bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surface and interfacial segregation of polyethersulfone deuterated chain ends determined by neutron reflectivity
Authors: Knauer Katrina M. , Pollino Joel , Schwartz Jonathan , Moore Levi M. J. , Morgan Sarah E. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTThe surface localization of polymer chain ends has been shown to be an effective method for surface composition control in amorphous polymer films. This work determines chain end distribution in thin polyethersulfone (PESU) films end‐capped with deuterated compounds of varying size and composition. Neutron reflectivity revealed the preferential localization of chain ends to the PESU‐air interface, independent of chain end identity. The length scale of the chain end concentration gradient was determined to differ from that predicted for flexible chain polymers. Atomic force microscopy and contact angle analysis demonstrated that chain end localization allows for improved control of nanoscale and macroscale surface properties of PESU films. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 293–301
Maternal cardiac function after HELLP syndrome: an echocardiography study
Authors: Orabona R. , Vizzardi E. , Sciatti E. , Prefumo F. , Bonadei I. , Valcamonico A. , Metra M. , Frusca T. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo evaluate maternal hemodynamics in asymptomatic women with a previous pregnancy affected by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome and compare the findings to those of women with previous pre‐eclampsia (PE) and controls with a previous uncomplicated pregnancy.MethodsWomen with a history of PE (n = 60) or HELLP syndrome (n = 49) and matched healthy controls (n = 60) underwent echocardiography at 6 months to 4 years after delivery, recording left ventricular (LV) dimensions, ejection fraction (LVEF) and mass, right ventricular (RV) tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and fractional area change (FAC). Diastolic filling (E/A and E/E′ ratios) and tissue Doppler imaging were evaluated for both ventricles and the myocardial performance index was calculated.ResultsOnly women with previous HELLP syndrome showed significant LV concentric hypertrophy (20.4%). However, in both HELLP and PE groups, LV concentric remodeling (46.9% and 46.7%, respectively), diastolic dysfunction (expressed as altered E/A and E/E′ ratios) and reduced LVEF (14.3% and 21.7%, respectively) were documented. RV variables did not differ significantly between cases and controls, except for FAC and E/E′ ratio, which were slightly impaired in women with previous HELLP syndrome compared to those with previous PE (16.3% vs 10.0%, P = 0.04; 14.3% vs 3.3%, P = 0.03, respectively).ConclusionsThe significant overlap of echocardiographic features in women with previous PE and HELLP syndrome suggests that these two conditions share the same pathophysiology. However, HELLP syndrome may lead to more severe cardiovascular remodeling in the short to medium term after delivery. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Zonal distribution of coarse woody debris and its contribution to net primary production in a secondary mangrove forest
Authors: Umnouysin Suthathip , Sangtiean Tanuwong , Poungparn Sasitorn 
Published: November 2016

AbstractCoarse woody debris (CWD) plays an important role in long‐term carbon storage in forest ecosystems. However, few studies have examined CWD in mangrove forests. A secondary mangrove forest on an estuary of the Trat River showed different structures along vegetation zones ranging from the river's edge to inland parts of the forest (the Sonneratia–Avicennia, Avicennia, Rhizophora, and Xylocarpus zones, respectively). The mass distribution of CWD stock in downed wood and standing dead trees along these vegetation zones was evaluated. Most of the CWD stock in the Sonneratia–Avicennia and Avicennia zones was found in downed wood, while it mainly accumulated in standing dead trees in the Rhizophora and Xylocarpus zones. The total mass of CWD stock that accumulated in each zone ranged from 1.56–8.39 t ha−1, depending on the forest structure and inundation regimes. The annual woody debris flux in each zone was calculated by summing the necromass (excluding foliage) of dead trees and coarse litter from 2010 to 2013. The average woody debris flux was 5.4 t ha−1 year−1, and its zonal variation principally depended on the necromass production that resulted from forest succession, high tree‐density, and lightning. Over all the zones, the above‐ and below‐ground net primary production (ANPP and BNPP, respectively) was estimated at 18.0 and 3.6 t ha−1 year−1, respectively. The magnitude of BNPP and its contribution to the NPP was markedly increased when fine root production was taken into consideration. The contribution of the woody debris flux without root necromass to the ANPP ranged from 12 to 28%.
Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of N‐Alkyl‐N,N‐di(2‐hydroxyethyl) Amine Oxides
Authors: Liu Hongqin , Shi Guoying , Xu Baocai , Chen Shuyu , Zhang Guiju 
Published: November 2016

AbstractN‐Dodecyl‐N,N‐di(2‐hydroxyethyl) amine oxide (C12DHEAO) and N‐stearyl‐N,N‐di(2‐hydroxyethyl) amine oxide (C18DHEAO) were synthesized with N‐alkyl‐diethanolamine and hydrogen peroxide. Their chemical structures were confirmed using 1H‐NMR spectra, mass spectral fragmentation and FTIR spectroscopic analysis. It was found that C12DHEAO and C18DHEAO reduced the surface tension of water to a minimum value of approximately 28.75 mN m−1 at concentration of 2.48 × 10−3 mol L−1 and 32.45 mN m−1 at concentration of 5.21 × 10−5 mol L−1, respectively. The minimum interfacial tension (IFTmin) and the dynamic interfacial tension (DIT) of oil–water system were measured. When C18DHEAO concentration was in the range of 0.1–0.5%, the IFTmin between liquid paraffin and C18DHEAO solutions all reached the ultra‐low interfacial tension. Furthermore, their foam properties were investigated by Ross‐Miles method, and the height of foam of C12DHEAO was 183 mm. It was also found that they showed strong emulsifying power.
Russia's political economy re-conceptualized: A changing hybrid of liberalism, statism and patrimonialism
Authors: Becker Uwe , Vasileva Alexandra 
Published: November 2016

Russian political–economic development since the early 1990s has been described as one of initial liberalization and subsequent re-etatization a decade later. Our paper critically builds upon this view, systematically adding patrimonialism as third dimension and conceptualizing Russia's trajectory as varying with respect to ideal–typical liberalism, statism and patrimonialism. We argue that Russian patrimonialism hindered the rise of the economically facilitating state capacity and undermined both liberalization in the 1990s and re-etatization in the 2000s. Furthermore, we add a comparative BRICs perspective that clarifies the peculiarity of Russia's development based on statistical data from the World Bank, the OECD and Heritage Foundation. The data confirm the de-liberalization of Russia and show an increase of patrimonialism. Another finding is that Russia was the only BRIC country that de-liberalized and increased its level of patrimonialism in the period under consideration.
A Longitudinal Mirror-Image Assessment of Morbidity in Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Martino D.J. , Samamé C. , Marengo E. , Igoa A. , Scápola M. , Strejilevich S.A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBackgroundEvidence about the clinical course of bipolar disorder is inconsistent and limited. The aim of this study was to assess changes in morbidity in patients with bipolar disorder along a mean follow-up period of 80 months.MethodsBased on a mirror-image design, the follow-up period of each patient was divided into two halves. Then, three measures of morbidity — number of affective episodes, time spent ill, and cycle length — were recorded and compared between each half of the follow-up period.ResultsOn average, there was a trend to a smaller amount of time spent with subclinical symptomatology during the second half of the follow-up period. In contrast, there were no differences in terms of number of episodes, time spent with clinical symptoms, or cycle length between the first and second half of the follow-up period. A subgroup analysis identified 21.9% of patients with consistent data of a worsening during follow-up.ConclusionsThe results suggest that, on average, there is stability or slight improvement of clinical morbidity over the course of BD. Then, worsening of the clinical course may be a feature of a subgroup of patients rather than an inherent characteristic of the disorder. These subgroups or patient profiles could represent an opportunity for further studies to assess clinical, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic features associated with them.
α1A-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonism Improves Erectile and Cavernosal Responses in Rats with Cavernous Nerve Injury and Enhances Neurogenic Responses in Human Corpus Cavernosum from Patients with Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Martínez-Salamanca Juan I. , La Fuente José M. , Martínez-Salamanca Eduardo , Fernández Argentina , Pepe-Cardoso Augusto J. , Louro Nuno , Carballido Joaquín , Angulo Javier 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTIntroductionCavernous nerve injury (CNI) in rats and radical prostatectomy (RP) in men result in loss of nitrergic function and increased adrenergic-neurogenic contractions of cavernosal tissue.AimTo evaluate the modulation of the α-adrenergic system as a strategy to relieve erectile dysfunction (ED) and functional cavernosal alterations induced by CNI.MethodsA non-selective α-blocker (phentolamine 1 mg/kg daily), a selective α1A-blocker (silodosin [SILOD] 0.1 mg/kg daily), or vehicle was orally administered for 4 weeks after bilateral crush CNI (BCNI). Erectile and neurogenic responses of the corpus cavernosum (CC) were evaluated. The acute effects of SILOD also were evaluated in vivo (0.03 mg/kg intravenously) and ex vivo (10 nmol/L). The effects of SILOD and tadalafil (TAD) on nitrergic relaxations were determined in human CC from patients with ED with a vascular etiology or ED secondary to RP.Main Outcome MeasuresErectile responses in vivo in rats and neurogenic contractions and relaxations of rat and human CC.ResultsLong-term treatment with SILOD significantly improved erectile responses and allowed for the potentiation of erectile responses by acute treatment with TAD (0.3 mg/kg intravenously) in rats with BCNI. SILOD partly recovered nitrergic relaxations and normalized neurogenic contractions in CC from rats with BCNI. Long-term treatment with SILOD partly prevented BCNI-induced decreases in neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression. Acute administration of SILOD (0.03 mg/kg intravenously) improved erectile responses in vivo and potentiated nitrergic relaxation and decreased neurogenic contractions ex vivo in CC from rats with BCNI. In human CC from patients with ED with a vascular etiology, TAD (30 nmol/L), SILOD (10 nmol/L), or their combination increased nitrergic relaxations. Potentiation by TAD was lost in human CC from patients with ED after RP but was recovered after co-treatment with SILOD.Conclusionα-Adrenergic modulation, especially selective α1A-blockade, improves erectile and cavernosal functions after BCNI. Modulation of the adrenergic system, mainly in combination strategies, could have a role in the management of ED after RP.
Fractional CO2 Laser Treatment of the Vestibule for Patients with Vestibulodynia and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: A Pilot Study
Authors: Murina Filippo , Karram Mickey , Salvatore Stefano , Felice Raffaele 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTIntroductionChronic vulvar pain and burning remains one of the most perplexing problems faced by practicing gynecologists.AimTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the application of micro-ablative fractional CO2 laser to the vulvar vestibule in the management of patients with vulvar pain from vestibulodynia or genitourinary syndrome of menopause.MethodsPatients (N = 70) underwent fractional micro-ablative CO2 laser treatment for vestibular pain plus vestibulodynia (n = 37) or genitourinary syndrome of menopause (n = 33). Inclusion criteria were the existence of vestibular atrophic changes and the absence of moderate or severe pelvic floor hypertonic dysfunction.Main Outcome MeasuresA visual analog scale of pain and the Marinoff score of dyspareunia were chosen to evaluate improvement. Grading of vestibular health also was quantified using a four-point scoring system (0 = no atrophy, 3 = severe atrophy). Data were collected at baseline, at weeks 4, 8, and 12, and 4 months after the final treatment.ResultsFor visual analog scale and dyspareunia scoring and for the overall vestibular health index scoring, statistically significant improvement was noted after three sessions of vestibular fractional CO2 laser treatment. Improvement gradually increased throughout the study period and was maintained through the 4-month follow-up visit. There was no statistically significant difference in outcomes between the two study groups. No adverse events from fractional CO2 laser treatment were noted. Overall, 67.6% of patients stated significant improvement from the laser procedure.ConclusionThis preliminary case series showed encouraging results using fractional CO2 laser treatment of the vestibule in women with vestibulodynia and genitourinary syndrome of menopause.
Bank profits, loan activity, and monetary policy: evidence from the FDIC's Historical Statistics on Banking
Authors: Orzechowski Paul E. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis paper examines the long‐run relationship between bank profits, loan growth, and monetary policy at different types of profitable banks. U.S. commercial bank data are analyzed from the FDIC's Historical Statistics on Banking from 1966 to 2013. The banks are divided into two groups based on their relative profitability (above or below the average profit rate) to examine their real estate and commercial loan activities. The bank's loan portfolio allocation (i.e., the ratio between real estate and commercial loans) is also examined to see if it has a relationship with monetary policy. The study finds evidence that monetary policy has a slightly larger negative relationship with real estate loans in banks with above average profits than with their less profitable peers. The analysis also finds evidence suggesting that commercial loan growth in low‐profit banks may be more sensitive to their loan loss provisions than to monetary policy. The loan portfolio ratio shows a significant negative relationship with monetary policy and a positive relationship with provisions. The analysis reveals a positive coefficient or ‘perverse result’ between some of the commercial loan growth measures and monetary policy that may be explained by portfolio shifting at banks.
The Use of Milrinone in Patients with Delayed Cerebral Ischemia Following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lannes Marcelo , Zeiler Frederick , Guichon Céline , Teitelbaum Jeanne 
Published: November 2016

AbstractObjective:The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the evidence supporting the use of milrinone for the management of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).Design:Primary outcomes were functional neurological status and the incidence of cerebral infarction. Search strategies adapted to the different databases were developed by a professional librarian. Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library database, Web of Science, SCOPUS, BIOSIS, Global Health, Health Star, Open SIGLE, Google Scholar and the New York Academy of Medicine Gray Literature were searched as well as clinical trials databases and the proceedings of several scientific meetings. Quality of the evidence for these outcomes across studies was adjudicated using the GRADE Working Group criteria.Results:The search resulted in 284 citations after elimination of duplicates. Of those 9 conference proceedings and 15 studies met inclusion criteria and consisted of case reports, case series and two comparative studies: one non-randomized study with physiological outcomes only and a case series with historical controls. There was considerable variation in dosing and in co-interventions and no case control or randomized controlled studies were found.Conclusion:There is currently only very low quality evidence to support the use of milrinone to improve important outcomes in patients with delayed cerebral ischemia secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further research is needed to clarify the value and risks of this medication in patients with SAH.
Delayed Registration and Identifying the “Missing Girls” in China
Authors: Shi Yaojiang , Kennedy John James 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn 2010, according to the sixth Chinese census, the sex ratio at birth (SRB) was 118 males for every 100 females. The global SRB average is about 105. Thus, the gap between 118 and 105 is made up of “missing girls.” Scholars present three main explanations for the skewed SRB statistic: sex-selective abortion, infanticide and delayed or late registration. Most studies take a demographic and cultural approach to explain the high SRB. However, we believe the story of the “missing girls” is also an administrative one and adopt the street-level bureaucrat theory of policy implementation to explain the pervasiveness of late registration in rural China. We use descriptive statistics derived from the 1990, 2000 and 2010 census data to identify the “missing girls.” We believe the combination of late registration and unreported births may point to a larger proportion of “missing girls” than previously reported from the SRB statistic.
Yet more on a stochastic economic model: Part 3A: stochastic interpolation: Brownian and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) bridges
Authors: Wilkie A. D. , Şahin Şule 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn this paper, we develop certain properties for discrete Brownian bridges and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck bridges, which we use in the successor papers Part 3B and Part 3C to analyse real economic data series, with a view to constructing stochastic interpolation models for the Wilkie asset model.
Intranasal Oxytocin Enhances Connectivity in the Neural Circuitry Supporting Social Motivation and Social Perception in Children with Autism
Authors: Gordon Ilanit , Jack Allison , Pretzsch Charlotte M. , Vander Wyk Brent , Leckman James F. , Feldman Ruth , Pelphrey Kevin A. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractOxytocin (OT) has become a focus in investigations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The social deficits that characterize ASD may relate to reduced connectivity between brain sites on the mesolimbic reward pathway (nucleus accumbens; amygdala) that receive OT projections and contribute to social motivation, and cortical sites involved in social perception. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, we show that OT administration in ASD increases activity in brain regions important for perceiving social-emotional information. Further, OT enhances connectivity between nodes of the brain’s reward and socioemotional processing systems, and does so preferentially for social (versus nonsocial) stimuli. This effect is observed both while viewing coherent versus scrambled biological motion, and while listening to happy versus angry voices. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which intranasal OT may bolster social motivation—one that could, in future, be harnessed to augment behavioral treatments for ASD.
SNP discovery and genotyping using Genotyping-by-Sequencing in Pekin ducks
Authors: Zhu Feng , Cui Qian-Qian , Hou Zhuo-Cheng 
Published: November 2016

AbstractGenomic selection and genome-wide association studies need thousands to millions of SNPs. However, many non-model species do not have reference chips for detecting variation. Our goal was to develop and validate an inexpensive but effective method for detecting SNP variation. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) can be a highly efficient strategy for genome-wide SNP detection, as an alternative to microarray chips. Here, we developed a GBS protocol for ducks and tested it to genotype 49 Pekin ducks. A total of 169,209 SNPs were identified from all animals, with a mean of 55,920 SNPs per individual. The average SNP density reached 1156 SNPs/MB. In this study, the first application of GBS to ducks, we demonstrate the power and simplicity of this method. GBS can be used for genetic studies in to provide an effective method for genome-wide SNP discovery.
Characterizing the Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Fluctuations in Musculoskeletal Tumours Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Duan Li-Sha , Wang Meng-Jun , Sun Feng , Zhao Zhen-Jiang , Xing Mei , Zang Yu-Feng , Louis Steven , Cui Sheng-Jie , Cui Jian-Ling , Zhang Han 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis study characterized the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations in benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumours via power spectrum analyses in pre-established low-frequency bands. BOLD MRI and T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) were collected for 52 patients with musculoskeletal tumours. Three ROIs were drawn on the T1WI image in the tumours’ central regions, peripheral regions and neighbouring tissue. The power spectrum of the BOLD within each ROI was calculated and divided into the following four frequency bands: 0.01–0.027 Hz, 0.027–0.073 Hz, 0.073–0.198 Hz, and 0.198–0.25 Hz. ANOVA was conducted for each frequency band with the following two factors: the location of the region of interest (LoR, three levels: tumour “centre”, “peripheral” and “healthy tissue”) and tumour characteristic (TC, two levels: “malignant” and “benign”). There was a significant main effect of LoR in the frequencies of 0.073–0.198 Hz and 0.198–0.25 Hz. These data were further processed with post-hoc pair-wise comparisons. BOLD fluctuations at 0.073–0.198 Hz were stronger in the peripheral than central regions of the malignant tumours; however, no such difference was observed for the benign tumours. Our findings provide evidence that the BOLD signal fluctuates with spatial heterogeneity in malignant musculoskeletal tumours at the frequency band of 0.073–0.198 Hz.
Systems-level chromosomal parameters represent a suprachromosomal basis for the non-random chromosomal arrangement in human interphase nuclei
Authors: Fatakia Sarosh N. , Mehta Ishita S. , Rao Basuthkar J. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractForty-six chromosome territories (CTs) are positioned uniquely in human interphase nuclei, wherein each of their positions can range from the centre of the nucleus to its periphery. A non-empirical basis for their non-random arrangement remains unreported. Here, we derive a suprachromosomal basis of that overall arrangement (which we refer to as a CT constellation), and report a hierarchical nature of the same. Using matrix algebra, we unify intrinsic chromosomal parameters (e.g., chromosomal length, gene density, the number of genes per chromosome), to derive an extrinsic effective gene density matrix, the hierarchy of which is dominated largely by extrinsic mathematical coupling of HSA19, followed by HSA17 (human chromosome 19 and 17, both preferentially interior CTs) with all CTs. We corroborate predicted constellations and effective gene density hierarchy with published reports from fluorescent in situ hybridization based microscopy and Hi-C techniques, and delineate analogous hierarchy in disparate vertebrates. Our theory accurately predicts CTs localised to the nuclear interior, which interestingly share conserved synteny with HSA19 and/or HSA17. Finally, the effective gene density hierarchy dictates how permutations among CT position represents the plasticity within its constellations, based on which we suggest that a differential mix of coding with noncoding genome modulates the same.