice guideline does not address transfer of care and longer term post stroke care beyond tertiary care. Hence, post stroke care delivery may be delivered at either tertiary or primary care facilities. This study aimed at describing patients’ characteristics and outcomes of post stroke care delivered by the primary care teams at public primary care healthcentres across Peninsular Malaysia. Multi staged sampling was done to select public primary care health centres to recruit post stroke patients. At each health centre, convenience sampling was done to recruit adult patients (≥18 years) who received post stroke care between July-December 2012. Baseline measurements were recorded at recruitment and retrospective medical record review was done simultaneously, for details on medical and / or rehabilitation treatment at health centre. Changes in the measurements for post stroke care were compared using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Rank test where appropriate. Total of 151 patients were recruited from ten public primary care healthcentres. The mean age at stroke presentation was 55.8 ± 9.8 years. Median duration of follow up was 2.3 (IQR 5.1) years. Majority co-resided with a relative (80.8%), and a family member was primary caregiver (75.%). Eleven percent were current smokers. Almost 71.0% of patients achieved BP ≤ 140/90 mmHg. Only 68.9% of the patients had been referred for neurorehabilitation. Percentage of recorded data was highest for blood pressure (88.1%) while lowest was HbA1c (43.0%). For clinical outcomes, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride level and calculated GFR (eGFR) showed statistically significant changes during follow up (p < 0.05). Post stroke care at public primary care healthcentres showed benefits in stroke risk factors control (i.e. hypertension and dyslipidaemia) but deterioration in renal function. A more structured coordination is needed to optimise post stroke care beyond acute phase management for patients who reside at home in the community.
Global transcriptome analysis of the aphelid Paraphelidium tribonemae supports the phagotrophic origin of fungi
Authors: Torruella Guifré , Grau-Bové Xavier , Moreira David , Karpov Sergey A. , Burns John A. , Sebé-Pedrós Arnau , Völcker Eckhard , López-García Purificación 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAphelids are little-known phagotrophic parasites of algae whose life cycle and morphology resemble those of the parasitic rozellids (Cryptomycota, Rozellomycota). In previous phylogenetic analyses of RNA polymerase and rRNA genes, aphelids, rozellids and Microsporidia (parasites of animals) formed a clade, named Opisthosporidia, which appeared as the sister group to Fungi. However, the statistical support for the Opisthosporidia was always moderate. Here, we generated full life-cycle transcriptome data for the aphelid species Paraphelidium tribonemae. In-depth multi-gene phylogenomic analyses using several protein datasets place this aphelid as the closest relative of fungi to the exclusion of rozellids and Microsporidia. In contrast with the comparatively reduced Rozella allomycis genome, we infer a rich, free-living-like aphelid proteome, with a metabolism similar to fungi, including cellulases likely involved in algal cell-wall penetration and enzymes involved in chitin biosynthesis. Our results suggest that fungi evolved from complex aphelid-like ancestors that lost phagotrophy and became osmotrophic.