bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CRF1 Receptor‐Dependent Increases in Irritability‐Like Behavior During Abstinence from Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure
Authors: Kimbrough Adam , de Guglielmo Giordano , Kononoff Jenni , Kallupi Marsida , Zorrilla Eric P. , George Olivier 
Published: August 2017

BackgroundIn humans, emotional and physical signs of withdrawal from ethanol are commonly seen. Many of these symptoms, including anxiety‐like and depression‐like behavior, have been characterized in animal models of ethanol dependence. One issue with several current behavioral tests that measure withdrawal in animal models is that they are often not repeatable within subjects over time. Additionally, irritability, one of the most common symptoms of ethanol withdrawal in humans, has not been well characterized in animal models. The corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF)‐CRF1 receptor system has been suggested to be critical for the emergence of anxiety‐like behavior in ethanol dependence, but the role of this system in irritability‐like behavior has not been characterized.MethodsThe present study compared the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure‐induced ethanol dependence on irritability‐like behavior in rats using the bottle‐brush test during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. Rats were trained to self‐administer ethanol in operant chambers and then either left in a nondependent state or made dependent via CIE. Naïve, nondependent, and dependent rats were tested for irritability‐like behavior in the bottle‐brush test 8 hours and 2 weeks into abstinence from ethanol. Separate cohorts of dependent and nondependent rats were used to examine the effect of the specific CRF1 receptor antagonist R121919 on irritability‐like behavior.ResultsDependent rats exhibited escalated ethanol intake compared with their own pre‐CIE baseline and nondependent rats. At both time points of abstinence, ethanol‐dependent rats exhibited increased aggressive‐like responses compared with naïve and nondependent rats. R121919 reduced irritability‐like behavior in both dependent and nondependent rats, but dependent rats were more sensitive to R121919.ConclusionsIrritability‐like behavior is a clinically relevant and reliable measure of negative emotional states that is partially mediated by activation of the CRF‐CRF1 system and remains elevated during protracted abstinence in ethanol‐dependent rats.
Low‐frequency volatility of real estate securities and macroeconomic risk
Authors: Lee Chyi Lin , Stevenson Simon , Lee Ming‐Long 
Published: August 2017

AbstractReal estate securities have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from stocks generally. Key amongst them is that underpinning the firms are both real and investment assets. Therefore, the connections between the underlying macroeconomy and listed real estate firms are of heightened importance. To consider the linkages with macroeconomic fundamentals, we extract the ‘low‐frequency’ volatility component from aggregate volatility shocks in 11 international securitised real estate markets using Engle and Rangel's (2008) Spline‐GARCHmodel. The analysis reveals that the low‐frequency volatility of real estate securities has strong and positive association with most of the macroeconomic risk proxies examined. Differences between real estate securities and common stocks have also been identified.
Boys have better short‐term and long‐term survival rates after intensive care admissions than girls
Authors: Johansson Frigyesi E , Andersson P , Frigyesi A 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAimWe investigated possible gender differences in paediatric intensive care morbidity‐adjusted mortality.MethodsIn this study, data on all 21 972 paediatric intensive care admissions in Sweden between 2008 and 2015 were analysed regarding morbidity‐adjusted survival, using Cox regression, with age, gender and estimated mortality ratio as dependent variables and using the standardised mortality ratio at 90 days after admission. The data were obtained from the Swedish Intensive Care Registry.ResultsWe found that boys had better overall survival than girls (hazard ratio 0.91 for boys, p = 0.035). In addition, the 90‐day survival was also better for boys (standardised mortality ratio 0.85 for boys versus 1.02 for girls, p = 0.0014). The survival advantage was most evident in children less than a year old and for nonsurgical patients. The male advantage was also seen in children admitted with respiratory insufficiency and seizures and was furthermore independent of any concurrent cardiac condition. We did not find any gender difference in the intensity of care or length of stay when corrected for morbidity.ConclusionThis study showed that boys have better outcomes than girls after intensive care admissions. The difference does not seem to be based on inequality of care.
Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is frequently associated with long hospitalisation for emergency care in Nigeria
Authors: Olusanya Bolajoko O. , Mabogunje Cecilia A. , Imam Zainab O. , Emokpae Abieyuwa A. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAimThis study investigated the frequency and predictors of a long hospital stay (LHS) for severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia in Nigeria.MethodsLength of stay (LOS) for severe hyperbilirubinaemia was examined among neonates consecutively admitted to the emergency department of a children's hospital in Lagos from January 2013 to December 2014. The median LOS was used as the cut‐off for LHS. Multivariate logistic regression determined the independent predictors of LHS based on demographic and clinical factors significantly associated with the log‐transformed LOS in the bivariate analyses.ResultsWe enrolled 622 hyperbilirubinaemic infants with a median age of four days (interquartile range 2–6 days) and 276 (44.4%) had LHS based on the median LOS of five days. Regardless of their birth place, infants were significantly more likely to have LHS if they were admitted in the first two days of life (p = 0.008) – especially with birth asphyxia – or had acute bilirubin encephalopathy (p = 0.001) and required one (p = 0.020) or repeat (p = 0.022) exchange transfusions. Infants who required repeat exchange transfusions had the highest odds for LHS (odds ratio 4.98, 95% confidence interval 1.26–19.76).ConclusionSevere hyperbilirubinaemia was frequently associated with long hospitalisation in Nigeria, especially if neonates had birth asphyxia or required exchange transfusions.
Relationships between corpus callosum and language lateralization in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders
Authors: Tréhout Maxime , Leroux Elise , Delcroix Nicolas , Dollfus Sonia 
Published: August 2017

ObjectivesThe question of whether there is a continuum or a dichotomy among patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorders (BD) has not been clearly resolved and remains a challenge. Thus, the identification of specific biomarkers of these disorders might be helpful. The present study investigated the volume of the corpus callosum (CC) and functional lateralization for language as potential biomarkers and their relationships in SZ and BD.MethodsThe study included 20 patients with SZ, 20 patients with BD and 40 healthy controls (HC). A functional lateralization index (FLI) was computed for each participant within the language comprehension network. For each participant, the volume of the total CC and those of three subregions were extracted. These variables and their anatomo‐functional relationships were investigated.ResultsIn comparison to HC, SZ patients presented a decreased leftward lateralization for language, whereas this was not found in BD patients. However, as compared to SZ patients and HC, BD patients showed a reduction in CC volume associated with a lower leftward lateralization for language.ConclusionsOur study revealed that SZ patients displayed a reduction of the leftward functional lateralization for language; however, no reduction of CC volume was observed, whereas BD patients presented a decreased volume of the CC associated with a lower leftward asymmetry for language. The results of our study detected distinct anomalies in both SZ and BD that may be considered as specific biomarkers of these disorders related to neurodevelopmental models.
Psychosis in bipolar disorder: Does it represent a more “severe” illness?
Authors: Burton Cynthia Z , Ryan Kelly A , Kamali Masoud , Marshall David F , Harrington Gloria , McInnis Melvin G , Tso Ivy F 
Published: August 2017

ObjectivesAlthough there is a common clinical assumption that bipolar disorder with psychotic features reflects greater severity than bipolar disorder without psychosis, the existing empirical literature is mixed. This study investigated the phenomenology of psychosis as well as demographic, clinical, functional, and neuropsychological features in a large, cross‐sectional sample of participants with bipolar disorder divided by history of psychosis.MethodsIn a large single study, 168 affective‐only bipolar disorder (BP‐A) participants and 213 bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis (BP‐P) participants completed a comprehensive clinical diagnostic interview and neuropsychological testing. t tests, chi‐square tests, and Bayes factors were used to investigate group differences or lack thereof.ResultsThe prevalence of psychosis in this sample (53%) was similar to published reports. Nearly half of BP‐P participants experienced grandiose delusions, and relatively few endorsed “first‐rank” hallucinations of running commentary or two or more voices conversing. There were no demographic or neuropsychological differences between groups. BP‐A participants experienced greater chronicity of affective symptoms and a greater degree of rapid cycling than BP‐P participants; there were no other clinical differences between groups.ConclusionsOverall, these results contradict the conventional notion that bipolar disorder with psychotic features represents a more severe illness than bipolar disorder without a history of psychosis. The presence of psychosis does not appear to be associated with poorer clinical/functional outcome or suggest a greater degree of neuropsychological impairment; conversely, the absence of psychosis was associated with affective chronicity and rapid cycling. Nosological and treatment implications are discussed.
Two kinds of physician‐assisted death
Authors: den Hartogh Govert 
Published: August 2017

AbstractI argue that the concept ‘physician‐assisted suicide’ covers two procedures that should be distinguished: giving someone access to humane means to end his own life, and taking co‐responsibility for the safe and effective execution of that plan. In the first section I explain the distinction, in the following sections I show why it is important. To begin with I argue that we should expect the laws that permit these two kinds of ‘assistance’ to be different in their justificatory structure. Laws that permit giving access only presuppose that the right to self‐determination implies a right to suicide, but laws that permit doctors to take co‐responsibility may have to appeal to a principle of mercy or beneficence. Actually this difference in justificatory structure can to some extent be found in existing regulatory systems, though far from consistently. Finally I argue that if one recognizes a right to suicide, as Oregon and other American states implicitly do, and as the European Court of Human Rights has recently done explicitly, one is committed to permit the first kind of ‘assistance’ under some conditions.
Spatial Capture–Mark–Resight Estimation of Animal Population Density
Authors: Efford Murray G. , Hunter Christine M. 
Published: August 2017

Summary
Sightings of previously marked animals can extend a capture–recapture dataset without the added cost of capturing new animals for marking. Combined marking and resighting methods are therefore an attractive option in animal population studies, and there exist various likelihood-based non-spatial models, and some spatial versions fitted by Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. As implemented to date, the focus has been on modeling sightings only, which requires that the spatial distribution of pre-marked animals is known. We develop a suite of likelihood-based spatial mark–resight models that either include the marking phase (“capture–mark–resight” models) or require a known distribution of marked animals (narrow-sense “mark–resight”). The new models sacrifice some information in the covariance structure of the counts of unmarked animals; estimation is by maximizing a pseudolikelihood with a simulation-based adjustment for overdispersion in the sightings of unmarked animals. Simulations suggest that the resulting estimates of population density have low bias and adequate confidence interval coverage under typical sampling conditions. Further work is needed to specify the conditions under which ignoring covariance results in unacceptable loss of precision, or to modify the pseudolikelihood to include that information. The methods are applied to a study of ship rats Rattus rattus using live traps and video cameras in a New Zealand forest, and to previously published data.
Parents' voices: “Our process of advocating for our child with autism.” A meta‐synthesis of parents' perspectives
Authors: Boshoff K. , Gibbs D. , Phillips R. L. , Wiles L. , Porter L. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundAdvocacy has been described by parents of children with autism as an important coping strategy, enabling them to move forward by redirecting emotions into actions. A key factor in the development of collaborative and constructive partnerships between service providers and parents is having an understanding of how parents engage in advocacy and the support needed to do so. This meta‐synthesis was undertaken to consolidate in‐depth qualitative data from parents' perspectives of the process that they use to advocate for their children with autism.MethodsA qualitative meta‐synthesis was conducted, whereby 15 databases were systematically searched. Thirty‐one studies were identified and appraised using an adapted version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Data were synthesized into themes through the steps of review, meta‐aggregation, integration, and interpretation.ResultsThe voices of 1,662 parents are presented describing the process of advocacy in the stages of seeking a diagnosis, seeking self‐education, and taking action. Taking action includes 2 subthemes: seeking, access, and use of support services and community engagement and educating others.ConclusionsResults highlight the significant impact that positive experiences with first‐line professionals have during the diagnosis process and how these experiences lay the foundation for all future relationships with other service providers. Important implications arise from this meta‐synthesis for service providers in supporting parents' advocacy and hence building constructive relationships with families with a child with autism.
C4Bgene influences intestinal microbiota through complement activation in patients with paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Nissilä E , Korpela K , Lokki A I , Paakkanen R , Jokiranta S , de Vos W M , Lokki M-L , Kolho K-L , Meri S 
Published: August 2017

SummaryComplement C4 genes are linked to paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD), but the mechanisms have remained unclear. We examined the influence of C4B gene number on intestinal microbiota and in-vitro serum complement activation by intestinal microbes in PIBD patients. Complement C4A and C4B gene numbers were determined by genomic reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from 64 patients with PIBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis). The severity of the disease course was determined from faecal calprotectin levels. Intestinal microbiota was assessed using the HITChip microarray. Complement reactivity in patients was analysed by incubating their sera with Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Akkermansia muciniphila and determining the levels of C3a and soluble terminal complement complex (SC5b-9) using enzyme immunoassays. The microbiota diversity was wider in patients with no C4B genes than in those with one or two C4B genes, irrespective of intestinal inflammation. C4B and total C4 gene numbers correlated positively with soluble terminal complement complex (TCC, SC5b-9) levels when patient serum samples were stimulated with bacteria. Our results suggest that the C4B gene number associates positively with inflammation in patients with PIBD. Multiple copies of the C4B gene may thus aggravate the IBD-associated dysbiosis through escalated complement reactivity towards the microbiota.
Magnetic resonance imaging reveals elevated aortic pulse wave velocity in obese and overweight adolescents
Authors: Caterini J. E. , Banks L. , Wells G. D. , Cifra B. , Slorach C. , McCrindle B. W. , Seed M. 
Published: August 2017

SummaryThe aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured via cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can be used to non‐invasively assess changes in arterial stiffness and potential underlying vascular dysfunction. This technique could unmask early arterial dysfunction in overweight and obese youth at risk for cardiovascular disease. We sought to determine the association between vascular stiffness, percentage body fat, body mass index (BMI), and cardiac function in adolescents across the weight spectrum through both CMR and standard applanation tonometry (AT)‐based PWV measurements. PWV and left‐ventricular cardiac function were assessed using 3.0 T CMR in obese and overweight (OB/OW) participants (n = 12) and controls (n = 7). PWV was also estimated via carotid–femoral AT. OB/OW participants did not differ from healthy‐weight controls regarding cardiometabolic risk factors or physical activity levels, but there was a trend towards higher levels of triglycerides in obese/overweight participants (P = 0.07). Mean PWV was higher in obese participants when corrected for age and sex (P = 0.01), and was positively associated with BMI (β = 0.51, P = 0.02). PWV estimated through AT was not significantly different between groups. Cardiac function measured by left‐ventricular ejection fraction z‐score was inversely associated with mean PWV (β = −0.57, P = 0.026). Increasing arterial stiffness and decreasing cardiac function were evident among our overweight and obese cohort. PWV estimated by CMR could detect early increases in arterial stiffness vs. traditional AT measurements of PWV.
Periostin promotes migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament mesenchymal stem cells via the Jun amino‐terminal kinases (JNK) pathway under inflammatory conditions
Authors: Tang Yi , Liu Lin , Wang Pei , Chen Donglei , Wu Ziqiang , Tang Chunbo 
Published: August 2017

AbstractObjectivesMesenchymal stem cell (MSC)‐mediated periodontal tissue regeneration is considered to be a promising method for periodontitis treatment. The molecular mechanism of functional regulation by MSCs remains unclear, thus limiting their application. Our previous study discovered that Periostin (POSTN) promoted the migration and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament mesenchymal stem cells (PDLSCs), but it is still unclear whether POSTN is able to restore the regenerative potential of PDLSCs under inflammatory conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of POSTN on PDLSCs under inflammatory conditions and its mechanism.Materials and methodsPDLSCs were isolated from periodontal ligament tissue. TNF‐α was used at 10 ng/mL to mimic inflammatory conditions. Lentivirus POSTN shRNA was used to knock down POSTN. Recombinant human POSTN (rhPOSTN) was used to stimulate PDLSCs. A scratch assay was used to analyse cell migration. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, Alizarin Red staining and expression of osteogenesis‐related genes were used to investigate the osteogenic differentiation potential. Western blot analysis was used to detect the mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) and AKT signalling pathways.ResultsAfter a 10 ng/mL TNF‐α treatment, knockdown of POSTN impeded scratch closure, inhibited ALP activity and mineralization in vitro, and decreased expression of RUNX2, OSX, OPN and OCN in PDLSCs, while 75 ng/mL rhPOSTN significantly accelerated scratch closure, enhanced ALP activity and mineralization in vitro, and increased expression of RUNX2, OSX, OPN and OCN. In addition, knockdown of POSTN inhibited expression of phosphorylated c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (p‐JNK), while 75 ng/mL rhPOSTN increased expression of p‐JNK in PDLSCs with TNF‐α treatment. Furthermore, inhibition of JNK by its inhibitor SP600125 dramatically blocked POSTN‐enhanced scratch closure, ALP activity and mineralization in PDLSCs.ConclusionsOur results revealed that POSTN might promote the migration and osteogenic differentiation potential of PDLSCs via the JNK pathway, providing insight into the mechanism underlying MSC biology under inflammatory conditions and identifying a potential target for improving periodontal tissue regeneration.
Induction of retinal‐dependent calcium influx in human melanocytes by UVA or UVB radiation contributes to the stimulation of melanosome transfer
Authors: Hu Qing‐Mei , Yi Wen‐Juan , Su Meng‐Yun , Jiang Shan , Xu Shi‐Zheng , Lei Tie‐Chi 
Published: August 2017

AbstractObjectivesThe transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to neighbouring keratinocytes is critical to protect the skin from the deleterious effects of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation; however, the initial factor(s) that stimulates melanosome transfer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the induction of retinal‐dependent calcium (Ca2+) influx in melanocytes (MCs) by UVA or UVB irradiation and the effect of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 1 (TRPM1) (melastatin1)‐related Ca2+ influx on melanosome transfer.Materials and methodsPrimary human epidermal MCs were exposed to physiological doses of UVB or UVA light and loaded with a calcium indicator Fluo‐4 dye. The change of intracellular calcium of MCs was monitored using a two‐photon confocal fluorescence microscopy. MCs were co‐cultured with human epidermal keratinocytes (KCs) in the absence or presence of voriconazole (a TRPM1 blocker) or calcium chelators. MCs were also transfected with TRPM1 siRNA for silencing the expression of TRPM1 gene. The melanosome transfer in the co‐cultured cells was quantitatively analysed using flow cytometry and was further confirmed by immunofluorescent double‐staining. The protein levels and distributions of TRPM1, OPN3 and OPN5 in MCs were measured by Western blotting or immunofluorescent staining.ResultsThe retinal‐dependent Ca2+ influx of UVA‐exposed melanocytes differed greatly from that of UVB‐exposed melanocytes in the timing‐phase. The protein expression of TRPM1 in mono‐ and co‐cultured MCs was dose‐dependently up‐regulated by UVA and UVB. TRPM1 siRNA‐mediated knockdown and the blockage of TRPM1 channel using a putative antagonist (voriconazole) significantly inhibited melanosome transfer in co‐cultures following UVA or UVB exposure.ConclusionsThe distinct time‐phases of Ca2+ influx in MCs induced by UVA or UVB contribute to the consecutive stimulation of melanosome transfer, thereby providing a potent photoprotection against harmful UV radiation.