bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postural threat influences vestibular-evoked muscular responses
Authors: Lim Shannon B. , Cleworth Taylor W. , Horslen Brian C. , Blouin Jean-Sébastien , Inglis J. Timothy , Carpenter Mark G. 
Published: November 2016

Standing balance is significantly influenced by postural threat. While this effect has been well established, the underlying mechanisms of the effect are less understood. The involvement of the vestibular system is under current debate, and recent studies that investigated the effects of height-induced postural threat on vestibular-evoked responses provide conflicting results based on kinetic (Horslen BC, Dakin CJ, Inglis JT, Blouin JS, Carpenter MG. J Physiol 592: 3671–3685, 2014) and kinematic (Osler CJ, Tersteeg MC, Reynolds RF, Loram ID. Eur J Neurosci 38: 3239–3247, 2013) data. We examined the effect of threat of perturbation, a different form of postural threat, on coupling (cross-correlation, coherence, and gain) of the vestibulo-muscular relationship in 25 participants who maintained standing balance. In the “No-Threat” conditions, participants stood quietly on a stable surface. In the “Threat” condition, participants' balance was threatened with unpredictable mediolateral support surface tilts. Quiet standing immediately before the surface tilts was compared to an equivalent time from the No-Threat conditions. Surface EMG was recorded from bilateral trunk, hip, and leg muscles. Hip and leg muscles exhibited significant increases in peak cross-correlation amplitudes, coherence, and gain (1.23–2.66×) in the Threat condition compared with No-Threat conditions, and significant correlations were observed between threat-related changes in physiological arousal and medium-latency peak cross-correlation amplitude in medial gastrocnemius ( r = 0.408) muscles. These findings show a clear threat effect on vestibular-evoked responses in muscles in the lower body, with less robust effects of threat on trunk muscles. Combined with previous work, the present results can provide insight into observed changes during balance control in threatening situations.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to show increases in vestibular-evoked responses of the lower body muscles under conditions of increased threat of postural perturbation. While robust findings were observed in hip and leg muscles, less consistent results were found in muscles of the trunk. The present findings provide further support in the ongoing debate for arguments that vestibular-evoked balance responses are influenced by fear and anxiety and explain previous threat-related changes in balance.
The anti-inflammatory vasostatin-2 attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice and inhibits monocyte/macrophage recruitment
Authors: Xiong Weixin , Wang Xiaoqun , Dai Daopeng , Zhang Bao , Lu Lin , Tao Rong 
Published: November 2016

SummaryWe showed previously that reduced level of vasostatin-2 (VS-2) correlates to the presence and severity of coronary artery disease. In this study, we aimed to figure out the role of chromogranin A (CGA) derived VS-2 in the development of atherosclerosis and monocyte/macrophage recruitment. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet exhibited attenuated lesion size by 65 % and 41 % in En face and aortic root Oil red O staining, MOMA-2 positive area by 64 %, respectively, in VS-2 treatment group compared with PBS group. Proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were all remarkably reduced in aortic tissues after VS-2 treatment. Mechanistically, in adhesion assay using intravital microscopy in vivo, VS-2 suppressed the number of leukocytes adhering to the wall of apoE-/- mice mesenteric arteries. In chemotactic assay, flow cytometry analysis of peritoneal lavage exudate from C57BL/6 mice showed VS-2 significantly decreased the recruiment number of inflammatory monocytes/macrophages in a thioglycollate-induced peritonitis model. Furthermore, fewer fluorescent latex beads labelled Ly-6Chi monocytes accumulated in aortic sinus lesions of apoE-/- mice after VS-2 treatment. In addition, according to the microarray of human monocyte/macrophage, we found VS-2 stimulation caused a dose-dependent decrease of Rac1 expression and inactivation of Pak1 in mice primary monocytes as well as THP-1 cells and inhibited MCP-1/CCL-5 induced transmigration in vitro. In conclusion, the Chromogranin A-derived VS-2 attenuates atherosclerosis in apoE-/- mice and, in addition to its anti-inflammatory property, also acts as an inhibitor in monocyte/macrophage recruitment.Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
Revisiting the Relationship between Observed Warming and Surface Pressure in the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: You Qinglong , Jiang Zhihong , Moore G. W. K. , Bao Yuntao , Kong Lei , Kang Shichang 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has an average elevation of over 4000 m and with its surrounding mountains is regarded as Earth’s “third pole.” As a result of its size and height, climate change in the TP has its own unique characteristics that include a proposed positive correlation between the surface temperature and pressure. This study examines the trends and relationships between the surface pressure and temperature in the TP through the examination of monthly mean data from 71 stations during 1961–2013. On annual, seasonal, and monthly time scales, the TP exhibits a statistically significant warming trend that attains a rate of 0.30°C decade−1 for annual means over the period 1961–2013. The most pronounced warming occurs in winter, in agreement with previous studies, with evidence of acceleration in the rate after the mid-1980s and the global warming slowdown period. For the entire period of 1961–2013, the surface pressure in the TP has a positive trend of 0.08 hPa decade−1 on an annual basis, again with the largest trends occurring in winter. However, unlike what occurred with the surface temperature, the trend in surface pressure, in most cases, reversed sign after the mid-1980s. The trend in the geopotential height at 500 hPa from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis is consistent with the observed surface pressure trends. Over the period 1961–2013, there is a seasonal shift in the nature of the relationship between the surface temperature and pressure with a negative correlation during summer and autumn, and a positive correlation during winter. This suggests that the nature of the relationship between these two climate elements reflects the changing nature of the seasonal snow cover (land surface property) and cloud in the region.
Ovarian morphology in polycystic ovary syndrome: estimates from 2D and 3D ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging and their correlation to anti-Müllerian hormone
Authors: Nylander Malin , Frøssing Signe , Bjerre Anne H , Chabanova Elizaveta , Clausen Helle V , Faber Jens , Skouby Sven O 
Published: November 2016

Background Due to improved ultrasound scanners, new three-dimensional (3D) modalities, and novel Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)-assays, the ultrasound criteria for polycystic ovarian morphology are under debate and the appropriate thresholds are often requested. Purpose To quantify the differences in estimates of ovarian volume and antral follicle count (AFC) from two-dimensional (2D) and 3D transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and Methods A cross-sectional study on 66 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) according to Rotterdam criteria. Ovarian volume and AFC were estimated from MRI, 2D TVUS, and 3D TVUS, and serum AMH levels were assessed. Bland–Altman statistics were used for comparison. Results Participants had a median age of 29 years (age range, 19–44 years) with a mean BMI of 32.7 kg/m2 (SD 4.5). Ovarian volume from 2D TVUS was 1.48 mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94–2.03; P < 0.001) and 1.25 mL (95% CI, 0.62–1.87; P < 0.001) smaller than from 3D TVUS and MRI, respectively. AFC from 2D TVUS was 18% (95% CI, 13–23; P < 0.005) and 16% (95% CI, 6–25; P < 0.005) smaller than estimates from 3D TVUS and MRI, respectively. Correlations between AMH and AFC from 2D TVUS, 3D TVUS, and MRI were 0.67, 0.78, and 0.70, respectively ( P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion In an overweight PCOS population, 2D TVUS underestimated ovarian volume and AFC as compared with 3D TVUS and MRI. Serum AMH correlated best with AFC from 3D TVUS, followed by MRI and 2D TVUS. The advantage of 3D TVUS might be of minor clinical importance when diagnosing PCOS, but useful when the actual AFC are of interest, e.g. in fertility counseling and research.
Proteinuria selectivity index as a prognostic biomarker in lupus nephritis
Authors: Hasegawa T , Suzuki K , Kaneko Y , Takeuchi T 
Published: November 2016

Objectives The selectivity index has been proposed in predicting the response to immunosuppressive therapy in nephrotic syndrome and other primary kidney disorders. The aim of this study was to elucidate the predictive value of the selectivity index for the treatment response and renal outcome in patients with lupus nephritis. Methods Forty-four patients with lupus nephritis with selectivity index available at the time of renal biopsy were divided into two groups according to the cut-off value of the selectivity index determined by a receiver operating characteristics curve to differentiate treatment responders from non-responders. The baseline characteristics, overall response rate and renal functional outcome were studied retrospectively, and compared between the two groups. Prognostic factors for achieving remission were identified. Results The cut-off value of the selectivity index was 0.167. The low selectivity index (<0.167) and the high selectivity index (≥0.167) group included 24 and 20 patients, respectively. The overall response rate was significantly higher (88% vs. 50%, P = 0.007) and the rate of progression to end-stage renal disease was lower in the low selectivity index group (0% vs. 15%, P = 0.049). More patients in the high selectivity index group had chronic lesions on renal biopsy ( P = 0.002). The selectivity index was the prognostic factor for achieving overall response based on a multivariate analysis ( P = 0.020). Conclusions A selectivity index ≥0.167 was a strong predictor for a poor treatment response and the presence of chronic lesions on renal biopsy. Further exploration with a larger cohort and longer follow-up period is warranted.
Incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus among the native Arab population in UAE
Authors: Al Dhanhani A M , Agarwal M , Othman Y S , Bakoush O 
Published: November 2016

Background and objectives There is a paucity of information about the epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) amongst Arabs. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of SLE among the native Arab population of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods Patients with SLE were identified from three sources: medical records of two local tertiary hospitals (four years; 2009 to 2012), laboratory requests for serum double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid and serum anti-nuclear antibody and confirmed histopathologic diagnosis of SLE (skin and kidney biopsy specimens). All the patients identified with SLE met the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. Incidence and prevalence were calculated using the state records of the UAE native population as the denominator. The age-adjusted incidence was calculated by direct standardization using the World Health Organization world standard population 2000–2025. Results Sixteen new cases (13 females and three males) fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology SLE criteria. The mean (±SD) age at time of diagnosis was 28.6 ± 12.4 years. The crude incidence ratio (per 100,000 population) was 3.5, 1.1, 2.1 and 2.1 in years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, respectively. The age-standardized incidence per 100,000 population for the four years was 8.6 (95% confidence interval 4.2–15.9). The age-standardized prevalence of SLE among the native population according to the 2012 population consensus was 103/100,000 population (95% confidence interval 84.5–124.4). Conclusion The age-adjusted incidence and prevalence among UAE Arabs is higher than has been reported among most other Caucasian populations. Furthermore, the prevalence of SLE in UAE seems much higher than other similar Arab countries in the Gulf region.
Liberty and the Literary: Coloniality and Nahdawist Comparative Criticism of Rūḥī Al-Khālidī’sHistory of the Science of Literature with the Franks, the Arabs, and Victor Hugo(1904)
Authors: Alfaisal Haifa Saud 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn 1902 Rūḥī al-Khālidī produced what may be the first modern work of comparative criticism in Arabic. In his History of the Science of Literature, Khālidī (1864–1913), a Palestinian polyglot, used the discourse of literary criticism to develop a modern understanding of liberty, but at the cost of obfuscating the coloniality on which this notion of liberty was predicated. The following discussion examines colonial relations of power in the rise of modern Arabic literary criticism as registered in Khālidī’s comparative treatise. Thus the ensuing analysis employs the conceptual apparatus of decolonial thought to explore Khālidī’s contribution to the nineteenth-century Arab cultural renaissance and modernization, known as the Nahda.
Intensive nutritional counselling obviates a weight gain in kidney transplant recipients with long-term graft survival in Estonia
Authors: Kiisk Liidia , Ots-Rosenberg Mai 
Published: November 2016

Background. After kidney transplantation body weight gain (WG) in patients generally increases and this can be influenced by improved appetite and reversal of the uremic state. Because of a lack of evidence for effective interventions that prevent body WG after kidney transplantation, Ryan et al. recently published a randomized controlled trial design in BMC Nephrology to assess the effects of intensive nutrition interventions on WG and metabolic parameters. Here we are demonstrating a part of a study performed at our transplantation centre where we also performed an intensive nutritional counselling intervention on kidney recipients. We hypothesised that kidney transplant (KTx) patients who received intensive counselling may have better long-term weight control compared with patients who did not receive such counselling. Methods. During intensive counselling the dietician took into consideration the results of anthropometry, densitometry, biochemistry, food frequency questionnaire and an analysis of 3-day dietary records. Anthropometrical measurements were assessed at 18 months, 36 months, and, finally, 10 years after the kidney transplantation. Results. We noticed WG in all KTx patients (n=56) both in males and females, as follows: in the standard care group the mean WG in males (N=21) was 6.4 kg, females (N=15) 7.0 kg and among intensively counselled males (N=9) 4.6 kg, females (N=11) 1.1 kg. Statistically non-significant weight change was found among counselled living KTx patients with long-term graft survival both in males (p=0.0680) and females ( p=0.3166) which was registered 10 years after the KTx compared with the first measurement mean weight. Among standard care control KTx patients, weight change was statistically significant in both males and females (males: p=0.0016; females: p=0.0040) 10 years after the KTx. Conclusions. The long-term WG data clearly showed that in our population of KT patients, the patients who received intensive individual dietary counselling had much more educated behaviour in the long-term, thereby preventing WG which is a well-known risk factor for long-term graft failure as well as for cardiovascular complications and mortality.
Tests, scans and investigations: 4. Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
Authors: Peate Ian , Kelly Helena 
Published: November 2016

This article considers the blood test that assesses prostate-specific antigen (PSA). There are a number of other tests and investigations that are associated with the prostate gland that can help to make a prostate-related diagnosis. PSA alone is not advocated as a screening tool. The article provides the reader with a brief overview of the anatomy and physiology of the prostate gland. A discussion of other tests and investigations that may be required when making an assessment of the prostate gland is provided. An awareness of these issues can provide the healthcare assistant (HCA) and assistant practitioner (AP) with information that will assist them when offering care and support to men with prostate related conditions. When the HCA and AP have an understanding of the key issues associated with PSA assessment, they can provide safe, effective and patient-centred care.
Moral distress: recognition and prevention for the support worker
Authors: Bifarin Oladayo , Stonehouse David 
Published: November 2016

In this article, the authors discuss the important issue of moral distress among support workers. Moral distress will first be defined before moving on to examine two forms this can take: initial distress and reactive distress.The implications of moral distress for both the support worker and their colleagues, as well as patients and their carers, will be discussed. Relevant sections of the 2013 Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England will be identified.Two common scenarios will be presented, highlighting how moral distress can manifest itself in everyday practice. The importance of self-awareness and reflective practice will be looked at, before identifying recommendations for future practice.
Organization culture and related organizational outcomes: A theoretical study<p>Örgüt kültürü ve ilişkili olduğu örgütsel sonuçlar: Kuramsal bir çalışma
Authors: Yolcu Hüseyin 
Published: November 2016

Organizational culture which has emerged as a sub-field of organizational behavior is observed to be decisive on many aspects of behavior such as employees’ motivation, performance, burnout, commitment and socialization. All this shows that organizational culture and related organizational outcomes are multidimensional and multivariate. The research also points to the importance of organizational culture for school organizations that play an important role in the reproduction of social relations. However, it is thought that there is a need to make ethnographic and qualitative studies pointing out how social relationships are produced within the school culture in contrast to the studies which fail to go beyond the the mainstream studies. ÖzetÖrgütsel davranışın bir alt çalışma alanı olarak ortaya çıkan örgüt kültürünün, çalışanların motivasyonları, performansları, tükenmişlikleri, bağlılıkları ve sosyalleşmeleri gibi daha birçok davranışları üzerinde belirleyici olduğu gözlenmektedir. Bütün bunlar örgüt kültürü ve ilişkili olduğu örgütsel sonuçların çok boyutlu ve değişkenli olduğunu göstermektedir. Yapılan araştırmalar, toplumsal ilişkilerin yeniden üretiminde önemli bir rol oynayan okul örgütleri için de örgüt kültürünün önemine işaret etmektedir. Bununla birlikte, ana akım çalışmalarının dışına çıkmayan bu çalışmaların aksine okul kültürü içinde toplumsal ilişkilerin nasıl üretildiğini ortaya koyan etnografik ve nitel çalışmalara gerek olduğu düşünülmektedir.
Relaxation and Integral Representation for
Functionals of Linear Growth on Metric
Measure spaces
Authors: Hakkarainen Heikki , Kinnunen Juha , Lahti Panu , Lehtelä Pekka 
Published: November 2016

Abstract
This article studies an integral representation of functionals of linear growth on metric measure
spaces with a doubling measure and a Poincaré inequality. Such a functional is defined via relaxation, and
it defines a Radon measure on the space. For the singular part of the functional, we get the expected integral
representation with respect to the variation measure. A new feature is that in the representation for the absolutely
continuous part, a constant appears already in the weighted Euclidean case. As an application we
show that in a variational minimization problem involving the functional, boundary values can be presented
as a penalty term.
EZH2 Expression and its Correlation with Clinicopathological Features in Patients with Colorectal Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Xiao-yang , Liu Hua , Gu Lin , Zheng Hai-lun 
Published: November 2016

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) expression and clinicopathological features in colorectal cancer patients.MethodsA total of sixty-six patients with colorectal carcinoma were admitted to our general surgery department from January 2011 to December 2014. The EZH2 expression levels in the cancer tissues (CTs) from the 66 patients with colorectal cancer and those in distant normal colorectal tissues from 30 cases were examined through immunohistochemistry and western blotting assays. The relationship between the expression of EZH2 and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients was analyzed.ResultsEZH2 in colorectal carcinoma tissues is granularly brown, predominantly expressed and diffused in the nuclei of tumor cells. Positive rates of EZH2 in intestinal CTs and in distant normal intestinal tissues are 62.12% (41/66) and 6.67% (2/30), respectively with significant difference (P < 0.05). Western blotting also confirmed its elevated expression in colorectal CTs. EZH2-positive expression in CTs was related to degree of differentiation, Duke staging, and tumor size (P < 0.05) but was unrelated to the patient’s gender, age or tumor site (P = 0.05). The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the EZH2-positive group and the EZH2-negative group were 43.8% and 67.5%, respectively. The risk of disease progression of the EZH2-positive patients in the follow-up period was significantly higher than that of the EZH2-negative patients (HR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.04–4.80, P < 0.05).ConclusionEZH2 is closely related to colorectal carcinoma development and disease progression, and thus could be used as a tumor biomarker that may indicate prognosis.
Effect of humidity on melt electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds
Authors: Liao Sam , Langfield Brendan , Ristovski Nikola , Theodoropoulos Christina , Hardt Jake , Blackwood Keith A. , Yambem Soniya D. , Gregory Shaun D. , Woodruff Maria A. , Powell Sean 
Published: November 2016

AbstractDirect write melt electrospinning is an additive manufacturing technique used to produce 3D polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. It is similar to conventional 3D printing by layering 2D patterns to build up an object, but uses a high-electric potential to draw out fibres into micron-scale diameters with great precision. Direct write melt electrospinning is related to a well-established fabrication technique, solution electrospinning, but extrudes a melted polymer in a controlled manner rather than a polymer solution. The effect of environmental conditions such as humidity has been extensively studied in the context of solution electrospinning; however, there is a lack of similar studies for direct write melt electrospinning. In this study, melt electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds were produced with 90 degree cross-hatch architecture at three specific humidity [