bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age may contribute to the increased frequency of axonal Guillain‐Barré syndrome
Authors: Hawkes Maximiliano A. , Wilken Miguel , Vázquez Gabriel , Farez Mauricio F. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe frequency of axonal Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) varies among countries. Previous studies supporting the high frequency of axonal GBS in South America have been carried out with pediatric populations. We seek to determine the frequency of axonal GBS in both children and adults in South America.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort analysis of patients who were diagnosed with GBS between January 2006 and December 2013 in a neurological center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Adults and children with a diagnosis of GBS were included and classified by applying Ho and colleagues' criteria1 for axonal GBS.ResultsThe study included 105 patients with GBS. Among 58 adults, only 5 individuals were classified as axonal GBS compared with 16 of 47 children. The frequency of axonal GBS was significantly higher in children than in adults (34% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.0001).DiscussionAs shown in a cohort of South American patients, age may impact the frequency of axonal GBS. Muscle Nerve 56: 1311–1313, 2017
How to switch the motor on: RNA polymerase initiation steps at the single‐molecule level
Authors: Marchetti M. , Malinowska A. , Heller I. , Wuite G.J.L. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractRNA polymerase (RNAP) is the central motor of gene expression since it governs the process of transcription. In prokaryotes, this holoenzyme is formed by the RNAP core and a sigma factor. After approaching and binding the specific promoter site on the DNA, the holoenzyme‐promoter complex undergoes several conformational transitions that allow unwinding and opening of the DNA duplex. Once the first DNA basepairs (∼10 bp) are transcribed in an initial transcription process, the enzyme unbinds from the promoter and proceeds downstream along the DNA while continuously opening the helix and polymerizing the ribonucleotides in correspondence with the template DNA sequence. When the gene is transcribed into RNA, the process generally is terminated and RNAP unbinds from the DNA. The first step of transcription–initiation, is considered the rate‐limiting step of the entire process. This review focuses on the single‐molecule studies that try to reveal the key steps in the initiation phase of bacterial transcription. Such single‐molecule studies have, for example, allowed real‐time observations of the RNAP target search mechanism, a mechanism still under debate. Moreover, single‐molecule studies using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) revealed the conformational changes that the enzyme undergoes during initiation. Force‐based techniques such as scanning force microscopy and magnetic tweezers allowed quantification of the energy that drives the RNAP translocation along DNA and its dynamics. In addition to these in vitro experiments, single particle tracking in vivo has provided a direct quantification of the relative populations in each phase of transcription and their locations within the cell.
External force estimation and implementation in robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Sang Hongqiang , Yun Jintian , Monfaredi Reza , Wilson Emmanuel , Fooladi Hadi , Cleary Kevin 
Published: May 2017

AbstractBackgroundRobotically assisted minimally invasive surgery can offer many benefits over open surgery and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery. However, currently, there is no force sensing and force feedback.MethodsThis research was implemented using the da Vinci research kit. An external force estimation and implementation method was proposed based on dynamics and motor currents. The dynamics of the Patient Side Manipulator was modeled. The dynamic model was linearly parameterized. The estimation principle of external force was derived. The dynamic parameters were experimentally identified using a least squares method.ResultsSeveral experiments including dynamic parameter identification, joint torque estimation, and external force estimation were performed. The results showed that the proposed method could implement force estimation without using a force sensor.ConclusionsThe force estimation method was proposed and implemented and experimental results showed the method worked and was feasible. This method could be used for force sensing in minimally invasive surgical robotics in the future.
Winner‐take‐all or long tail? A behavioral model of markets with increasing returns
Authors: Lamberson P.J. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThis paper develops a model of consumer choice that demonstrates why some markets with increasing returns converge to a winner‐take‐all outcome while many others have a power law market share distribution with a “long tail” of small‐share products. The model takes the standard winner‐take‐all model of increasing returns and adds a simple behavioral assumption: when faced with complex choices, decision makers first quickly eliminate many of the available options using a simple heuristic before selecting from the remaining feasible set. We examine the market‐level consequences of this model using an agent‐based simulation. Under a wide range of parameters the model produces a power law share distribution. But when consumers have very large feasible sets the market converges to a winner‐take‐all outcome, and when consumers have very small feasible sets the model produces an evenly split market. Copyright © 2017 System Dynamics Society
Cardiac remodeling and pre‐eclampsia: an overview of microRNA expression patterns
Authors: Mohseni Z. , Spaanderman M. E. A. , Oben J. , Calore M. , Derksen E. , Al‐Nasiry S. , de Windt L. J. , Ghossein‐Doha C. 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTPre‐eclampsia (PE) is strongly associated with heart failure (HF) later in life. During PE pregnancy, the left ventricle undergoes concentric remodeling which often persists after delivery. This aberrant remodeling can induce a molecular signature that can be evaluated in terms of microRNAs (miRNAs) and which may help to explain the associated increased risk of HF. For this review, we performed a literature search of PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information), identifying studies on miRNA expression in concentric remodeling and on miRNA expression in PE. The miRNA data were stratified based on origin (isolated from humans or animals and from tissue or the circulation) and both datasets compared in order to generate a list of miRNA expression patterns in concentric remodeling and in PE. The nine miRNAs identified in both concentric remodeling and PE‐complicated pregnancy were: miR‐1, miR‐18, miR‐21, miR‐29b, miR‐30, miR‐125b, miR‐181b, miR‐195 and miR‐499‐5p. We found five of these miRNAs (miR‐18, miR‐21, miR‐125b, miR‐195 and miR‐499‐5p) to be upregulated in both PE pregnancy and cardiac remodeling and two (miR‐1 and miR‐30) to be downregulated in both; the remaining two miRNAs (miR‐29b and miR‐181b) showed upregulation during PE but downregulation in cardiac remodeling. This innovative approach may be a step towards finding relevant biomarkers for complicated pregnancy and elucidating their relationship with remote cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Spatio‐temporal patterns of grassland evapotranspiration and water use efficiency in arid areas
Authors: Huang Xiaotao , Luo Geping , Lv Nana 
Published: May 2017

AbstractUnderstanding spatio‐temporal patterns of grassland evapotranspiration (ET) and water use efficiency (WUE) in arid areas is important for livestock production and ecological conservation. Xinjiang, China, was used as an example in the Biome‐BGC model to explore spatio‐temporal patterns of grassland ET and WUE from 1979 to 2012 in arid areas. The ET ranked from high to low as follows: among seasons, summer (142.4 mm), spring (49.7 mm), autumn (45.9 mm) and winter (7.7 mm); among regions, the Tianshan Mountains (357.9 mm), northern Xinjiang (221.3 mm) and southern Xinjiang (183.2 mm); among grassland types, mid‐mountain meadow (387.7 mm), swamp meadow (358.3 mm), typical grassland (343.9 mm), desert grassland (236.2 mm), alpine meadow (229.7 mm), and saline meadow (154.7 mm). The WUE ranked from high to low as follows: among seasons, summer (0.60 g C kg H2O−1), autumn (0.48 g C kg H2O−1) and spring (0.43 g C kg H2O−1); among regions, northern Xinjiang (0.73 g C kg H2O−1), the Tianshan Mountains (0.69 g C kg H2O−1) and southern Xinjiang (0.26 g C kg H2O−1); among grassland types, mid‐mountain meadow (0.86 g C kg H2O−1), typical grassland (0.84 g C kg H2O−1), swamp meadow (0.77 g C kg H2O−1), saline meadow (0.52 g C kg H2O−1), alpine grassland (0.37 g C kg H2O−1) and desert grassland (0.34 g C kg H2O−1). In Xinjiang grasslands, the spatio‐temporal ET patterns were more strongly influenced by precipitation than by temperature, whereas most high WUE values occurred when precipitation and temperature were relatively conducive to grass growth.
Peripheral complement interactions with amyloid β peptide: Erythrocyte clearance mechanisms
Authors: Brubaker William D. , Crane Andrés , Johansson Jenny U. , Yen Kevin , Garfinkel Kristina , Mastroeni Diego , Asok Priya , Bradt Bonnie , Sabbagh Marwan , Wallace Tanya L. , Glavis‐Bloom Courtney , Tenner Andrea J. , Rogers Joseph 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIntroductionAlthough amyloid β peptide (Aβ) is cleared from the brain to cerebrospinal fluid and the peripheral circulation, mechanisms for its removal from blood remain unresolved. Primates have uniquely evolved a highly effective peripheral clearance mechanism for pathogens, immune adherence, in which erythrocyte complement receptor 1 (CR1) plays a major role.MethodsMultidisciplinary methods were used to demonstrate immune adherence capture of Aβ by erythrocytes and its deficiency in Alzheimer's disease (AD).ResultsAβ was shown to be subject to immune adherence at every step in the pathway. Aβ dose‐dependently activated serum complement. Complement‐opsonized Aβ was captured by erythrocytes via CR1. Erythrocytes, Aβ, and hepatic Kupffer cells were colocalized in the human liver. Significant deficits in erythrocyte Aβ levels were found in AD and mild cognitive impairment patients.DiscussionCR1 polymorphisms elevate AD risk, and >80% of human CR1 is vested in erythrocytes to subserve immune adherence. The present results suggest that this pathway is pathophysiologically relevant in AD.
Computed tomography findings predicting the success of silodosin for medical expulsive therapy of ureteral stones
Authors: Celik Serdar , Akdeniz Firat , Yildirim Muge Afsar , Bozkurt Ozan , Bulut Merve Gursoy , Hacihasanoglu Mehmet Levent , Demir Omer 
Published: May 2017

AbstractAim of the study is to investigate the relationship between non‐contrast computed tomography (NCCT) findings and stone expulsion rate with medical expulsive therapy (MET) using silodosin for ureteral stones in male adults. Between January 2014 and June 2015, we retrospectively reviewed the patient charts with uncomplicated ureteral stones on NCCT images, who were treated with silodosin for MET. Stone diameter, volume and hounsfield units (HU) measured by NCCT and treatment findings were noted at the end of treatment. Patients were divided into three groups according to the localization as distal, mid and proximal ureteral stones. NCCT and treatment findings were compared between MET success and failure groups in different localizations. Stone expulsion rate was 81.3% for 134 distal, 45.5% for 22 mid and 27.7% for 47 proximal stones. Stone diameter, volume, and HU were significantly lower for success groups with distal and proximal stones (p < 0.05). In ROC analysis the cut‐off values for stone volume and HU were detected as 48.7 mm3 and 598 HU for success group with proximal stones. Stone expulsion rate was found to be 24 times more (OR = 24; p = 0.001) in patients with <598 HU and 14 times more (OR = 14; p = 0.002) in patients with <48.7 mm3 proximal stones. Lower stone diameter, volume and HU were significant predictors of success with silodosin for MET for ureteral stones. Patients with <598 HU and/or <48.7 mm3 proximal stones may be prescribed silodosin for MET.
Sedentary behavior as a risk factor for cognitive decline? A focus on the influence of glycemic control in brain health
Authors: Wheeler Michael J. , Dempsey Paddy C. , Grace Megan S. , Ellis Kathryn A. , Gardiner Paul A. , Green Daniel J. , Dunstan David W. 
Published: May 2017

AbstractCognitive decline leading to dementia represents a global health burden. In the absence of targeted pharmacotherapy, lifestyle approaches remain the best option for slowing the onset of dementia. However, older adults spend very little time doing moderate to vigorous exercise and spend a majority of time in sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior has been linked to poor glycemic control and increased risk of all‐cause mortality. Here, we explore a potential link between sedentary behavior and brain health. We highlight the role of glycemic control in maintaining brain function and suggest that reducing and replacing sedentary behavior with intermittent light‐intensity physical activity may protect against cognitive decline by reducing glycemic variability. Given that older adults find it difficult to achieve current exercise recommendations, this may be an additional practical strategy. However, more research is needed to understand the impact of poor glycemic control on brain function and whether practical interventions aimed at reducing and replacing sedentary behavior with intermittent light intensity physical activity can help slow cognitive decline.
Adenoma adrenocortical ectópico parahiliar renal, en paciente con síndrome de Cushing independiente de ACTH. Abordaje laparoscópico. Reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura
Authors: Hernández Carlos , Ulloa José , Pizza Sara , Moreno Mauricio 
Published: May 2017

Objetivos El adenoma adrenocortical ectópico es el producto de la transformación de tejido adrenal ectópico embriológico en adenoma funcionante. Su asociación con síndrome de Cushing corresponde a menos del 2% de los casos. El presente es el noveno caso reportado en la literatura, por lo tanto se pretende recalcar la manera de realizar un adecuado abordaje diagnóstico multidisciplinario logrando el enfoque quirúrgico que permite el mejor tratamiento.
Materiales y métodos Búsqueda en bases de datos Pubmed, Lilacs, Embase. Revisión de la historia clínica y seguimiento postoperatorio.
Resultados Paciente femenina de 28 años quien presentó un aborto en primer trimestre de embarazo, asociado a hipertensión arterial, facies de luna llena y obesidad centrípeta. Se encuentra masa pararrenal izquierda. Se realiza abordaje laparoscópico para la resección de la misma, con patología que informa adenoma cortical adrenal. Resolución de sintomatología después del procedimiento.
Conclusiones Es un caso de baja frecuencia, donde es importante identificar la sintomatología temprana, así como realizar un abordaje multidisciplinario con el fin de realizar un correcto abordaje diagnóstico y terapéutico.
Whatever Happened to Evans' Action Component?
Authors: Zong Desheng 
Published: May 2017

AbstractA long line of writers on Evans – Andy Hamilton, Lucy O'Brien, José Bermúdez, and Jason Stanley, to name just a few – assess Evans' account of first-person thought without heeding his warnings that his theory comprises an information and an action component. By omitting the action component, these critics are able to characterize Evans' theory as a perceptual model theory and reject it on that ground. This paper is an attempt to restore the forgotten element. With this component put back in, the charge of Evans' theory as a perceptual model of such thoughts falls apart, and the theory turns out to have enough merit to project itself as a legitimate contender for a plausible account of ‘I’-thought.
‘To fish or not to fish?’: fishing communities of Arctic Yakutia in the face of environmental change and political transformations
Authors: Ksenofontov Stanislav , Backhaus Norman , Schaepman-Strub Gabriela 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTThis paper assesses the vulnerability of Arctic fishing communities. We hypothesise that climate change related trends, such as increasing temperature and altered seasonality, and shocks, such as the breakdown of the Soviet Union or new fishing regulations, increase vulnerability of local Arctic peoples and compromise the sustainability of their livelihoods. Research shows that over recent decades local people have observed environmental changes and a significant decrease in the number of fish caught. Fishing regulations introduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union burdened fishers with quotas and temporal limitations that have hindered their fishing activities. While the adaptability of traditional fishing techniques to seasonally changing conditions might indicate the potential to adapt to future conditions under climate change, fishing regulations appear to limit this potential to adapt.
Altered activation of the ventral striatum under performance-related observation in social anxiety disorder
Authors: Becker M. P. I. , Simon D. , Miltner W. H. R. , Straube T. 
Published: May 2017

BackgroundSocial anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by fear of social and performance situations. The consequence of scrutiny by others for the neural processing of performance feedback in SAD is unknown.MethodsWe used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activation to positive, negative, and uninformative performance feedback in patients diagnosed with SAD and age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy control subjects who performed a time estimation task during a social observation condition and a non-social control condition: while either being monitored or unmonitored by a body camera, subjects received performance feedback after performing a time estimation that they could not fully evaluate without external feedback.ResultsWe found that brain activation in ventral striatum (VS) and midcingulate cortex was modulated by an interaction of social context and feedback type. SAD patients showed a lack of social-context-dependent variation of feedback processing, while control participants showed an enhancement of brain responses specifically to positive feedback in VS during observation.ConclusionsThe present findings emphasize the importance of social-context processing in SAD by showing that scrutiny prevents appropriate reward-processing-related signatures in response to positive performances in SAD.
Most-Cherished Gemstones in the Medieval Arab World
Authors: AMAR ZOHAR , LEV EFRAIM 
Published: May 2017

AbstractIn the medieval Arab world, gemstones were used as ornaments, set in jewellery, seals, and amulets, and also were investments and status symbols. As a result of the Arab conquests and their access to new regions, the distribution and use of gemstones underwent substantial changes. Our research pieces together information regarding the production, use, trade, tradition and cultural value of gemstones from early Arabic sources; this information is compared with material found in ancient Greek and Roman sources and also European sources from the medieval period.The most valued stones were corundum, diamond, emerald and pearl. Other stones, such as turquoise, carnelian, garnet, onyx, lazurite and malachite, were less expensive and therefore more popular and common among the middle classes. Jasper, amethyst, and crystal were still cheaper and even more commonly-owned. In this article, we have chosen to present in detail the stories of two of the most exotic, expensive, and therefore most interesting gemstones: the diamond and the corundum.
Accuracy of oncologist assessments of psychiatric problems in cancer inpatients
Authors: Yasugi Daisuke , Tamune Hidetaka , Sawamura Jitsuki , Nishimura Katsuji 
Published: May 2017

ABSTRACTObjective:Our objective was to examine the accuracy of non-psychiatrist assessments of psychiatric problems in cancer patients.Method:We conducted a retrospective chart review of cancer patients who were admitted and referred to the consultation–liaison (C–L) team between January of 2011 and December of 2012. The agreement between non-psychiatrist assessments and final diagnoses by attending C–L psychiatrists was estimated for every category of referral assessment using codes from the International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (10th revision). The data were obtained from the consultation records of 240 cancer inpatients who were referred to the C–L service at a tertiary care center in Tokyo.Results:The agreement ratio between referring oncologists and psychiatrists differed according to the evaluation categories. The degrees of agreement for the categories of “delirious,” “depressive,” “dyssomnia,” “anxious,” “demented,” “psychotic,” and “other” were 0.87, 0.43, 0.51, 0.50, 0.27, 0.55, and 0.57, respectively. The agreement for all patients was 0.65. Significant differences were observed among seven categories (chi-squared value = 42.454 atp< 0.001 anddf= 6). The analysis of means for proportions showed that the degree of agreement for the “delirious” category was significantly higher and that that for the “depressive” category was lower than that for all patients, while for the “demented” category it was close to the lower decision limit but barely significant. One half of the 20 cases who were referred as depressive were diagnosed with delirium, with one quarter of those having continuously impaired consciousness. Some 7 of the 11 cases who were referred as demented were diagnosed as having delirium.Significance of Results:The accuracy of non-psychiatrist assessments for psychiatric problems in cancer patients differs by presumed diagnosis. Oncologists should consider unrecognized delirium in cancer inpatients who appear depressed or demented.
The careg element reveals a common regulation of regeneration in the zebrafish myocardium and fin
Authors: Pfefferli Catherine , Jaźwińska Anna 
Published: May 2017

AbstractThe existence of common mechanisms regulating organ regeneration is an intriguing concept. Here we report on a regulatory element that is transiently activated during heart and fin regeneration in zebrafish. This element contains a ctgfa upstream sequence, called careg, which is induced by TGFβ/Activin-β signalling in the peri-injury zone of the myocardium and the fin mesenchyme. In addition, this reporter demarcates a primordial cardiac layer and intraray osteoblasts. Using genetic fate mapping, we show the regenerative competence of careg-expressing cells. The analysis of the heart reveals that the primordial cardiac layer is incompletely restored after cryoinjury, whereas trabecular and cortical cardiomyocytes contribute to myocardial regrowth. In regenerating fins, the activated mesenchyme of the stump gives rise to the blastema. Our findings provide evidence of a common regenerative programme in cardiomyocytes and mesenchyme that opens the possibility to further explore conserved mechanisms of the cellular plasticity in diverse vertebrate organs.