bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determining the acceptable level of physician compliance with a treat‐to‐target strategy in early rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Wabe Nasir , Sorich Michael J. , Wechalekar Mihir D. , Cleland Leslie G. , McWilliams Leah , Lee Anita , Spargo Llewellyn , Metcalf Robert , Hall Cindy , Proudman Susanna M. , Wiese Michael D. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the minimum cut‐points for rate of physician compliance with a treat‐to‐target (T2T) strategy needed to achieve optimal rates of remission or low disease activity (LDA).MethodIn this analysis of longitudinal observational data from patients with early RA, physician compliance with a T2T treatment protocol was determined for each clinic visit over 3 years. Remission and LDA were measured by Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI). The minimum physician compliance rates for predicting these outcomes were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultOverall, 149 patients completed 3078 clinic visits over 3 years of follow‐up. Treatment decisions complied with the T2T protocol in 2343 of these visits (76.1%). The minimum cut‐points for physician compliance rates that predicted remission and LDA according to DAS28 were 81.1% and 70.7%, respectively, and to predict remission and LDA according to SDAI, the respective cut‐points were 92.7% and 77.4%. Based on these cut‐points, three categories of physician compliance with T2T were proposed: high (to maximize the likelihood of achieving remission, > 80% according to DAS28 or > 90% according to SDAI/CDAI); medium (the minimal physician compliance to achieve LDA, 70–79% according to DAS28 or 75–89% for SDAI/CDAI); and low (< 70% for DAS28 and < 75% for SDAI/CDAI), where remission and LDA are unlikely). When patients were stratified by baseline disease activity, the physician compliance rate cut‐points were similar for most outcomes at year 3.ConclusionUsing real‐life clinical data, we determined the thresholds for physician compliance with a T2T strategy that stratified patients according to their disease outcomes and proposed a system for classifying physician compliance as high, medium and low.
Comparative efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis that inadequately responds to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a Bayesian network meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Lee Young Ho , Bae Sang‐Cheol 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAimsThis study aimed to assess the relative efficacy and safety of biologics and tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showing an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.MethodsWe performed a Bayesian network meta‐analysis to combine the direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with RA that inadequately responds to TNF inhibitors.ResultsFour RCTs including 1796 patients met the inclusion criteria. The tocilizumab 8 mg group showed a significantly higher American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response rate than the abatacept and tofacitinib groups. Ranking probability based on surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) indicated that tocilizumab 8 mg had the highest probability of being the best treatment for achieving the ACR20 response rate (SUCRA = 0.9863), followed by rituximab (SUCRA = 0.6623), abatacept (SUCRA = 0.5428), tocilizumab 4 mg (SUCRA = 0.4956), tofacitinib 10 mg (SUCRA = 0.4715), tofacitinib 5 mg (SUCRA = 0.3415) and placebo (SUCRA = 0). In contrast, the safety based on the number of withdrawals due to adverse events did not differ significantly among the treatment options.ConclusionsTocilizumab 8 mg was the second‐line non‐TNF biologic with the highest performance regarding an early good response based on ACR20 response rate and acceptable safety profile, followed by rituximab, abatacept and tofacitinib in patients with RA and an inadequate response to anti‐TNF therapy, and none of these treatments were associated with a significant risk of withdrawal due to adverse events.
ProSAVANA and the Expanding Scope of Accountability in Brazil's Development Cooperation
Authors: Cabral Lídia , Leite Iara 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAs Brazil becomes a visible player in international development, questions about accountability resonate loudly amidst wider scrutiny of the country's cooperation programme. This article takes the case of Brazil's flagship ProSAVANA programme in Mozambique to analyse changing accountability practices in Brazilian development cooperation. It documents the emergence of a transnational civil society movement contesting ProSAVANA, and analyses the interaction of this transnational movement with evolving domestic political contests surrounding Brazilian cooperation. This transnational mobilisation exposed weaknesses in Brazilian cooperation regarding transparency of action and lines of responsibility – contributing to shifts in both understanding and practices of accountability within Brazil. Campaigners called for the Brazilian government to accept greater responsibility vis‐à‐vis Mozambican constituents, and established direct lines of interaction between Mozambican and Brazilian civil society actors. To some extent, these links have enabled ProSAVANA target populations to communicate their preferences to Brazilian taxpayers, who can then call the Brazilian government directly to account. Such domestic‐transnational accountability interfaces can contribute to tackling ‘broken information feedback loops’ between donors and affected populations. However, the enduring significance of such changes will depend on the ability of emerging accountability practices to connect a broader range of stakeholders, both in Brazil and in Mozambique, and to establish constructive dialogue among competing visions and interests.
Differential Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Profiles in Alcohol and Nicotine‐Derived Nitrosamine Ketone‐Associated White Matter Degeneration
Authors: Yalcin Emine B. , Nunez Kavin , Tong Ming , de la Monte Suzanne M. 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundAlcohol‐mediated neurodegeneration is associated with white matter (WM) atrophy due to targeting of myelin and oligodendrocytes. However, variability in disease severity suggests cofactors contribute to WM degeneration. We examined the potential cofactor role of the tobacco‐specific nitrosamine, nicotine‐derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK), because smoking causes WM atrophy and most heavy drinkers consume tobacco products.MethodsThis 8‐week study of Long Evans rats had 4 treatment groups: control; NNK‐2 mg/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 3 to 8; ethanol (EtOH) (chronic‐26% caloric + binge‐2 g/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 7 to 8); and EtOH + NNK. Exposure effects on WM lipid biochemical profiles and in situ distributions were examined using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsNNK mainly caused WM fiber degeneration and fiber loss, EtOH caused demyelination, and dual exposures had additive effects. EtOH and EtOH + NNK decreased WM (including corpus callosum) and/or gray matter (hypothalamus, cortex, medial temporal) levels of several phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingolipid (sulfatide [ST]) species, while NNK increased or had minimal effect on these lipids. EtOH + NNK had broader and larger inhibitory effects on phospholipids and ST than EtOH or NNK alone. Principal component analysis clustered control with NNK, and EtOH with EtOH + NNK groups, highlighting the independent EtOH‐ rather than NNK‐driven responses.ConclusionsChronic EtOH exposures decreased several phospholipid and sphingolipid species in brain, while concomitant NNK exposures exacerbated these effects. These findings support our hypothesis that tobacco smoking is a pathogenic cofactor in alcohol‐mediated WM degeneration.
Genetic and pharmacological manipulation of glyoxalase 1 regulates voluntary ethanol consumption in mice
Authors: McMurray Katherine M. J. , Sidhu Preetpal S. , Cook James M. , Arnold Leggy A. , Palmer Abraham A. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractPrevious studies have identified an association between the gene glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) and anxiety‐like behavior in mice and have shown that the substrate of GLO1, methylglyoxal, is a competitive partial agonist at GABAA receptors. Given the well‐established role of GABAA receptors in the behavioral effects of ethanol (EtOH), we investigated the role of Glo1 in voluntary EtOH consumption in mice using the drinking in the dark (DID) paradigm. Transgenic mice overexpressing Glo1 on both FVB/NJ (FVB) or C57BL/6J (B6) backgrounds showed increased voluntary EtOH consumption compared to their wild‐type littermates in DID. Furthermore, transgenic Glo1 knockdown mice on a B6 background showed decreased voluntary EtOH consumption in DID. These genetic manipulations of Glo1 had no effect on sucrose, saccharin or water consumption. Finally, we found that a small molecule GLO1 inhibitor (S‐bromobenzylglutathione cyclopentyl diester (pBBG; 6.25, 12.5 mg/kg)) reduced EtOH consumption compared to vehicle treated B6 mice without altering saccharin or water consumption. Sucrose consumption was only reduced by the higher (12.5 mg/kg) dose of pBBG. We did not observe differences in the loss of righting reflex (LORR) or EtOH‐induced foot slips on the balance beam in response to acute EtOH administration (LORR: 4 g/kg, Balance Beam: 1.25 g/kg) in B6 or FVB mice overexpressing Glo1, nor in B6 mice treated with pBBG. These data are the first to implicate Glo1 in EtOH‐related behaviors and suggest that GLO1 inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
Re‐exposure to morphine‐associated context facilitated long‐term potentiation in the vSUB‐NAc glutamatergic pathway via GluN2B‐containing receptor activation
Authors: Li Yi‐Jing , Ping Xing‐Jie , Qi Chong , Shen Fang , Sun Lin‐Lin , Sun Xiao‐Wei , Ge Fei‐Fei , Xing Guo‐Gang , Cui Cai‐Lian 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe glutamatergic projection from the ventral subiculum of the hippocampus (vSUB) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell has been reported to play a key role in drug‐related behavior. The GluN2B subunit of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the NAc can be selectively elevated after the retrieval of drug‐conditioned memory. However, whether the increased GluN2B‐containing NMDARs (GluN2B‐NMDARs) are able to alter the synaptic plasticity of the vSUB‐NAc glutamatergic pathway remains unclear. Here, we found that the long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the vSUB‐NAc pathway was facilitated and the GluN2B subunit protein level was elevated in synaptoneurosomes of the NAc shell, but not in the core, following morphine‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP) expression in rats. The facilitated LTP was prevented by the GluN2B‐NMDAR antagonist RO25‐6981. Also, a neurochemical disconnection following microinjection of RO25‐6981 into the NAc shell, plus microinfusion of GABA agonist baclofen and muscimol into the contralateral vSUB prevented the expression of morphine‐induced CPP. These findings suggest that the retrieval of drug‐associated memory potentiated synaptic plasticity in the vSUB‐NAc pathway, which was dependent on GluN2B‐NMDAR activation in the NAc shell. These findings provide a new explanation for the mechanisms that underlie the morphine‐associated‐context memory. The GluN2B‐NMDARs may be regarded as a potential target for erasing morphine‐related memory.
Loss of brain graph network efficiency in alcohol dependence
Authors: Sjoerds Zsuzsika , Stufflebeam Steven M. , Veltman Dick J. , Van den Brink Wim , Penninx Brenda W. J. H. , Douw Linda 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAlcohol dependence (AD) is characterized by corticostriatal impairments in individual brain areas such as the striatum. As yet however, complex brain network topology in AD and its association with disease progression are unknown. We applied graph theory to resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS‐fMRI) to examine weighted global efficiency and local (clustering coefficient, degree and eigenvector centrality) network topology and the functional role of the striatum in 24 AD patients compared with 20 matched healthy controls (HCs), and their association with dependence characteristics. Graph analyses were performed based on Pearson's correlations between RS‐fMRI time series, while correcting for age, gender and head motion. We found no significant group differences between AD patients and HCs in network topology. Notably, within the patient group, but not in HCs, the whole‐brain network showed reduced average cluster coefficient with more severe alcohol use, whereas longer AD duration within the patient group was associated with a global decrease in efficiency, degree and clustering coefficient. Additionally, within four a‐priori chosen bilateral striatal nodes, alcohol use severity was associated with lower clustering coefficient in the left caudate. Longer AD duration was associated with reduced clustering coefficient in caudate and putamen, and reduced degree in bilateral caudate, but with increased eigenvector centrality in left posterior putamen. Especially changes in global network topology and clustering coefficient in anterior striatum remained strikingly robust after exploratory variations in network weight. Our results show adverse effects of AD on overall network integration and possibly on striatal efficiency, putatively contributing to the increasing behavioral impairments seen in chronically addicted patients.
Brain connectivity and psychiatric comorbidity in adolescents with Internet gaming disorder
Authors: Han Doug Hyun , Kim Sun Mi , Bae Sujin , Renshaw Perry F. , Anderson Jeffrey S. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractProlonged Internet video game play may have multiple and complex effects on human cognition and brain development in both negative and positive ways. There is not currently a consensus on the principle effects of video game play neither on brain development nor on the relationship to psychiatric comorbidity. In this study, 78 adolescents with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and 73 comparison subjects without IGD, including subgroups with no other psychiatric comorbid disease, with major depressive disorder and with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were included in a 3 T resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis. The severity of Internet gaming disorder, depression, anxiety and ADHD symptoms were assessed with the Young Internet Addiction Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Korean ADHD rating scales, respectively. Patients with IGD showed an increased functional correlation between seven pairs of regions, all satisfying q < 0.05 False discovery rates in light of multiple statistical tests: left frontal eye field to dorsal anterior cingulate, left frontal eye field to right anterior insula, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to left temporoparietal junction (TPJ), right DLPFC to right TPJ, right auditory cortex to right motor cortex, right auditory cortex to supplementary motor area and right auditory cortex to dorsal anterior cingulate. These findings may represent a training effect of extended game play and suggest a risk or predisposition in game players for over‐connectivity of the default mode and executive control networks that may relate to psychiatric comorbidity.
Sequence analysis of three canine adipokine genes revealed an association between TNF polymorphisms and obesity in Labrador dogs
Authors: Mankowska M. , Stachowiak M. , Graczyk A. , Ciazynska P. , Gogulski M. , Nizanski W. , Switonski M. 
Published: December 2015

SummaryObesity is an emerging health problem in purebred dogs. Due to their crucial role in energy homeostasis control, genes encoding adipokines are considered candidate genes, and their variants may be associated with predisposition to obesity. Searching for polymorphism was carried out in three adipokine genes (TNF, RETN and IL6). The study was performed on 260 dogs, including lean (n = 109), overweight (n = 88) and obese (n = 63) dogs. The largest cohort was represented by Labrador Retrievers (n = 136). Altogether, 24 novel polymorphisms were identified: 12 in TNF (including one missense SNP), eight in RETN (including one missense SNP) and four in IL6. Distributions of five common SNPs (two in TNF, two in RETN and one in IL6) were further analyzed with regard to body condition score. Two SNPs in the non‐coding parts of TNF (c.‐40A>C and c.233+14G>A) were associated with obesity in Labrador dogs. The obtained results showed that the studied adipokine genes are highly polymorphic and two polymorphisms in the TNF gene may be considered as markers predisposing Labrador dogs to obesity.
Big fish in big ponds: Contrast and assimilation effects on math and verbal self‐concepts of students in within‐school gifted tracks
Authors: Herrmann Julia , Schmidt Isabelle , Kessels Ursula , Preckel Franzis 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundAbility grouping can lower students’ academic self‐perceptions through reference group effects of class‐average achievement on academic self‐concept (ASC) – the Big‐fish‐little‐Pond‐effect (BFLPE; Marsh & Parker, 1984, J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 47, 213). Although the effect itself is well documented, many open questions remain. For instance, negative contrast effects of group average achievement and positive assimilation effects of group status are confounded in most BFLPE studies. For the verbal domain, no study has yet investigated contrast and assimilation effects simultaneously. Strong assimilation effects can be assumed for gifted ability grouping.AimsWe aimed at disentangling contrast and assimilation effects of full‐time within‐school gifted tracking on verbal ASC and math ASC.SampleStudents attended regular or gifted classes within the top track of German secondary schools. Our sample comprised 1,330 fifth‐grade students (42 regular classes, n = 1,069, 48% female; 15 gifted classes, n = 261, 39% female).MethodsUsing multilevel regression analyses, we simultaneously modelled negative contrast effects of class ability and positive assimilation effects of class type (regular vs. gifted) on ASC in math and the verbal domain.Results and conclusionsIn the mathematical domain, the assimilation effect, caused by membership in gifted classes, compensated for negative contrast effects of class‐average achievement on ASC even after controlling for previous ASC. In the verbal domain, we found neither a significant contrast effect nor an assimilation effect. Implications for gifted education are discussed.
Language‐related values, reading amount, and reading comprehension in students with migration backgrounds
Authors: El‐Khechen Wahiba , Ferdinand Hanna D. , Steinmayr Ricarda , McElvany Nele 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundAlthough various studies on general language performance have investigated determinants of students’ reading comprehension (e.g., reading amount), they have paid insufficient attention to how students perceive parental values influence their language‐related values and behaviour – and, as a consequence, their performance. This is particularly the case for bilingual students with a migration background.AimsThe present study aims to examine the impact of how students perceive parental values regarding German (attainment, utility, and cost), students’ (utility) value of German/Turkish, and students’ reading amount in German/Turkish on German reading comprehension.SampleA total of 118 Grade 4 students in Germany with Turkish as their family language.MethodsReading comprehension was measured with a 15‐item standardized test. Whereas students’ reading amount (German/Turkish) was assessed through students’ self‐reports on three questions, students’ utility value (German/Turkish) and perceived parental values regarding German (attainment, utility, and cost) were each measured with two items.ResultsResults of path modelling supported the hypotheses that students’ utility value regarding German and their reading amount in German would positively predict their German reading comprehension, whereas their utility value regarding Turkish and their reading amount in Turkish would negatively predict their German reading comprehension. Data also confirmed a direct effect of the negatively perceived parental cost value of German on German reading comprehension.ConclusionsThe new evidence is of practical relevance for teachers, educational scientists, and psychologists who are striving to improve the educational outcomes of bilingual students. Further research needs and the significance of the results for educational practice and home environment are discussed.
Critical Management Studies and public administration: Reinterpreting democratic governance using critical theory and poststructuralism
Authors: Hudon Pierre‐André , Rouillard Christian 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this article we present the schools of thought comprising Critical Management Studies (CMS), explore their implications for public administration, and provide an alternate definition of democratic governance. We synthesize and describe the “modern stream,” inspired by the Frankfurt School, and the “postmodern stream,” associated with poststructuralist authors. Despite significant epistemological and ontological differences, these perspectives complement each other and cast new light on democratic governance. We present the respective theories of Foucault and Habermas, explore their implications for public administration, reconcile their views on power as a basis for a normative definition for so‐called good governance, and redefine the concept of “democratic governance.”
Central nervous system has a lymphatic system: What's next?
Authors: Kanda Takashi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe presence of dural lymphatic vessels has finally been unveiled. This route supplies not only the conduit to discard unnecessary macromolecules from the interstitial fluid of the brain, but also a novel pathway of mononuclear cell egress into the central nervous system parenchyma without breaking the blood–brain barrier.
Chick embryos can form teratomas from microinjected mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Haraguchi Seiki , Matsubara Yuko , Hosoe Misa 
Published: December 2015

We examined whether chick embryos are a suitable experimental model for the evaluation of pluripotency of stem cells. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) expressing the reporter gene, LacZ or GFP were injected into the subgerminal cavity of blastoderms (freshly oviposited) or the marginal vein of chick embryos (2 days of incubation). Injected mESCs were efficiently incorporated into the body and extra‐embryonic tissues of chick embryos and formed small clusters. Increased donor cell numbers injected were positively associated with the efficiency of chimera production, but with lower viability. A single mESC injected into the blastoderm proliferated into 34.7 ± 3.8 cells in 3 days, implying that the chick embryo provides an optimal environment for the growth of xenogenic cells. In the embryo body, mESCs were interspersed as small clustered chimeras in various tissues. Teratomas were observed in the yolk sac and the brain with three germ layers. In the yolk sac, clusters of mESCs gradually increased in volume and exhibited varied morphology such as a water balloon‐like or dark‐red solid mass. However, mESCs in the brain developed into a large soft tissue mass of whitish color and showed a tendency to differentiate into ectodermal lineage cells, including primitive neural ectodermal and neuronal cells expressing the neurofilament protein. These results indicate that chick embryos are useful for the teratoma formation assays of mESCs and have a broad‐range potential as an experimental host model.