bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serial measurement of pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentration in dogs with immune‐mediated disease treated with prednisolone
Authors: Ohta H. , Morita T. , Yokoyama N. , Osuga T. , Sasaki N. , Morishita K. , Nakamura K. , Takiguchi M. 
Published: March 2017

ObjectivesIn this pilot study, serum canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity was measured repeatedly in dogs with various immune‐mediated diseases that were treated with immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone.MethodsTen client‐owned dogs with newly diagnosed immune‐mediated disease that had normal canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentrations (≤200 µg/l) were treated with 2 to 2.2 mg/kg prednisolone orally once daily as the initial treatment. Serum samples were obtained from each of the dogs prior to treatment and at 1‐ to 4‐week intervals during immunosuppressive treatment. The highest canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentration detected during immunosuppressive treatment was defined as the peak canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity.ResultsPeak canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentrations were classified as normal in two dogs, questionable (201 to 399 µg/l) in three dogs, and abnormal (≥400 µg/l) in five dogs. Peak canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentrations were significantly higher than baseline canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentrations but there was no evidence of clinical pancreatitis.Clinical SignificanceIt remains unclear whether the five of 10 dogs with elevated canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity during prednisone treatment had subclinical pancreatitis or whether the abnormal results were a consequence of prednisolone administration.
Long‐term outcome of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in a real‐world setting: The German LOTOS study
Authors: Wedemeyer Heiner , Reimer Jens , Sandow Petra , Hueppe Dietrich , Lutz Thomas , Gruengreiff Kurt , Goelz Joerg , Christensen Stefan , Pfeiffer‐Vornkahl Heike , Alshuth Ulrich , Manns Michael P. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBackground & AimsThere are few large‐scale, prospective studies comparing liver‐associated events in treated and untreated patients with CHC managed in routine clinical practice.MethodsPatients with CHC were prospectively enrolled in a non‐interventional study. Data from patients with available documentation who had either achieved a sustained virological response, or were non‐responders, relapsers, or had virological breakthrough following treatment with peginterferon alfa‐2a±ribavirin, or who had been diagnosed but never treated at least 3 years previously, and who remained under medical observation were analyzed. Primary endpoint was liver‐associated events (composite of decompensation/liver failure, ascites, hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver transplant/placement on a transplant list).ResultsIn all, 1444 eligible patients were identified. Mean follow‐up was 4.7 (standard deviation; SD 1.1) years. Patients with sustained virological response had a lower incidence of liver‐associated events vs non‐responders, relapsers, or virological breakthrough and never treated patients (1.7% vs 4.7% and 4.7% respectively). The proportion of patients with cirrhosis increased from baseline in the non‐responders, relapsers, or virological breakthrough (6.8%‐10.5%) and never treated group (3.7%‐8.4%), with an associated increase in severity, but was unchanged in the sustained virological response group (2.1%). Event‐free survival was significantly higher in sustained virological response patients (P=.0082).ConclusionsIn this “real‐world” cohort, the achievement of sustained virological response almost eliminated liver‐related morbidity and mortality compared with patients who failed to achieve sustained virological response and those who were untreated. Overall, the LOTOS cohort highlights the importance of timely and effective treatment for patients with CHC.
River network architecture, genetic effective size and distributional patterns predict differences in genetic structure across species in a dryland stream fish community
Authors: Pilger Tyler J. , Gido Keith B. , Propst David L. , Whitney James E. , Turner Thomas F. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractDendritic ecological network (DEN) architecture can be a strong predictor of spatial genetic patterns in theoretical and simulation studies. Yet, interspecific differences in dispersal capabilities and distribution within the network may equally affect species’ genetic structuring. We characterized patterns of genetic variation from up to ten microsatellite loci for nine numerically dominant members of the upper Gila River fish community, New Mexico, USA. Using comparative landscape genetics, we evaluated the role of network architecture for structuring populations within species (pairwise FST) while explicitly accounting for intraspecific demographic influences on effective population size (Ne). Five species exhibited patterns of connectivity and/or genetic diversity gradients that were predicted by network structure. These species were generally considered to be small‐bodied or habitat specialists. Spatial variation of Ne was a strong predictor of pairwise FST for two species, suggesting patterns of connectivity may also be influenced by genetic drift independent of network properties. Finally, two study species exhibited genetic patterns that were unexplained by network properties and appeared to be related to nonequilibrium processes. Properties of DENs shape community‐wide genetic structure but effects are modified by intrinsic traits and nonequilibrium processes. Further theoretical development of the DEN framework should account for such cases.
Income Inequality and the Financial Industry
Authors: Panico Carlo , Pinto Antonio 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe paper examines how the size of the banking industry can affect inequality arguing that the wage share is influenced by the workers’ ability to capture the increases in value added per worker, by the input composition of the productive structure and by the size of the banking industry. Piketty and other literature overlook the latter two elements. After examining Piketty's interpretation, the paper underlines the relevance of considering the financial sector as an industry and ascertains the conditions for a negative influence on the wage share of the input and output composition of the productive structure.
ZapA and ZapB form an FtsZ‐independent structure at midcell
Authors: Buss Jackson A. , Peters Nick T. , Xiao Jie , Bernhardt Thomas G. 
Published: March 2017

SummaryCell division in Escherichia coli begins with the polymerization of FtsZ into a ring‐like structure, the Z‐ring, at midcell. All other division proteins are thought to require the Z‐ring for recruitment to the future division site. Here, it is reported that the Z‐ring associated proteins ZapA and ZapB form FtsZ‐independent structures at midcell. Upon Z‐ring disruption by the FtsZ polymerization antagonist SulA, ZapA remained at midcell as a cloud‐like accumulation. Using ZapA(N60Y), a variant defective for interaction with FtsZ, it was established that these ZapA structures form without a connection to the Z‐ring. Furthermore, midcell accumulations of GFP‐ZapA(N60Y) often preceded Z‐rings at midcell and required ZapB to assemble, suggesting that ZapB polymers form the foundation of these structures. In the absence of MatP, a DNA‐binding protein that links ZapB to the chromosomal terminus region, cloud‐like ZapA structures still formed but failed to track with the chromosome terminus and did not consistently precede FtsZ at midcell. Taken together, the results suggest that FtsZ‐independent structures of ZapA–ZapB provide additional positional cues for Z‐ring formation and may help coordinate its assembly with chromosome replication and segregation.
Three cases of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome with chronic kidney disease triggered by infection
Authors: Nasu Kahori , Fujisawa Madoka , Kato Hideki , Nangaku Masaomi 
Published: March 2017

AbstractPosterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical and radiological condition with diverse neurological manifestations. Many clinical factors are known causes of PRES, but only a few cases of PRES have been reported in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and infectious disease. We describe three cases of PRES in patients with CKD triggered by various infectious diseases. Characteristic hyperintense signals on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicating reversible vasogenic brain oedema in various parts of the brain were observed. To explain the pathophysiology of PRES, the hypertension/hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion/vasoconstriction theories have been proposed. Patients with CKD have many complications including uraemia, hypertension, and immunosuppression. Therefore, physicians should recognize that patients with CKD are at high risk of PRES triggered by infectious diseases and promptly diagnose PRES because immediate treatment of the triggers often leads to complete resolution.
The O‐methyltransferase PMT2 mediates methylation of pinosylvin in Scots pine
Authors: Paasela Tanja , Lim Kean‐Jin , Pietiäinen Milla , Teeri Teemu H. 
Published: March 2017

Summary

Heartwood extractives are important determinants of the natural durability of pine heartwood. The most important phenolic compounds affecting durability are the stilbenes pinosylvin and its monomethylether, which in addition have important functions as phytoalexins in active defense. A substantial portion of the synthesized pinosylvin is 3‐methoxylated but the O‐methyltransferase responsible for this modification has not been correctly identified.

We studied the expression of the stilbene pathway during heartwood development as well as in response to wounding of xylem and UV‐C treatment of needles. We isolated and enzymatically characterized a novel O‐methyltransferase, PMT2. The methylated product was verified as pinosylvin monomethylether using ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography analyses.

The PMT2 enzyme was highly specific for stilbenes as substrate, in contrast to caffeoyl‐CoA O‐methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) and PMT1 that were multifunctional. Expression profile and multifunctional activity of CCoAOMT suggest that it might have additional roles outside lignin biosynthesis. PMT1 is not involved in the stilbene pathway and its biological function remains an open question.

We isolated a new specific O‐methyltransferase responsible for 3‐methoxylation of pinosylvin. Expression of PMT2 closely follows stilbene biosynthesis during developmental and stress induction. We propose that PMT2 is responsible for pinosylvin methylation in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), instead of the previously characterized methyltransferase, PMT1.
Elucidation of Binding Mechanism of Photodynamic Therapeutic Agent Toluidine Blue O with Chicken Egg White Lysozyme by Spectroscopic and Molecular Dynamics Studies
Authors: Shanmugaraj Krishnamoorthy , Umadevi Palanivel , Senthilkumar Lakshmipathi , Ilanchelian Malaichamy 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe nature of binding mechanism of toluidine blue O (TBO) with chicken egg white lysozyme was studied comprehensively by various spectroscopic and computational methods. Both steady state and time‐resolved fluorescence studies unambiguously point to the prevalence of static quenching mechanism in lysozyme–TBO system. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that the association of TBO with lysozyme was a spontaneous process in which hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions played a pivotal role in the binding process. The secondary and tertiary conformational changes of lysozyme in the presence of TBO were unraveled using absorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. Molecular docking studies of lysozyme–TBO system substantiated the findings of site marker experiment and revealed TBO adjacent to Trp‐63 and Trp‐108 residues of lysozyme. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies of lysozyme–TBO system indicate a stable and effective complexation of TBO with lysozyme. It is hoped that the results presented here will enable further understanding of TBO toxicity.
Dimensions of the South Oaks Gambling Screen in Finland: A cross‐sectional population study
Authors: Salonen Anne H. , Rosenström Tom , Edgren Robert , Volberg Rachel , Alho Hannu , Castrén Sari 
Published: March 2017

The underlying structure of problematic gambling behaviors, such as those assessed by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), remain unknown: Can problem gambling be assessed unidimensionally or should multiple qualitatively different dimensions be taken into account, and if so, what do these qualitative dimensions indicate? How significant are the deviations from unidimensionality in practice? A cross‐sectional random sample of Finns aged 15–74 (n = 4,484) was drawn from the Population Information Registry and surveyed in 2011–2012. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) models. Altogether, 14.9% of the population endorsed at least one of the 20 SOGS items, but nine items had low endorsement rates (≤ 0.2%). CFA and MIRT techniques suggested that individuals differed from each other in two positively correlated (r = 0.70) underlying dimensions: “impact on self primarily” and “impact on others also”. This two‐factor correlated‐factors model can be reinterpreted as a bifactor model with one general gambling‐problem factor and two specific factors with similar interpretation as in the correlated‐factors model but with non‐overlapping items. The two specific factors may provide clinically useful information without extra costs of assessment.
Conceptualizing and understanding the Gülen movement
Authors: Fitzgerald Scott T. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe Gülen movement (GM) is a controversial international Islamic movement originating in Turkey. Interestingly, the movement seems to be “in between” the standard conceptual categories used by social movement scholars: The GMs' focus on individual transformation and religious practices suggests that it is a religious movement; its extensive outreach into various institutions (i.e., education, health care, and media) suggests a social movement seeking legitimacy and broad social change; its purported infiltration of key government and military offices suggests a political movement. In this article, I demonstrate the utility of conceptualizing the GM as an everyday‐life‐based movement and of using a multi‐institutional politics model to examine this type of movement. By doing so, it becomes clear that sometimes, movements focusing on individual change may also be seeking to transform social, economic, and political institutions.
HLA class II alleles in Norwegian patients with coexisting type 1 diabetes and celiac disease
Authors: Viken M. K. , Flåm S. T. , Skrivarhaug T. , Amundsen S. S. , Sollid L. M. , Drivvoll A. K. , Joner G. , Dahl‐Jørgensen K. , Lie B. A. 
Published: March 2017

BackgroundType 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (CeD) are 2 distinct diseases, but there is an increased risk of developing CeD for T1D patients. Both diseases are associated with HLA‐class II alleles, such as
DQB1

*02:01 and
DQB1

*03:02; however, their risk contribution vary between the diseases.Materials and MethodsWe genotyped
HLA‐DRB1
and –
DQB1
in 215 patients with coexisting T1D and CeD identified from a T1D cohort, and compared them to patients with T1D (N = 487) and CeD (N = 327), as well as healthy controls (N = 368).ResultsThe patients with coexisting T1D and CeD had an intermediate carrier frequency (72.8%) of the
DRB1

*03:01‐

DQB1

*02:01‐

DQA1

*05:01 haplotype compared to T1D (64.1%) and CeD (88.7%) patients. The
DRB1

*03:01‐

DQB1

*02:01‐

DQA1

*05:01/

DRB1

*04‐

DQB1

*03:02‐

DQA1

*03 haplotype combination, encoding DQ2.5 and DQ8 molecules, was equally frequent among patients with both T1D and CeD (52.6%) and T1D patients (46.8%) but significantly lower in CeD patients (9.5%).ConclusionOverall, the patients with coexisting T1D and CeD had an HLA profile more similar to T1D patients than CeD patients.
Factors affecting peer‐reviewed publication of abstracts presented at meetings of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (2008–2012)
Authors: Ofri Ron , Bdolah‐Abram Tali , Yair Nadav 
Published: March 2017

AbstractPurposeTo review abstracts presented at five consecutive meetings of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO), and identify abstract characteristics that affect the probability of their publication in peer‐reviewed journals.MethodsAn online search was conducted for peer‐reviewed publications (PRPs) stemming from abstracts from five ECVO meetings (2008–2012). Time to publication and journal were noted. Effects of ocular tissue/discipline, species, type of presentation and study, funding acknowledgment and affiliation, professional qualifications, and nationality of the first and last authors on probability of publication were analyzed.ResultsOf presented abstracts, 29% (87/299) were published as PRPs in Veterinary Ophthalmology (n = 50), other veterinary journals (n = 22), and nonveterinary journals (n = 15). During the 5 years studied, there was no significant difference between the impact factor of Veterinary Ophthalmology and the 25 other journals in which PRPs were published (P = 0.369). Median time to PRP acceptance or publication was 468 days. Independent variables most significant in determining the probability of PRP were oral presentation (P = 0.002), resident authorship (P < 0.0001), and species (P = 0.002), with food animal abstracts having the highest odds ratio. Ocular tissue/discipline (P = 0.13) and type of study (P = 0.33) did not affect publication probability. Funding acknowledgment (P = 0.02), author nationality (P = 0.02), and academic affiliation (P = 0.04) were also significant factors.ConclusionsPublication rate of ECVO abstracts is lower, but time to publication is similar, compared with most biomedical meetings.
FUEL DETECTION SYSTEM USING OTDR WITH MULTIMODE FIBER
Authors: Younus Marwan Hafeedh , Ameen Odai Falah , Raja Ibrahim Raja Kamarulzaman , Redzuan Norizah 
Published: March 2017

This work presents an optical fiber based sensor for fuel detection and adaptionan optical time domain Reflectometer (OTDR) as an analyzer. The sensing system consists of a portion of removal clad multimode fiber (MMF) as sensing part connected between a receive and launch fiber. The sensing part was prepared by removing 1 cm of the MMF cladding layer using chemical etching technique. Both launch and receive fibers are using single mode fiber (SMF) where OTDR is connected to the Launch Fibre while Receive Fiber has one end with air interface.The sensor response is based on optical return loss recorded from OTDR trace when sensing part in contact with fuel where in this work diesel and benzene were tested. OTDR measurement revealed that the return loss recorded from OTDR increases when etching time of the MMF increases. The highest return loss of 2.462 dB and 3.099 dB were recorded in diesel and benzene respectively with etching time of 20 minutes. The etching time was up to 25 minutes but it was found to cause the fiber core become too thin and at the end the fiber core can completely dissolve. Further enhancement of detection sensitivity was achieved by using two-point MMF sensing system.
Dosimetric characteristics of dual‐layer multileaf collimation for small‐field and intensity‐modulated radiation therapy applications
Authors: Liu Yaxi , Shi Chengyu , Tynan Patricia , Papanikolaou Niko 
Published: March 2017

The purpose of the present work was to measure the performance characteristics in the penumbra region and on the leaf‐end of an innovative dual‐layer micro multileaf collimator (DmMLC). The DmMLC consists of two orthogonal (upper and lower) layers of leaves; a standard MLC consists of one layer. The DmMLC provides unique performance characteristics in smoothing dose undulation, reducing leaf‐end transmission, and reducing MLC field dependence of the leaf stepping angle. Two standard MLCs (80‐leaf and 120‐leaf versions: Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA), a DmMLC (AccuKnife: Initia Medical Technology, Canton, MA), and a Cerrobend (Cerro Metal Products, Bellefonte, PA) block were used in performance studies involving a triangular field, a cross leaf‐end field, and a circular field. Measurements were made with 6‐MV X‐rays and extended dose range film at a depth of 5 cm in Solid Water (Gammex rmi, Middleton, WI) at a source–axis distance of 100 cm. The field penumbra width measured between the 20% and 80% isodose lines through the MLC‐80, MLC‐120, DmMLC, and Cerrobend block were 9.0, 5.0, 3.0, and 2.0 mm respectively. The dose undulation amplitude of the 50% isodose line was measured as 5.5, 2.0, and 0.5 mm for the MLC‐80, MLC‐120, and DmMLC respectively. The planar dose difference between the MLC‐80, MLC‐120, and DmMLC against Cerrobend block was measured as ranging at , and respectively. The leaf‐end transmission was measured at 22.4% in maximum and 15.4% in average when closing a single layer of the DmMLC, and at 2.4% in maximum and 2.1% in average when closing both layers. The MLC dependence of the leaf stepping angle with the DmMLC ranged from 45 degrees to 90 degrees. The standard MLC leaf stepping angle ranged from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. In conclusion, the dose undulation, leaf‐end transmission, and MLC field dependence of the leaf stepping angle with the DmMLC were remarkably reduced as compared with those of the standard MLCs. And as compared with Cerrobend block, the DmMLC provided very comparable performance in field‐edge smoothing and in the shaping of complex fields.PACS numbers: 87.56.Jk, 87.56.Nk, 87.56.Nj, 87.57.Nt
Inhomogeneity correction and the analytic anisotropic algorithm
Authors: Robinson Don 
Published: March 2017

The ability of the analytic anisotropic algorithm (AAA), a superposition– convolution algorithm implemented in the Eclipse (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) treatment planning system (TPS), to accurately account for the presence of inhomogeneities in simple geometries is examined. The goal of 2% accuracy, as set out by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 65, serves as a useful benchmark against which to evaluate the inhomogeneity correction capabilities of this treatment planning algorithm. A planar geometry phantom consisting of upper and lower layers of Solid Water (Gammex rmi, Middleton, WI) separated by a heterogeneity region of variable thickness, is modeled within the Eclipse TPS. Results obtained with the AAA are compared with experimental measurements. Seven different materials, spanning the range from air to aluminum, constitute the inhomogeneity layer. In general, the AAA overpredicts dose beyond low‐density regions and underpredicts dose distal to volumes of high density. In many cases, the deviation between the AAA and experimental results exceeds the Task Group 65 target of 2%. The source of these deviations appears to arise from an inability of the AAA to correctly account for altered attenuation along primary ray paths.PACS number: 87.53.Tf
Remembering Emil von Behring: from Tetanus Treatment to Antibody Cooperation with Phagocytes
Authors: Kaufmann Stefan H. E. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACT
A century ago, Emil von Behring passed away. He was the first to be honored by the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1901 for the successful therapy of diphtheria and tetanus, which he had developed from the bench to the bed. He also contributed to the foundation of immunology, since his therapy was based on passive immunization with specific antisera. Being an ambitious character, he did not shy away from friction with his colleagues Paul Ehrlich and Elias Metchnikoff and his mentor, Robert Koch. Behring was not only an excellent translational researcher but also a successful entrepreneur and early proponent of public-private partnerships.