bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subthalamic neuromodulation improves short-term motor learning in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: de Almeida Marcelino Ana Luísa , Horn Andreas , Krause Patricia , Kühn Andrea A , Neumann Wolf-Julian 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
The basal ganglia and cerebellum are implicated in both motor learning and Parkinson’s disease. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease that leads to motor and non-motor effects by modulating specific neural pathways. Recently, a disynaptic projection from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to cerebellar hemispheres was discovered. To investigate the functional significance of this pathway in motor learning, short-term improvement in motor execution in 20 patients with Parkinson’s disease on and off STN-DBS and 20 age-matched healthy controls was studied in a visuomotor task combined with whole-brain connectomics. Motor learning was impaired in Parkinson’s disease off stimulation but was partially restored through DBS. Connectivity between active DBS contacts and a distributed network of brain regions correlated with improvement in motor learning. Region of interest analysis revealed connectivity from active contact to cerebellar hemisphere ipsilateral to hand movement as the strongest predictor for change in motor learning. Peak predictive voxels in the cerebellum localized to Crus II of lobule VII, which also showed higher STN than motor cortex connectivity, suggestive of a connection surpassing motor cortex. Our findings provide new insight into the circuit nature of Parkinson’s disease and the distributed network effects of DBS in motor learning.
Nymph, Scarab, Butterfly: Figures of the Dancer in Mérimée, Flaubert and Proust
Authors: MacKenzie Robin 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This article examines dance episodes from three works of French fiction written between 1860 and 1920: the roussalka dance from Mérimée’s Lokis, Salomé’s performance in Flaubert’s Hérodias, and the description of an unnamed ballet dancer in Proust’s Le Côté de Guermantes. The texts, in contrasting ways, explore networks of power and desire, as well as the relationship between the aesthetic sphere and the world of social conventions and interactions, thus reflecting the thematic significance of dance in the literary culture of the period. It would be hard to justify constructing a grand narrative that maps the history of dance on to that of its literary representations on the basis of three texts; nevertheless, in the interplay of narrative and metaphor and the portrayal of the dancer’s multiple personae, we can find traces of some major shifts in the evolution of dance from the romantic ballet of the mid-nineteenth century to the coming of modernism at the start of the twentieth.
The Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics Profile of BT-11, an Oral, Gut-Restricted Lanthionine Synthetase C-Like 2 Agonist Investigational New Drug for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase I Clinical Trial
Authors: Leber Andrew , Hontecillas Raquel , Zoccoli-Rodriguez Victoria , Colombel Jean-Frederic , Chauhan Jyoti , Ehrich Marion , Farinola Nicholas , Bassaganya-Riera Josep 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
BT-11 is a new oral, gut-restricted, first-in-class investigational drug for Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) that targets the lanthionine synthetase C-like 2 (LANCL2) pathway and immunometabolic mechanisms. Oral BT-11 was assessed for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) in normal healthy volunteers (n = 70) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects (n = 70) were randomly assigned to one of five single ascending dose cohorts (up to 100 mg/kg, p.o.) and three multiple ascending dose cohorts [up to 100 mg/kg daily (QD) for seven days, orally]. Safety and tolerability were assessed by adverse event (AE) reporting, vital signs, electrocardiogram, hematology, and clinical chemistry. BT-11 did not increase total or gastrointestinal AE rates, as compared with placebo, and no serious adverse events were observed. Oral BT-11 dosing does not result in any clinically significant findings by biochemistry, coagulation, electrocardiogram, hematology, or urinalysis as compared with placebo. Mean fecal concentrations of BT-11 increased linearly with increasing oral doses, with 2.39 mg/g at 7.7 mg/kg on day 7 of the multiple ascending dose (MAD). Analysis of plasma pharmacokinetics indicates that maximum systemic concentrations are approximately 1/6000th of observed concentrations in feces and the distal gastrointestinal tract. Fecal calprotectin levels were lower in BT-11 treated groups as compared to placebo. BT-11 significantly decreases interferon gamma positive (IFNγ+) and tumor necrosis factor alpha positive (TNFα+) cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4+) T cells and increases forkhead box P3 positive (FOXP3+) CD4+ T cells in colonic lamina propria mononuclear cells from patients with CD and patients with UC at concentrations of 0.01 µM when treated ex vivo. BT-11 treatment is well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities up to daily oral doses of 100 mg/kg (16 tablets); whereas the efficacious dose is a single tablet (8 mg/kg). Phase II studies in CD and UC patients are ongoing.
Data mining on YouTube reveals fisher group-specific harvesting patterns and social engagement in recreational anglers and spearfishers
Authors: Sbragaglia Valerio , Correia Ricardo A , Coco Salvatore , Arlinghaus Robert 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
We applied data mining on YouTube videos to better understand recreational fisheries targeting common dentex (Dentex dentex), an iconic species of Mediterranean fisheries. In Italy alone, from 2010 to 2016 spearfishers posted 1051 videos compared to 692 videos posted by anglers. The upload pattern of spearfishing videos followed a seasonal pattern with peaks in July, a trend not found for anglers. The average mass of the fish declared in angling videos (6.4 kg) was significantly larger than the one in spearfishing videos (4.5 kg). Videos posted by spearfishers received significantly more likes and comments than those posted by anglers. Content analysis suggested that the differences in engagement can be related to appreciation of successful spearfishers necessitating relevant personal qualities for catching D. dentex. We also found that the mass of the fish positively predicted social engagement as well as the degree of positive evaluation only in spearfishing videos. This could be caused by the generally smaller odds of catching large D. dentex by spearfishing. Our case study demonstrates that data mining on YouTube can be a powerful tool to provide complementary data on controversial and data-poor aspects of recreational fisheries and contribute to understanding the social dimensions of recreational fishers.
Description, evaluation, and validation of the Teagasc Pig Production Model1
Authors: Calderón Díaz Julia Adriana , Shalloo Laurence , Niemi Jarkko K , Kyriazakis Ilias , McKeon Michael , McCutcheon Gerard , Bohan Alan , Manzanilla Edgar G 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
The Teagasc Pig Production Model (TPPM), a stochastic simulation model of a farrow-to-finish pig farm, was developed to investigate effects of changes in production systems on farm profitability. The model simulates, on a weekly basis, the annual production of a farm. Biological [e.g., herd size, number of litters/sow/year, and mortality rates (%)], physical (e.g., infrastructure), and technical (e.g., feeding practices) variables and their associated costs are included as components of the model. These inputs are used to calculate physical (e.g., feed usage and number of pigs slaughtered) and financial (e.g., annual cash flow, profit and loss account, and balance sheet) outputs. The model was validated using the Delphi method and by comparing the TPPM outputs to data recorded on 20 Irish pig farms through the Teagasc e-Profit monitor system and with complete receipts for the year 2016. Results showed that the TPPM closely simulates physical and financial performance of pig farms indicating that the TPPM can be used with confidence to study pig production systems under Irish conditions. Model applicability was demonstrated by investigating the impact of 2 changes in technical performance: 1) building of extra accommodation to increase body weight (BW) at sale by 15 kg (EXTRA ROOM) and 2) a change in feeding practices by providing finisher feed from 28 kg of BW (EARLY FINISHER) compared with over 38 kg of BW. In both scenarios, the same biological parameters were used. Mortality rates, feed ingredients costs, and price per kg of meat produced were included as stochastic variables with the input distributions derived based on historical data simulated using Monte Carlo sampling using the Microsoft Excel add-in @Risk. Annual mean net profit was €198,101 (90% confidence interval [CI]: €119,606–€275,539) for the TPPM base farm, €337,078 (90% CI: €246,320–€426,809) for the EXTRA ROOM, and €225,598 (90% CI: €146,685–€303,590) for the EARLY FINISHER. EXTRA ROOM was associated with higher costs and required higher income to cover the additional costs. The 90% CI of the EARLY FINISHER was similar to the TPPM base farm while the EXTRA ROOM scenario resulted in a wider confidence interval, suggesting that a change in feeding practices could be a better option for farmers looking to improve profit with minimum investment. Thus, the TPPM could be used to facilitate decision making in farrow-to-finish pig farms.
On the Benefits of Set-Asides
Authors: Jehiel Philippe , Lamy Laurent 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Set-aside programs that consist in forbidding access to specific participants are commonly used in procurement auctions. We show that when the set of potential participants is composed of an incumbent (whose entry costs are already sunk) and of entrants who show up endogenously (in such a way that their expected rents are fixed by outside options), then it is always beneficial for revenues to exclude the incumbent in the Vickrey auction. This exclusion principle is generalized to dominant-strategy auctions that favor the incumbent in the sense that the incumbent would always get the good when valuing it most. By contrast, set-asides are not desirable if the incumbent’s payoff is included in the seller’s objective in the Vickrey auction, and more generally it is detrimental to exclude a bidder that is not favored.
Oral Complications of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Authors: Fall-Dickson Jane M , Pavletic Steven Z , Mays Jacqueline W , Schubert Mark M 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe increasing clinical indications for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and improved clinical care throughout and following HSCT have led to not only long-term survival but also to an increasing incidence and prevalence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) affects almost 50% of adult patients post-HSCT, with increasing incidence in pediatric patients as well. Oral cGVHD specifically has a reported prevalence ranging from 45% to 83% in patients who develop cGVHD and is more extensive in adult patients than in children. Oral cGVHD affects patients through clinically significant oral symptoms that may lead to significantly decreased caloric intake, oral infections, and increased health service utilization, and may thus affect overall health and survival. The most commonly used therapy for mucosal involvement of oral cGVHD is topical high-dose and ultra-high potency corticosteroids, and calcineurin inhibitors. This review of oral complications of cGVHD presents the clinical significance of oral cGVHD to HSCT survivors, our current understanding of the pathobiology of oral cGVHD and gaps in this evidence, and the global targeted interdisciplinary clinical research efforts, including the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease. Current challenges regarding the management of oral cGVHD and strategies to advance our scientific understanding of this clinically significant chronic oral disease are presented.
Principles of synthetic biology: a MOOC for an emerging field
Authors: Anderson Daniel A , Jones Ross D , Arkin Adam P , Weiss Ron 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Synthetic biology requires students and scientists to draw upon knowledge and expertise from many disciplines. While this diversity is one of the field’s primary strengths, it also makes it challenging for newcomers to acquire the background knowledge necessary to thrive. To address this gap, we developed a course that provides a structured approach to learning the biological principles and theoretical underpinnings of synthetic biology. Our course, Principles of Synthetic Biology (PoSB), was released on the massively open online course platform edX in 2016. PoSB seeks to teach synthetic biology through five key fundamentals: (i) parts and layers of abstraction, (ii) biomolecular modeling, (iii) digital logic abstraction, (iv) circuit design principles and (v) extended circuit modalities. In this article, we describe the five fundamentals, our formulation of the course, and impact and metrics data from two runs of the course through the edX platform.
Sodium interception by xylem parenchyma and chloride recirculation in phloem may augment exclusion in the salt tolerant Pistacia genus: context for salinity studies on tree crops
Authors: Godfrey Jessie M , Ferguson Louise , Sanden Blake L , Tixier Aude , Sperling Or , Grattan Steve R , Zwieniecki Maciej A 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Working in tandem with root exclusion, stems may provide salt-tolerant woody perennials with some additional capacity to restrict sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) accumulation in leaves. The Pistacia genus, falling at the nexus of salt tolerance and human intervention, provided an ideal set of organisms for studying the influences of both variable root exclusion and potentially variable discontinuities at the bud union on stem processes. In three experiments covering a wide range of salt concentrations (0 to 150 mM NaCl) and tree ages (1, 2 and 10 years) as well as nine rootstock-scion combinations we show that proportional exclusion of both Na and Cl reached up to ~85% efficacy, but efficacy varied by both rootstock and budding treatment. Effective Na exclusion was augmented by significant retrieval of Na from the xylem sap, as evidenced by declines in the Na concentrations of both sap and wood tissue along the transpiration stream. However, while we observed little to no differences between the concentrations of the two ions in leaves, analogous declines in sap concentrations of Cl were not observed. We conclude that some parallel but separate mechanism must be acting on Cl to provide leaf protection from toxicity specific to this ion and suggest that this mechanism is recirculation of Cl in the phloem. The presented findings underline the importance of holistic assessments of salt tolerance in woody perennials. In particular, greater emphasis might be placed on the dynamics of salt sequestration in the significant storage volumes offered by the stems of woody perennials and on the potential for phloem discontinuity introduced with a bud/graft union.
Lassa Virus in the Host RodentMastomys Natalensiswithin Urban Areas of N’zerekore, Guinea
Authors: Karan LS , Makenov MT , Korneev MG , Sacko N , Boumbaly S , Bayandin RB , Gladysheva AV , Kourouma K , Toure AH , Kartashov MYu , Shipovalov AV , Porshakov AM , Koulibaly M , Boiro MY 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLassa virus is the causative agent of a dangerous zoonotic disease distributed in West Africa. A primary reservoir host of Lassa virus isMastomys natalensis. These mice associate closely with humans and are commonly found in villages. Consequently, previous studies of Lassa virus have focused on rural areas. The prevalence of the virus in large cities has not been studied.We conducted a study in N’Zerekore city, which has a population of approximately 300,000 residents. Small mammals were captured during a pilot study in May, and the main study was performed in August 2018. Based on the pilot study, we designed and implemented a stratified random sample to investigate the prevalence of Lassa virus amongM. natalensisin N’Zerekore. The total sampling efforts consisted of 45 and 985 trapping nights in May and August, respectively. Samples of rodent tissues were screened for Lassa virus by RT-PCR.In May, we trapped 20 rodents, including 19M. natalensis. Viral RNA was detected in 18M. natalensis. In August, 149 small mammals were captured, including 43M. natalensis. The prevalence of Lassa virus amongM. natalensisin N’Zerekore was 23.3% (CI 95%: 11.8–38.6%). Sequencing showed that the isolates belonged to lineage IV. We detected four Lassa virus hotspots located in different parts of the city. The largest Lassa virus hotspot was found in the neighborhood of the central market, which suggests that the virus was originally introduced into the city through the market.
Longitudinal transcriptome-wide gene expression analysis of sleep deprivation treatment shows involvement of circadian genes and immune pathways
Authors: Foo Jerome C. , Trautmann Nina , Sticht Carsten , Treutlein Jens , Frank Josef , Streit Fabian , Witt Stephanie H. , De La Torre Carolina , von Heydendorff Steffen Conrad , Sirignano Lea , Chen Junfang , Müller-Myhsok Bertram , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Witt Christian C. , Gilles Maria , Deuschle Michael , Rietschel Marcella 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundTherapeutic sleep deprivation (SD) rapidly induces robust, transient antidepressant effects in a large proportion of major mood disorder patients suffering from a depressive episode, but underlying biological factors remain poorly understood. Research suggests that these patients may have altered circadian molecular genetic ‘clocks’ and that SD functions through ‘resetting’ dysregulated genes; additional factors may be involved, warranting further investigation. Leveraging advances in microarray technology enabling the transcriptome-wide assessment of gene expression, this study aimed to examine gene expression changes accompanying SD and recovery sleep in patients suffering from an episode of depression.MethodsPatients (N=78) and controls (N=15) underwent SD, with blood taken at the same time of day before, after one night of SD and after recovery sleep. A transcriptome-wide gene-by-gene approach was used, with a targeted look also taken at circadian genes. Furthermore, gene set enrichment, and longitudinal gene set analyses including the time point after recovery sleep, were conducted.ResultsCircadian genes were significantly affected by SD, with patterns suggesting that molecular clocks of responders and non-responders, as well as patients and controls respond differently to chronobiologic stimuli. Notably, gene set analyses revealed a strong widespread effect of SD on pathways involved in immune function and inflammatory response, such as those involved in cytokine and especially in interleukin signalling. Longitudinal gene set analyses showed that in responders these pathways were upregulated after SD; in non-responders, little response was observed.ConclusionsOur findings emphasize the close relationship between circadian, immune and sleep systems and their link to etiology of depression at the transcriptomic level.
Assessing nasal obstruction with the nasal acoustic device: a pilot study on distinguishing between subjects with and without chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Li Chia-Hung , Tan Calvin , Whitcroft Katherine L. , Andrews Peter , Leung Terence S. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis article aims to demonstrate the concept and potential of a novel diagnostic device – the nasal acoustic device (NAD), which captures the nasal breathing sounds over the ala on both sides of the nose. Using the newly defined inspiratory nasal acoustic score (INA score), the unique characteristics of the nasal breathing sounds can be quantified and used for diagnostic purposes.In this pilot study, the NAD was compared with the well-established nasal inspiratory peak flow meter (NIPF) to try to distinguish between subjects with and without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Measurements were made before and after nasal decongestants, which were applied to eliminate the nasal cycle. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of CRS, irrespective of other pathological conditions being present.Based on the post-decongestant measurements, the sensitivity/specificity in distinguishing subjects who have CRS (n=11) from subjects who do not (n=29; of whom 13 were controls) were 70%/66% for the NIPF and 82%/79% for the NAD. The non-CRS groups showed statistically significant changes after decongestant for both methods, but the CRS group did not. The results firstly demonstrated that the CRS subjects in this cohort tended to be less responsive to decongestant and therefore the post-decongestant NIPF measurements provided a certain degree of diagnostic value in identifying CRS subjects, but it would appear the NAD better captured the unique sounds associated with CRS, providing a superior diagnostic capability. This study also demonstrates that the NAD can measure the improvement in the nasal airway following treatment effect.
Inverse regulation of secretion and inflammation in human airway gland serous cells by neuropeptides upregulated in allergy and asthma
Authors: McMahon Derek B. , Kohanski Michael A. , Tong Charles C.L. , Papagiannopoulos Peter , Adappa Nithin D. , Palmer James N. , Lee Robert J. 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACTAirway submucosal gland serous cells are sites of expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and are important for fluid secretion in conducting airways from the nose down to small bronchi. We tested if serous cells from human nasal turbinate glands secrete bicarbonate (HCO3−), important for mucus polymerization, during stimulation with the cAMP-elevating agonist vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and if this requires CFTR. Isoalted serous cells stimulated with VIP exhibited a ~20% cAMP-dependent decrease in cell volume and a ~0.15 unit decrease in intracellular pH (pHi), reflecting activation of Cl−and HCO3−secretion, respectively. Pharmacology, ion substitution, and studies using cells from CF patients suggest serous cell HCO3−secretion is mediated by conductive efflux directly through CFTR. Interestingly, we found that neuropeptide Y (NPY) reduced VIP-evoked secretion by blunting cAMP increases and reducing CFTR activation through Gi-coupled NPY1R. Culture of primary gland serous cells in a model that maintained a serous phenotype confirmed the activating and inhibiting effects of VIP and NPY, respectively, on fluid and HCO3−secretion. Moreover, VIP enhanced secretion of antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial efficacy of gland secretions while NPY reduced antimicrobial secretions. In contrast, NPY enhanced the release of cytokines during inflammatory stimuli while VIP reduced cytokine release through a mechanism requiring CFTR conductance. As levels of VIP and NPY are up-regulated in disease like allergy, asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis, the balance of these two peptides in the airway may control airway mucus rheology and inflammatory responses through gland serous cells.