bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum irisin concentrations in lean adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Bacopoulou Flora , Athanasopoulos Nikos , Efthymiou Vasiliki , Mantzou Aimilia , Aravantinos Leon , Vlahopoulos Spiros , Deligeoroglou Efthymios 
Published: January 2018

SummaryObjectiveTo explore differences in irisin concentrations between lean adolescents with PCOS and age‐ and body mass index (BMI)‐matched controls and examine the associations of irisin with core features of the syndrome.DesignCross‐sectional study.PatientsLean females with PCOS, aged 13‐21 years.MeasurementsPhysical, hormonal and sonographic assessment. Irisin concentrations were measured with ELISA.ResultsParticipants included in total 39 sedentary females (mean ± SD; age 17.3 ± 2.1 years, BMI 20.7 ± 1.3 Kg/m2), 23 adolescents with PCOS and 16 controls. Adolescents with PCOS compared to controls had significantly elevated concentrations of fasting serum irisin (mean ± SD; PCOS, 1.7 ± 1.0 μg/mL vs controls, 1.0 ± 0.4 μg/mL; P = .007), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestradiol, testosterone, Δ4‐androstenedione, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone, glucose, as well as free androgen index, Ferriman‐Gallwey score and mean ovarian volume (MOV). For the total sample, circulating irisin was positively correlated with MOV (r = .332, P = .041), glucose (r = .428, P = .007), insulin (rs = .369, P = .021) and HOMA‐IR (rs = .422, P = .007) and negatively correlated with QUICKI (r = −.329, P = .041). Follicle‐stimulating hormone (B = 0.295, Beta = .342, P = .042) and MOV (B = 0.182, Beta = 0.821, P = .001) were positive predictors, and LH (B = −0.108, Beta = −0.523, P = .010) and testosterone (B = −0.431, Beta = −0.457, P = .032) were negative predictors of irisin concentrations, whereas irisin positively predicted fasting glucose (B = 0.262, Beta = 0.428, P = .007). In the PCOS group, irisin concentrations were positively correlated with HOMA‐IR (rs = .416, P = .048) but negatively correlated with LH (rs = −.499, P = .015), testosterone (r = −.585, P = .003), free androgen index (r = −.426, P = .048) and Ferriman‐Gallwey score (r = −.533, P = .015).ConclusionsIrisin was associated with the adolescents' metabolic and reproductive characteristics and the hyperandrogenic phenotype of the syndrome. Much research is needed to ascertain mechanisms of elevated serum irisin in adolescent PCOS.
Genetic screening and functional analysis of CASP9 mutations in a Chinese cohort with neural tube defects
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Zhen , Zhang Qin , Jiang Qian , Bai Bao‐Ling , Du Xiao‐Juan , Wang Fang , Wu Li‐Hua , Lu Xiao‐Lin , Bao Yi‐Hua , Li Hui‐Li , Zhang Ting 
Published: January 2018

SummaryAimNeural tube defects (NTDs) are birth defects of the nervous system and are the second most frequent cause of birth defects worldwide. The etiology of NTDs is complicated and involves both genetic and environmental factors. CASP9 is an initiator caspase in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which in Casp9−/− mice has been shown to result in NTDs because of decreased apoptosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential genetic contribution of the CASP9 gene in human NTDs.MethodsHigh‐throughput sequencing was performed to screen genetic variants of CASP9 genes in 355 NTD cases and 225 matched controls. Apoptosis‐relevant assays were performed on transiently transfected E9 neuroepithelial cells or human embryonic kidney 293T cells, to determine the functional characteristics of NTD‐specific rare variants under complete or low folic acid (FA) status.ResultsWe found significant expression of CASP9 rare variants in NTDs and identified 4 NTD‐specific missense variants. Functional assays demonstrated that a p.Y251C variant attenuates apoptosis by reducing CASP9 protein expression and decreasing activity of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. From this, we conclude that this variant may represent a loss‐of‐function mutation. A 4‐time recurrent p.R191G variant did not affect intrinsic apoptosis in complete medium, while it completely inhibited apoptosis induced by low FA medium.ConclusionOur findings identify a genetic link for apoptosis in human NTDs and highlight the effect of gene‐environment interactions in a complex disease.
Incapacity to control emotion in major depression may arise from disrupted white matter integrity and OFC‐amygdala inhibition
Authors: Zheng Kai‐Zhong , Wang Hua‐Ning , Liu Jian , Xi Yi‐Bin , Li Liang , Zhang Xi , Li Jia‐Ming , Yin Hong , Tan Qing‐Rong , Lu Hong‐Bing , Li Bao‐Juan 
Published: January 2018

SummaryBackgroundDisturbances in emotion regulation are the hallmarks of major depressive disorder (MDD). The incapacity to control negative emotion in patients has been associated with abnormal hyperactivation of the limbic system and hypoactivation of the frontal cortex. The amygdala and orbital frontal cortex (OFC) are two critical regions of the emotion regulation neural systems.MethodsThis study investigated the anatomical basis of abnormal emotion regulation by tracking the fiber tracts connecting the amygdala and OFC. In addition, using dynamic casual modeling on resting‐state fMRI data of 20 MDD patients and equivalent controls, we investigated the exact neural mechanism through which abnormal communications between these two nodes were mediated in MDD.Key ResultsThe results revealed disrupted white matter integrity of fiber tracts in MDD, suggesting that functional abnormalities were accompanied by underlying anatomical basis. We also detected a failure of inhibition of the OFC on the activity of the amygdala in MDD, suggesting dysconnectivity was mediated through “top‐down” influences from the frontal cortex to the amygdala. Following 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment, the patients showed significant clinical improvement and normalization of the abnormal OFC‐amygdala structural and effective connectivity in the left hemisphere.Conclusions & InferencesOur findings suggest that pathways connecting these two nodes may be core targets of the antidepressant treatment. In particular, it raised the intriguing question: Does the reversal of structural markers of connectivity reflect a response to antidepressant medication or activity‐dependent myelination following a therapeutic restoration of effective connectivity?
Candesartan ameliorates brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Torika Nofar , Asraf Keren , Apte Ron N. , Fleisher‐Berkovich Sigal 
Published: January 2018

SummaryAimsAlzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is associated with brain inflammation involving microglia and astrocytes. The renin‐angiotensin system contributes to brain inflammation associated with AD pathology. This study aimed to investigate the role of candesartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, in modulation of glial functions associated with AD.MethodsFocusing on the role of candesartan in glial inflammation, we evaluated inflammatory mediators’ levels, secreted by lipopolysaccharide‐induced microglia following candesartan treatment. Also, short‐term intranasal candesartan effects on amyloid burden and microglial activation were investigated in 5 familial AD mice.ResultsCandesartan showed anti‐inflammatory effects and shifted microglial activation toward a more neuroprotective phenotype. Candesartan decreased the lipopolysaccharide‐induced nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase‐2 expression levels, which was accompanied by an induction of arginase‐1 expression levels and enhanced Aβ1‐42 uptake by microglia. Moreover, intranasally administered candesartan to AD mice model significantly reduced the amyloid burden and microglia activation in the hippocampus.ConclusionsThese results thus shed light on the neuroprotective role of candesartan in the early stage of AD, which might relate to modulation of microglial activation states.
The Taiwan tea boom—a financial glut
Authors: Olds Kelly B. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn the last half of the nineteenth century, northern Taiwan experienced a boom in tea exports. This led to a large trade surplus accompanied by large inflows of silver money. The increase in the money supply did not have much effect on rice prices or consumption, but did lower interest rates. The lower interest rates and higher real money balances caused a large increase in real estate prices. This local financial glut lasted more than 20 years. Along the China coast, the banking system allowed businesses to move funds easily in and out of areas, such as northern Taiwan, but once silver reached Taiwanese farmers in the village economy, it did not flow so easily. Studies of early finance that focus on commercial networks generally overlook such problems.
A two‐path model of auditory modulation detection using temporal fine structure and envelope cues
Authors: Ewert Stephan D. , Paraouty Nihaad , Lorenzi Christian 
Published: January 2018

AbstractA model using temporal‐envelope cues was previously developed to explain perceptual interference effects between amplitude modulation and frequency modulation (FM). As that model could not accurately predict FM sensitivity and the interference effects, temporal fine structure (TFS) cues were added to the model. Thus, following the initial stage of the model consisting of a linear filter bank simulating cochlear filtering, processing was split into an ‘envelope path’ based on envelope power cues and a ‘TFS path’ based on a measure of the distribution of time intervals between successive zero‐crossings. This yielded independent detectability indices for envelope and TFS cues, which were optimally combined to produce a single decision statistic. Independent internal noises in the envelope and TFS paths were adjusted to match the data. Simulations indicate that TFS cues are required to account for FM data for young normal‐hearing listeners and that TFS processing is impaired for both older normal‐hearing and hearing‐impaired listeners. The role of TFS was further assessed by relating the monaural FM sensitivity to measures of interaural phase difference, commonly assumed to rely on binaural TFS sensitivity. The model demonstrates that binaural TFS sensitivity is considerably lower than monaural TFS sensitivity. Similar to FM thresholds, interaural phase difference sensitivity declined with age and hearing loss, although higher degradations were observed in binaural temporal processing compared to monaural processing. Overall, this model provides a novel tool to explore the mechanisms involved in FM processing in the normal auditory system and the degradations in FM sensitivity with ageing and hearing loss.
Merleau‐Ponty on abstract thought in mathematics and natural science
Authors: Matherne Samantha 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn this paper, I argue that in spite of suggestions to the contrary, Merleau‐Ponty defends a positive account of the kind of abstract thought involved in mathematics and natural science. More specifically, drawing on both the Phenomenology of Perception and his later writings, I show that, for Merleau‐Ponty, abstract thought and perception stand in the two‐way relation of “foundation,” according to which abstract thought makes what we perceive explicit and determinate, and what we perceive is made to appear by abstract thought. I claim that, on Merleau‐Ponty's view, although this process can sometimes lead to falsification, it can also be carried out in such a manner that allows mathematics and natural science to articulate what we perceive in a way that is non‐distortive and in keeping with the demands of perception itself.
Practical grounds for belief: Kant and James on religion
Authors: Williams Neil W. , Saunders Joe 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBoth Kant and James claim to limit the role of knowledge in order to make room for faith. In this paper, we argue that despite some similarities, their attempts to do this come apart. Our main claim is that, although both Kant and James justify our adopting religious beliefs on practical grounds, James believes that we can—and should—subsequently assess such beliefs on the basis of evidence. We offer our own account of this evidence and discuss what this difference means for their accounts of religious belief.
Geographical and experimental contexts modulate the effect of warming on top‐down control: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Marino Nicholas dos Anjos Cristiano , Romero Gustavo Quevedo , Farjalla Vinicius Fortes 
Published: January 2018

AbstractEcologists have extensively investigated the effect of warming on consumer–resource interactions, with experiments revealing that warming can strengthen, weaken or have no net effect on top‐down control of resources. These experiments have inspired a body of theoretical work to explain the variation in the effect of warming on top‐down control. However, there has been no quantitative attempt to reconcile theory with outcomes from empirical studies. To address the gap between theory and experiment, we performed a meta‐analysis to examine the combined effect of experimental warming and top‐down control on resource biomass and determined potential sources of variation across experiments. We show that differences in experimental outcomes are related to systematic variation in the geographical distribution of studies. Specifically, warming strengthened top‐down control when experiments were conducted in colder regions, but had the opposite effect in warmer regions. Furthermore, we found that differences in the thermoregulation strategy of the consumer and openness of experimental arenas to dispersal can contribute to some deviation from the overall geographical pattern. These results reconcile empirical findings and support the expectation of geographical variation in the response of consumer–resource interactions to warming.
Edaphic correlates of feedstock‐associated diazotroph communities
Authors: Soman Chinmay , Keymer Daniel P. , Kent Angela D. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMiscanthus × giganteus and Panicum virgatum are potential promising bioenergy feedstock crops suitable for the temperate zone. The energy efficiency and sustainability of bioenergy production could be improved by reducing their fertilizer inputs – particularly energy intensive nitrogen fertilizers. Miscanthus is known to benefit from nitrogen fixation by associative diazotrophs. However, because the effects of edaphic‐, management‐, and plant‐related factors on feedstock‐associated diazotroph communities have not yet been characterized, it is not currently possible to optimize the nitrogen contribution to feedstock crops from associated diazotroph communities. To address this critical knowledge gap, we characterized the bacterial and diazotroph communities in the rhizosphere and endophytic compartments of both species at eight research sites across Illinois. We also quantified the nifH gene abundance in the rhizosphere soil as well as a range of soil chemistry parameters at these sites. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed that diazotroph and bacterial communities in the rhizosphere varied primarily among sites, with very small differences between host species. Conversely, diazotroph and bacterial communities in the endophytic compartments differed significantly between plant species, but did not vary substantially among sites. Finally, nifH gene abundance in the rhizospheres of both species varied substantially from site to site and was positively correlated with soil iron concentration as well as soil ammonium concentration, and negatively correlated with abundance of other soil nutrients including calcium, total nitrogen, and nitrates. These results indicate the potential edaphic drivers of associative diazotroph communities in feedstock rhizospheres and suggest that manipulating bioavailable iron content in the soil is a potential direction for investigating the optimization of these communities to improve their nitrogen contribution to crops.
Alimentary Affairs: Historicizing food in modern India
Authors: Berger Rachel 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis essay surveys a broad landscape of studies that take up the preparation, imbibing, and distribution of food in significant ways, focusing on the way in which the field of food studies in South Asia is cohering in recent scholarship. It begins with histories of the imperial period that frame food around imperial encounter and then move on to studies that address the crises of food through famine and their political aftermath. It then turns to the postcolonial, globalized context of making food Indian in a large‐scale market and concludes with thoughts on where food studies and food cultures are headed. Ultimately, food is determined to have symbolic and pragmatic meaning as an icon of national presence in the greater world, a tool for assessing social relations, a measure of taste and values, a challenge for the political and environmental systems of a geo‐economic space. As eating in India has taken on new political dimensions that have arisen from the synchronous rise of both neoliberal practices of political economy and the rise of Hindu fascism, the anxieties articulated through the cultures of food at work in the region are revealed.
Rates of sustained virological response 12 weeks after the scheduled end of direct‐acting antiviral (DAA)‐based hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy from the National German HCV registry: does HIV coinfection impair the response to DAA combination therapy?
Authors: Bischoff J , Mauss S , Cordes C , Lutz T , Scholten S , Moll A , Jäger H , Cornberg M , Manns MP , Baumgarten A , Rockstroh JK 
Published: January 2018

ObjectivesThe European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) treatment recommendations for hepatitis C no longer discriminate between HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐coinfected and HCV‐monoinfected patients. However, recent data from Spain are questioning these recommendations on the basis of the findings of higher relapse rates and lower cure rates in HIV/HCV‐infected subjects. The aim of our study was to compare HCV cure rates in monoinfected and coinfected patients from Germany.MethodsData acquired from the Deutsches Hepatitis C‐Registry were analysed. A total of 5657 HCV‐monoinfected subjects and 488 HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients were included in the study. Rates of sustained virological response 12 weeks after the scheduled end of therapy (SVR12) were collected in both subgroups and in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients.ResultsHIV/HCV‐coinfected patients were more frequently male (84.6% vs. 56.4%, respectively; P < 0.001) and younger than HCV‐monoinfected subjects (46.5 ± 9 vs. 53.8 ± 12.5 years, respectively; P < 0.001). The CD4 blood cell count was > 350 cells/μL in 63.1% of HIV‐positive subjects and 88.7% were on antiretroviral therapy. SVR12 rates were 90.3% (5111 of 5657) in our HCV‐monoinfected cohort and 91.2% (445 of 488) in our coinfected patients. Liver cirrhosis was confirmed in 1667 of 5657 (29.5%) monoinfected patients and 84 of 488 (17.2%; P < 0.001) coinfected patients. SVR12 rates did not differ between HCV‐monoinfected and HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients with liver cirrhosis (87.8% vs. 89.3%, respectively; P = 0.864). A treatment duration of 8 weeks did not reduce the percentage of patients with SVR12 in either subgroup (93.7% in both groups).ConclusionsWe found high SVR12 rates in monoinfected as well as coinfected individuals. No differences were detected between the two subgroups regardless of whether there was accompanying liver cirrhosis or a shortened treatment duration.
UV‐visible absorption and photoluminescence characteristics of SnO2 nano‐tube/wire arrays fabricated by LPD method
Authors: Sadeghzadeh‐Attar Abbas , Akhavan‐Safaei Iman , Bafandeh Mohammad Reza 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn this study, SnO2 nano‐tube/wire arrays with a diameter in the range of 90‐120 nm and several micrometers in length were synthesized by the liquid phase deposition (LPD) method. The study of structural properties was performed by XRD, Raman and TEM, while the optical properties were measured using UV‐visible absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The Raman spectra of the nano‐tubes/wires revealed the presence of 5 vibration peaks assigned to the tetragonal rutile SnO2 structure in agreement with the XRD results. The estimated optical direct band gap from UV‐visible absorption spectra was found to be 3.73‐3.88 eV. The observed blue shift of the optical band gap can be explained by the higher formation of mesoporous particles on the exposed surface to the photons. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the nano‐tubes/wires exhibited a rather broad and intense emission band centered at around 560‐569 nm.
Confocal microscopy in adult women with acne
Authors: Muguet Guenot Louise , Vourc'h Jourdain Morgane , Saint‐Jean Mélanie , Corvec Stéphane , Gaultier Aurélie , Khammari Amir , Le Moigne Marie , Boisrobert Aurélie , Paugam Charlotte , Dréno Brigitte 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundAcne is an inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous follicle, affecting 41–54% of adult women, with a particular form that involves the mandible.MethodsWe characterized infundibulum morphology in two groups of adult women using reflectance confocal microscopy. First, we investigated acne visually “healthy zones” on the forehead in 15 adult women with diffuse acne and compared with acne‐free controls. We then compared healthy forehead and affected mandibular zone in 15 acne patients with mandibular involvement. Exposed results had a P < 0.05.ResultsSeven hundred and ninety‐one follicles were observed on apparently healthy skin of 15 adult women with acne, with a larger diameter, thicker (68%), and hyper keratinized (65%) follicle border, and more keratin plugs (44%) than in controls. In the second group of 15 adult women with mandibular acne, we compared 569 follicles in the mandibular zone and 475 on forehead. In the mandibular area, follicles were significantly larger, thicker (76%), more hyper keratinized (72%), with more keratin plugs (47%) and increased inflammation (23%) compared with the forehead area. In the mandibular area, 0.2% of follicles showed isolated inflammation without hyper keratinization, and 15.3% had both thickened borders with an onion‐like appearance and keratin plugs associated with inflammation.ConclusionsHyper keratinization was higher in healthy skin of adult women with acne compared with controls, confirming that microcomedo is crucial in the development of acne lesions. We also demonstrate that the repartition of comedones and microcomedones is inhomogeneous with a great number in the mandibular area where acne lesions are located.