bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of different instrumentation modalities on the surface characteristics and biofilm formation on dental implant neck, in vitro
Authors: Schmidt Kristina Emily , Auschill Thorsten Mathias , Heumann Christian , Frankenberger Roland , Eick Sigrun , Sculean Anton , Arweiler Nicole Birgit 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate surface characteristics of implants after using different instruments and biofilm formation following instrumentation.Material and methodsThirty‐five commercially available dental implants were embedded into seven plastic models, attached to a phantom head and randomly assigned to seven instrumentation groups: (1) stainless steel (SSC) or (2) titanium curettes (TC); air‐polisher using glycine‐based (3) perio (PP) or (4) soft (SP) powders or (5) erythritol powder (EP); and an ultrasonic device using (6) stainless steel (PS) or (7) plastic‐coated instruments (PI). Half of each implant neck in each group (n = 5) was treated once (30 s), while the other half was left uninstrumented (control). An eighth (8) treatment group used a bur/polisher to smooth two implants (SM). Following instrumentation implants were rinsed (5 ml Ringer's solution), analysed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and subjected twice (separately) to bacterial colonization with Streptococcus gordonii (2 h) and a mixed culture (S. gordonii, Actinomyces naeslundii, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia; 24 h).ResultsVisual assessment of SEM pictures revealed surface modifications (smoothening to roughening) following instrumentation. These alterations differed between the instrument groups and from the control. Quantitative scoring of the photographs revealed that SSC caused a significantly rougher surface compared to other instruments (P < 0.05), except for SP (P = 0.057) and PP (P = 0.108). After bacterial colonization no significant differences (P > 0.05) were evident between instrumented or control surfaces in either culture.ConclusionsOverall, no significant differences were observed in the surface characteristics (except for SSC) or bacterial colonization based on one‐time instrumentation.
Functional adaptation of the masticatory system to implant‐supported mandibular overdentures
Authors: Giannakopoulos Nikolaos Nikitas , Corteville Frédéric , Kappel Stefanie , Rammelsberg Peter , Schindler Hans Jürgen , Eberhard Lydia 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation behavior of the stomatognathic system after immediate loading (24 to 72 h after surgery) of two implants supporting mandibular overdentures, assessed on insertion and three months later. The study hypothesis was that insertion of the overdentures would significantly change masticatory performance and muscle activity at both times.Material and methodsThirty subjects (nine female, mean age 69.64 ± 11.81 years; 21 male, mean age 68.67 ± 7.41 years) who participated in a randomized clinical trial were included in the study. Each patient was examined three times: (i) at baseline, after already having worn new dentures for three months (T1); (ii) immediately after insertion of the overdentures on the implants (T2); and (iii) after an adaptation period of three months (T3). Examination comprised assessment of masticatory performance with artificial test food (Optocal), and simultaneous bilateral surface EMG recording of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles. Particle‐size distribution (representative value X50), maximum muscle contraction (MVC), and total muscle work (TMW; area under the curve) were compared by use of repeated‐measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsAt T3, all measured variables (i.e., masticatory performance and muscle activity) were significantly different from those at T1. At T2, no significant changes were observed. The study hypothesis had to be rejected for T2 but accepted for T3.ConclusionFunctional rehabilitation (in terms of masticatory performance and masticatory muscle activity) does not occur immediately after immediate loading of two implants with mandibular overdentures, but requires a significant time for functional improvement.
Proceedings of the AST heart allocation meeting at the American Transplant Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 4, 2015
Authors: Kobashigawa Jon , Teuteberg Jeffrey , Colvin Monica , Edwards Leah , Daun Tiffany , Luu Minh , Patel Jignesh , Vega John David , Meyer Dan ,   the forum participants
Published: March 2016

AbstractEnsuring fair and equitable allocation of donor hearts in the US is the charge of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). However, the recent increase of candidates waiting without a corresponding increase in available donors, higher waitlist mortality rates in higher status patients, the presence of disadvantaged subgroups, and the changing management of heart failure patients with increased VAD usage, has necessitated review of allocation policy. Therefore, the Heart Subcommittee of the OPTN/UNOS Thoracic Committee is exploring a further‐tiered allocation system, devising a “straw man” model as a starting point for modeling analyses and public discussion. On May 4, 2015, an American Society of Transplantation (AST)‐endorsed forum to discuss these potential proposed changes took place. Attendees included 41 people, mostly highly experienced transplant cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, representing 19 heart transplant centers across the US, UNOS, and the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). There was unanimous agreement that the potential proposed policy will require careful wording to avoid ambiguity and “gaming” of the system, and strong support for abolishment of local organ sharing in favor of geographic sharing. However, contention existed concerning the appropriate prioritization levels of ECMO, temporary VAD/TAH patients as well as the 30‐day LVAD listing.
Completing China's Interest Rate Liberalization
Authors: Tan Yuyan , Ji Yang , Huang Yiping 
Published: March 2016

AbstractChina's recent removal of the last ceiling restriction on deposit rates in October 2015 is a milestone in interest rate liberalization, but not the end of it. International experience suggests that, without structural and quantitative reforms, simply freeing interest rates can result in major financial stress. Before China's central bank can completely relinquish implicit or explicit guidance for commercial banks' interest rate determination, it needs to accomplish two tasks: improvement of commercial banks' pricing capability as well as the monetary policy transmission mechanism. Both tasks require significant reform measures to be initiated, such as enforcing market discipline, forming a new monetary policy framework, developing money and capital markets, abandoning quantitative restrictions on credit and reforming the financial regulatory system.
Causes and Remedies of the Japan's Long‐lasting Recession: Lessons for China
Authors: Yoshino Naoyuki , Taghizadeh‐Hesary Farhad 
Published: March 2016

AbstractJapan has suffered from sluggish economic growth and recession since the early 1990s. In this paper, we analyze the causes of the prolonged slowdown of the Japanese economy (the lost decade). Economics Nobel laureate Paul Krugman has argued that Japan's lost decade is an example of a liquidity trap. However, our empirical analysis shows that stagnation of the Japanese economy comes from its vertical IS curve rather than a horizontal LM curve, so the Japanese economy has been facing structural problems rather than a temporary downturn. The vertical IS curve is caused by an insensitivity of investment to a lower interest rate partly because of the decline of sales due to the aging population and firms not wanting to invest. The structural problems come from the aging demographic, which is often neglected by scholars and policy‐makers, and also from the allocation of transfers from the central government to local governments, and the unwillingness of Japanese banks to lend money to startup businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), mainly because of Basel capital requirements. Many countries, like China, are expected to face similar issues, particularly given the aging population. The present paper will address why the Japanese economy has been trapped in a prolonged slowdown and provide some remedies for revitalizing the economy.
Social anhedonia and gamma band abnormalities as a composite/multivariate endophenotype for schizophrenia: a dense array EEG study
Authors: Umesh Shreekantiah , Nizamie S Haque , Goyal Nishant , Tikka Saikrishna , Bose Swarnali 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAimSocial anhedonia and gamma band oscillations are proposed as a promising endophenotype for schizophrenia (SZ). The aim was to assess whether social anhedonia and spontaneous gamma band oscillations could be used as multivariate/composite endophenotypic measures for SZ.MethodsSixty consented subjects, of which 20 remitted SZ patients, 20 unaffected siblings of patients with schizophrenia (US) and 20 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for the study. The Revised Social Anhedonia Scale, Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire assessed social anhedonia, temporal experience of pleasure and schizotypal features. All participants underwent awake, resting state 192‐channel dense array electroencephalographic recording. Gamma spectral power and coherence were calculated. We performed chi‐square test, one‐way analysis of variance, Pearsons correlation coefficient and step‐by‐step linear discriminant functional analysis.ResultsSocial anhedonia was significantly higher and anticipatory aspects of pleasure were significantly lower in both SZ and US compared with HC. US scored significantly higher than HC in the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Spectral power of high gamma band (>70 Hz) was significantly lower over the right temporo‐parietal and midline regions in both SZ and US than HC. We accurately classified (85%) three groups when social anhedonia, high gamma band spectral power of midline, right frontal and right fronto‐temporal interhemispheric gamma coherence were considered as composite measures rather than each variable representing independently.ConclusionWe propose region‐specific high gamma spectral ‘power and coherence’ and social anhedonia as composite/multivariate measures could be a useful measure in distinguishing schizophrenia patients and unaffected siblings from healthy controls.
The Market Liquidity Timing Skills of Debt‐oriented Hedge Funds
Authors: Li Baibing , Luo Ji , Tee Kai‐Hong 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACTWe investigate the liquidity timing skills of debt‐oriented hedge funds following the 2008 credit crisis, which demonstrated the importance of understanding liquidity conditions to manage the market exposure of investments. We base the analysis on the estimated co‐movements of fixed income and equity market liquidity. Our findings, which are statistically robust, show evidence of liquidity timing ability in the fixed income market for all debt‐oriented hedge fund strategy categories. Joint market liquidity timing skill, however, is only found in some categories. Our findings suggest that debt‐oriented hedge fund managers use a sophisticated set of timing strategies in their investment managements.
Creation of a high spatio‐temporal resolution global database of continuous mangrove forest cover for the 21st century (CGMFC‐21)
Authors: Hamilton Stuart E. , Casey Daniel 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAimTo provide high‐resolution local, regional, national and global estimates of annual mangrove forest area from 2000 through to 2012 with the goal of driving mangrove research questions pertaining to biodiversity, carbon stocks, climate change, functionality, food security, livelihoods, fisheries support and conservation that have been impeded until now by a lack of suitable data.LocationGlobal, covering 99% of all mangrove forests.MethodsWe synthesized the Global Forest Change database, the Terrestrial Ecosystems of the World database and the Mangrove Forests of the World database to extract mangrove forest cover at high spatial and temporal resolutions. We then used the new database to monitor mangrove cover at the global, national and protected area scales.ResultsCountries showing relatively high amounts of mangrove loss include Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and Guatemala. Indonesia remains by far the largest mangrove‐holding nation, containing between 26% and 29% of the global mangrove inventory with a deforestation rate of between 0.26% and 0.66% per year. We have made our new database, CGMFC‐21, freely available.Main conclusionsGlobal mangrove deforestation continues but at a much reduced rate of between 0.16% and 0.39% per year. Southeast Asia is a region of concern with mangrove deforestation rates between 3.58% and 8.08%, this in a region containing half of the entire global mangrove forest inventory. The global mangrove deforestation pattern from 2000 to 2012 is one of decreasing rates of deforestation, with many nations essentially stable, with the exception of the largest mangrove‐holding region of Southeast Asia. We provide a standardized spatial dataset that monitors mangrove deforestation globally at high spatio‐temporal resolutions. These data can be used to drive the mangrove research agenda, particularly as it pertains to monitoring of mangrove carbon stocks and the establishment of baseline local mangrove forest inventories required for payment for ecosystem service initiatives.
Simvastatin inhibits the expression of inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules induced by LPS in human dental pulp cells
Authors: Jung J. Y. , Woo S. M. , Kim W. J. , Lee B. N. , Nör J. E. , Min K. S. , Choi C. H. , Koh J. T. , Lee K. J. , Hwang Y. C. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAimTo investigate the effect of simvastatin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated inflammatory cytokines, cell adhesion molecules and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) transcription factors in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs).MethodologyThe effect of LPS and simvastatin on human dental pulp cell (HDPCs) viability was measured using a 3‐[4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules was evaluated by reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. NF‐κB transcription factors were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance (anova).ResultsThe viability of cells exposed to different concentrations of E. coli LPS, P. gingivalis LPS and simvastatin was not significantly different compared with that of control cells (P > 0.05). LPS significantly increased interleukin (IL)‐1β (P < 0.05) and IL‐6 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1) (P < 0.05) and intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) protein expression (P < 0.05) in HDPCs. Treatment with simvastatin significantly attenuated LPS‐stimulated production of IL‐1β, IL‐6, VCAM‐1 and ICAM‐1 (P < 0.05). Treatment with simvastatin decreased LPS‐induced expression of p65 and phosphorylation of IκB and also significantly decreased the phosphorylation of p65 and IκB in the cytoplasm and the level of p65 in the nucleus (P < 0.05).ConclusionsSimvastatin has a suppressing effect on LPS‐induced inflammatory cytokine, cell adhesion molecules and NF‐κB transcription factors in HDPCs. Therefore, simvastatin might be a useful candidate as a pulp‐capping agent in vital pulp therapy.
The Logic of Divine Blessedness and the Salvific Teleology of Christ
Authors: Wittman Tyler 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThis article recovers a fundamental part of the logic inherent in the traditional doctrine of divine blessedness for the sake of commending the efficacy of the incarnate Son's mission. This recovery begins with two theses derived from Thomas Aquinas’ account in the Summa theologiae, where divine blessedness includes an intrinsic connection between self‐sufficiency and aseity through the concept of self‐possession. It is then argued that revisionists and critics of the doctrine tend to soften this connection, and that something like the traditional logic is indispensable to the salvific teleology of the Word become flesh.
Reading Reinhold Niebuhr against Himself Again: On Theological Language and Divine Action
Authors: Carnahan Kevin 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSince 1937, when Reinhold Niebuhr articulated his most developed understanding of the function of theological language, there has been debate about how his approach should be understood. Recent readings of Niebuhr have assumed that Niebuhr's account of theological language rests upon dualistic presuppositions. While acknowledging manifestations of post‐Cartesian dualism in Niebuhr's thought, this article argues that Niebuhr's thought also reflects a more compelling strain of Augustinian/Kierkegaardian anti‐dualism, and that reading Niebuhr through the lens of this anti‐dualism allows for a fruitful account of his treatment of theological language.
Characterizing ‐perfect line graphs
Authors: Escalante Mariana , Nasini Graciela , Wagler Annegret 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to study the Lovász‐Schrijver PSD operator applied to the edge relaxation of the stable set polytope of a graph. We are particularly interested in the problem of characterizing graphs for which generates the stable set polytope in one step, called ‐perfect graphs. It is conjectured that the only ‐perfect graphs are those whose stable set polytope is described by inequalities with near‐bipartite support. So far, this conjecture has been proved for near‐perfect graphs, fs‐perfect graphs, and webs. Here, we verify it for line graphs, by proving that in an ‐perfect line graph the only facet‐defining subgraphs are cliques and odd holes.
Second‐Generation Cryoballoon Ablation in the Setting of Lone Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Single Procedural Outcome at 12 Months
Authors: DE REGIBUS VALENTINA , MUGNAI GIACOMO , MORAN DARRAGH , HÜNÜK BURAK , STRÖKER ERWIN , HACIOGLU EBRU , RUGGIERO DIEGO , COUTIÑO‐MORENO HUGO ENRIQUE , TAKARADA KEN , BRUGADA PEDRO , DE ASMUNDIS CARLO , CHIERCHIA GIAN‐BATTISTA 
Published: March 2016

Second‐Generation Cryoballoon AblationBackgroundLone atrial fibrillation (LAF) develops in younger individuals without cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. As pulmonary vein isolation has been recognized as an optimal treatment for drug‐resistant atrial fibrillation, cryoballoon ablation with second‐generation balloon (CB‐A) may be an ideal solution for LAF patients.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate acute success, periprocedural complications and outcome over a 12‐month follow‐up period in a cohort of patients having undergone PV isolation (PVI) for LAF using CB‐A technology.MethodsA total of 75 consecutive patients (50 male, mean age 47 ± 12 years) with a diagnosis of lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) by CB‐A from June 2012 were included. All patients underwent this procedure with the 28 mm CB‐A. A total of 299 PVs (100%) could be isolated with CB‐A alone.ResultsThe freedom from AF recurrence after a single procedure was 92% of patients during the entire 13‐month follow‐up. When considering a blanking period (BP) of 3 months, success rate was 93.3%. Transient phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) was the most frequent complication, occurring in 5.3% of individuals (4 patients); complete recovery was documented for all of these patients prior to hospital discharge.ConclusionsCB‐A is extremely effective in achieving PVI and affords freedom from AF at 13‐month follow‐up in 93% of young patients affected by drug‐resistant LPAF following a 3‐month BP. The most frequent complication observed was PNP, which reverted prior to discharge in all patients.
Oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelium cells increases exosome secretion and promotes angiogenesis in endothelial cells
Authors: Atienzar‐Aroca Sandra , Flores‐Bellver Miguel , Serrano‐Heras Gemma , Martinez‐Gil Natalia , Barcia Jorge M. , Aparicio Silvia , Perez‐Cremades Daniel , Garcia‐Verdugo Jose M. , Diaz‐Llopis Manuel , Romero Francisco J. , Sancho‐Pelluz Javier 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer located between the photoreceptors and the choroid, is constantly damaged by oxidative stress, particularly because of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As the RPE, because of its physiological functions, is essential for the survival of the retina, any sustained damage may consequently lead to loss of vision. Exosomes are small membranous vesicles released into the extracellular medium by numerous cell types, including RPE cells. Their cargo includes genetic material and proteins, making these vesicles essential for cell‐to‐cell communication. Exosomes may fuse with neighbouring cells influencing their fate. It has been observed that RPE cells release higher amounts of exosomes when they are under oxidative stress. Exosomes derived from cultured RPE cells were isolated by ultracentrifugation and quantified by flow cytometry. VEGF receptors (VEGFR) were analysed by both flow cytometry and Western blot. RT‐PCR and qPCR were conducted to assess mRNA content of VEGFRs in exosomes. Neovascularization assays were performed after applying RPE exosomes into endothelial cell cultures. Our results showed that stressed RPE cells released a higher amount of exosomes than controls, with a higher expression of VEGFR in the membrane, and enclosed an extra cargo of VEGFR mRNA. Angiogenesis assays confirmed that endothelial cells increased their tube formation capacity when exposed to stressed RPE exosomes.