bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic cocaine exposure induces noradrenergic modulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission to cholinergic neurons of the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus
Authors: Taoka Naofumi , Kamiizawa Ryota , Wada Shintaro , Minami Masabumi , Kaneda Katsuyuki 
Published: September 2016

AbstractThe laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT), which sends cholinergic efferent connections to dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), plays a critical role in the development of addictive behavior and the reinstatement of cocaine‐seeking behavior. Although repeated cocaine exposure elicits plastic changes in excitatory synaptic transmission and intrinsic membrane excitability in LDT cholinergic neurons, it remains unclear whether inhibitory synaptic transmission is modulated by cocaine exposure. The LDT receives fibers containing noradrenaline (NA), a neurotransmitter whose extracellular levels increase with cocaine exposure. Therefore, it is hypothesized that repeated cocaine exposure induces plastic changes in LDT cholinergic neurons via NA. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings in LDT cholinergic neurons were obtained from rats repeatedly exposed to cocaine. Bath‐application of NA induced similar levels of hyperpolarization in both saline‐ and cocaine‐treated neurons. However, NA attenuated the amplitude of inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in cocaine‐ but not saline‐treated neurons through α2 adrenoceptors. This NA‐induced IPSC attenuation was observed in the presence of strychnine, but not gabazine, indicating that NA modulated GABAergic but not glycinergic neurotransmission. NA increased the paired‐pulse ratios of evoked IPSCs and decreased the frequencies of miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) without affecting their amplitudes, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism. These findings suggest that repeated cocaine exposure induces neuroplasticity in GABAergic synaptic transmission onto LDT cholinergic neurons by probably modulating presynaptic α2 adrenoceptors. This potentially increases the activity of LDT cholinergic neurons, which might contribute to the development of addictive behavior by enhancing VTA DA neuronal activity.
Dopamine receptor activity participates in hippocampal synaptic plasticity associated with novel object recognition
Authors: Yang Kechun , Broussard John I. , Levine Amber T. , Jenson Daniel , Arenkiel Benjamin R. , Dani John A. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractPhysiological and behavioral evidence supports that dopamine (DA) receptor signaling influences hippocampal function. While several recent studies examined how DA influences CA1 plasticity and learning, there are fewer studies investigating the influence of DA signaling to the dentate gyrus. The dentate gyrus receives convergent cortical input through the perforant path fiber tracts and has been conceptualized to detect novelty in spatial memory tasks. To test whether DA‐receptor activity influences novelty‐detection, we used a novel object recognition (NOR) task where mice remember previously presented objects as an indication of learning. Although DA innervation arises from other sources and the main DA signaling may be from those sources, our molecular approaches verified that midbrain dopaminergic fibers also sparsely innervate the dentate gyrus. During the NOR task, wild‐type mice spent significantly more time investigating novel objects rather than previously observed objects. Dentate granule cells in slices cut from those mice showed an increased AMPA/NMDA‐receptor current ratio indicative of potentiated synaptic transmission. Post‐training injection of a D1‐like receptor antagonist not only effectively blocked the preference for the novel objects, but also prevented the increased AMPA/NMDA ratio. Consistent with that finding, neither NOR learning nor the increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio were observed in DA‐receptor KO mice under the same experimental conditions. The results indicate that DA‐receptor signaling contributes to the successful completion of the NOR task and to the associated synaptic plasticity of the dentate gyrus that likely contributes to the learning.
Hippocampal shape alterations are associated with regional Aβ load in cognitively normal elderly individuals
Authors: Schroeder Clemens , Park Min Tae M. , Germann Jürgen , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Michels Lars , Kollias Spyros , Kroll Sara L. , Buck Alfred , Treyer Valerie , Savaskan Egemen , Unschuld Paul G. , Nitsch Roger M. , Kälin Andrea M. , Hock Christoph , Gietl Anton F. , Leh Sandra E. 
Published: September 2016

AbstractAβ deposition is a driving force of Alzheimer's disease pathology and can be detected early by amyloid positron emission tomography. Identifying presymptomatic structural brain changes associated with Aβ deposition might lead to a better understanding of its consequences and provide early diagnostic information. In this respect we analyzed measures of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes along with hippocampal, thalamic and striatal shape and surface area by applying novel analysis strategies for structural magnetic resonance imaging. We included 69 cognitively normal elderly subjects after careful clinical and neuropsychological workup. Standardized uptake value ratios (cerebellar reference) for uptake of 11‐C‐Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) were calculated from positron emission tomographic data for a cortical measurement and for bilateral hippocampus, thalamus and striatum. Associations to shape, surface area, volume and cortical thickness were tested using regression models that included significant predictors as covariates. Left anterior hippocampal shape was associated with regional PiB uptake (P < 0.05, FDR corrected), whereas volumes of the hippocampi and their subregions were not associated with cortical or regional PiB uptake (all P > 0.05, FDR corrected). Within the entorhinal cortical region of both hemispheres, thickness was negatively associated with cortical PiB uptake (P < 0.05, FDR corrected). Hence, localized shape measures and cortical thickness may be potential biomarkers of presymptomatic Alzheimer's disease.
Long‐term development of organic carbon contents in arable soil of North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany, 1979–2015
Authors: Steinmann T. , Welp G. , Holbeck B. , Amelung W. 
Published: September 2016

Europe currently faces a decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) content under arable cropping irrespective of improved management practices. In this study we used more than 32 000 SOC data from the entire North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW) area to elucidate the temporal development and current state of SOC content in arable soil from 1979 to 2015 and, in addition, to identify potential causal factors of changes in SOC content. The dataset comprised 7401 data points for 1979–2003 from FIS StoBo, the branched information system on soil contamination in NRW, and 24 930 data points for 2007–2015 from the Agricultural Investigation and Research Institute NRW (LUFA NRW); all data considered refer to soil sampled at 0–30 cm. We found that topsoil carbon contents in arable soil increased over the entire NRW area during the 1980s (from 1.87% in 1979 to 2.82% in 1987), and that this increase was followed by an exponential decrease from 1988 to 2015 (1.42% SOC in 2015) without a new equilibrium being reached. Livestock‐poor regions showed a more rapid gain and a more rapid loss of SOC contents than regions with large livestock densities. The data correlated with changes in grassland area, which was reduced in NRW by about 360 000 ha mainly between 1970 and 1990; that is, recently ploughed grassland probably contributed to increasing averages of SOC contents in arable land during this period, but not thereafter. We conclude that past changes in land use controlled the evolution in SOC from 1979 to 2015, and there is little opportunity for changed management practices to prevent ongoing loss of SOC from the topsoil.HighlightsThe SOC contents in arable soil in North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW) show temporal trend.
The SOC contents increased during the 1980s, but decreased thereafter.
Data from the entire NRW area indicate that new SOC equilibria have not yet been reached.
Past changes in land use still control current SOC evolution.
Further evidence to support bimodality of oestrogen receptor expression in breast cancer
Authors: Muftah Abir A , Aleskandarany Mohammed , Sonbul Sultan N , Nolan Christopher C , Diez Rodriguez Maria , Caldas Carlos , Ellis Ian O , Green Andrew R , Rakha Emad A 
Published: September 2016

AimsAlthough oestrogen receptor (ER)‐negative breast cancers (BCs) do not respond to hormone therapy, the response of ER‐positive BCs is reported to be variable, which may suggest a dose‐dependent effect. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of ER expression in BCs at the protein (immunohistochemistry) and transcriptome (microarray‐based gene expression) levels.Methods and resultsER immunohistochemical (IHC) expression was assessed in a large series of BCs, including 3649 core biopsies and 1892 cases prepared as tissue microarrays (TMAs) stained with specific antibodies. ESR1 mRNA expression was assessed in the METABRIC study (1980 cases), by the use of the Linear Models for Microarray Data (limma) software, and the results were compared with protein levels. IHC data confirmed the bimodality of ER expression, with 92.2% and 89.2% of the cases showing completely negative (<1%) or highly positive (≥70%) expression on the cores and TMAs, respectively. Weakly positive cases (1–10%) and intermediately positive (11–69%) cases were infrequent (2.7% and 5.1%, and 1.6% and 9.2%, in cores and TMAs, respectively), and did not show survival difference from ER‐negative tumours. When full‐face sections of the corresponding excision specimens were immunostained, 47% of the ER‐low/intermediate group were deemed to be ER‐negative. Transcriptomic data not only showed a significant correlation between ESR1 mRNA and protein expression levels, but also confirmed the bimodality of ER expression at the mRNA level.ConclusionsOur study provides further evidence that ER expression is bimodal, and that it is observed at both the mRNA and protein levels. The reported poor survival of BC patients with low ER expression in the early clinical trials may be related to the inclusion of ER‐negative cases.
Microencapsulation of Nigella sativa seeds oil containing thymoquinone by spray‐drying for functional yogurt production
Authors: Abedi Abdol‐Samad , Rismanchi Marjan , Shahdoostkhany Mehrnoush , Mohammadi Abdorreza , Hosseini Hedayat 
Published: September 2016

SummaryThe present work reports on the microencapsulation of Nigella sativa seeds oil containing thymoquinone (TQ) by spray‐drying, using modified starch (MS) and maltodextrin (MD) mixture as wall materials aimed at producing functional yogurt. First, the impact of different ratios of MS/MD on microencapsulation efficiency (ME) and TQ retention was investigated. The highest ME (90.10%) was found in microcapsules prepared from emulsion with 80/20 ratio of MS/MD; however, the microcapsules prepared with 50/50 ratio was selected for considering TQ stability under storage conditions and functional yogurt production due to an acceptable ME (89.48%) and better TQ retention (61.12%). The results showed that the microcapsules stored at refrigerator temperature had the highest content of TQ after 4 weeks. Moreover, the results of chemical and sensory analysis suggest that N. sativa seeds oil microcapsules can be used for producing functional yogurt due to high stability of TQ and proper chemical and sensory properties.
Antimicrobial efficacy of gaseous chlorine dioxide against Salmonella enterica Typhimurium on grape tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)
Authors: Netramai Siriyupa , Kijchavengkul Thitisilp , Sakulchuthathip Veesuda , Rubino Maria 
Published: September 2016

SummaryThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of gas level and treatment condition on antimicrobial efficacy of ClO2 gas against Salmonella enterica Typhimurium on grape tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Grape tomatoes were dip‐inoculated with inoculum of S. enterica Typhimurium TISTR 292 (ATCC 13311) (9.79 ± 0.39 log CFU mL−1) and allowed to dry before treatments. The pre‐inoculated samples were exposed to 0.15–0.85 mg of ClO2 gas, for up to 58 min. The treatments at 4 and 25 °C resulted in population reductions of S. enterica Typhimurium of up to 3.95 ± 0.22 and 7.37 ± 0.39 log CFU per fruit, respectively. The population reduction results were used to construct statistical models to predict efficacy of ClO2 gas. The second‐order equations for treatments at 4 and 25 °C had R2 of 0.87 and 0.95, respectively, and indicated that efficacy of ClO2 gas was significantly influenced by ClO2 gas level, exposure time and treatment temperature.
Non‐medical prescribing in prostate cancer care: a case study reflection
Authors: Paterson Catherine , Nabi Ghulam 
Published: September 2016

ABSTRACTThere are approximately 54 000 nurse and midwife prescribers across the United Kingdom (UK), with 19 000 nurse independent and supplementary prescribers. Prostate cancer specialist nurses are ideally suited to implement advanced levels of practice in non‐medical prescribing, but little has been detailed in the literature about the prescribing practice in this clinical context. This paper set out to critically review evidence‐based recommendations for Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses using a case study reflection to contextualize the role of non‐medical prescribing.A structured literature review was conducted in a range of electronic databases (DARE, Cochrane, MEDLINE, BNI, PsychINFO, EMBASE and CIHAHL), and a grey literature search in google, to identify studies employing a qualitative and/or quantitative methods. National (UK) and European clinical guidelines and legislative frameworks were also included. Methodological evaluation was conducted and evidence‐based recommendations were integrated into a narrative synthesis.A multidisciplinary and proactive approach to the management of men with metastatic prostate cancer ensures safe and effective prescribing practice, and optimizes supportive care delivery. A reflective case study has illuminated the key features necessary to maximize the success of non‐medical prescribing in prostate cancer care and captures the importance of good working relationships. While different practice models will emerge, the Prostate Cancer Model of Consultation may facilitate a structured framework for safe practice, embedded in effective communication strategies.Non‐medical prescribers must be committed to continual professional development, and prescribe safely within individual competencies and scope of professional practice. There is a pressing need for further research to evaluate prescribing practices with a particular focus on the nature of influencing factors on prescribing decisions, cost‐effectiveness and a more detailed understanding of how team working and inter‐team referral affects prescribing decisions between the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) members.
Childhood abuse and reduced cortical thickness in brain regions involved in emotional processing
Authors: Gold Andrea L. , Sheridan Margaret A. , Peverill Matthew , Busso Daniel S. , Lambert Hilary K. , Alves Sonia , Pine Daniel S. , McLaughlin Katie A. 
Published: September 2016

BackgroundAlterations in gray matter development represent a potential pathway through which childhood abuse is associated with psychopathology. Several prior studies find reduced volume and thickness of prefrontal (PFC) and temporal cortex regions in abused compared with nonabused adolescents, although most prior research is based on adults and volume‐based measures. This study tests the hypothesis that child abuse, independent of parental education, predicts reduced cortical thickness in prefrontal and temporal cortices as well as reduced gray mater volume (GMV) in subcortical regions during adolescence.MethodsStructural MRI scans were obtained from 21 adolescents exposed to physical and/or sexual abuse and 37 nonabused adolescents (ages 13–20). Abuse was operationalized using dichotomous and continuous measures. We examined associations between abuse and brain structure in several a priori‐defined regions, controlling for parental education, age, sex, race, and total brain volume for subcortical GMV. Significance was evaluated at p < .05 with a false discovery rate correction.ResultsChild abuse exposure and severity were associated with reduced thickness in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), left temporal pole, and bilateral inferior, right middle, and right superior temporal gyri. Neither abuse measure predicted cortical surface area or subcortical GMV. Bilateral PHG thickness was inversely related to externalizing symptoms.ConclusionsChild abuse, an experience characterized by a high degree of threat, is associated with reduced cortical thickness in ventromedial and ventrolateral PFC and medial and lateral temporal cortex in adolescence. Reduced PHG thickness may be a mediator linking abuse with externalizing psychopathology, although prospective research is needed to evaluate this possibility.
Reverse Monte Carlo reconstruction algorithm for discrete electron tomography based on HAADF‐STEM atom counting
Authors: MOYON F. , HERNANDEZ‐MALDONADO D. , ROBERTSON M.D. , ETIENNE A. , CASTRO C. , LEFEBVRE W. 
Published: September 2016

SummaryIn this paper, we propose an algorithm to obtain a three‐dimensional reconstruction of a single nanoparticle based on the method of atom counting. The location of atoms in three dimensions has been successfully performed using simulations of high‐angle‐annular‐dark‐field images from only three zone‐axis projections, [110], [310] and [211], for a face‐centred cubic particle. These three orientations are typically accessible by low‐tilt holders often used in high‐performance scanning transmission electron microscopes.
Bayesian model for detection and classification of meningioma nuclei in microscopic images
Authors: WIRJADI O. , KIM Y.‐J. , STECH F. , BONFERT L. , WAGNER M. 
Published: September 2016

SummaryImage segmentation aims to determine structures of interest inside a digital picture in biomedical sciences. State‐of‐the art automatic methods however still fail to provide the segmentation quality achievable by humans who employ expert knowledge and use software to mark target structures on an image. Manual segmentation is time‐consuming, tedious and suffers from interoperator variability, thus not serving the requirements of daily use well. Therefore, the approach presented here abandons the goal of full‐fledged segmentation and settles for the localization of circular objects in photographs (10 training images and 20 testing images with several hundreds of nuclei each). A fully trainable softcore interaction point process model was hence fit to the most likely locations of nuclei of meningioma cells. The Broad Bioimage Benchmark Collection/SIMCEP data set of virtual cells served as controls. A ‘colour deconvolution’ algorithm was integrated to determine (based on anti‐Ki67 immunohistochemistry) which real cells might have the potential to proliferate. In addition, a density parameter of the underlying Bayesian model was estimated. Immunohistochemistry results were ‘simulated'for the virtual cells. The system yielded true positive (TP) rates in the detection and classification of real nuclei and their virtual counterparts. These hits outnumbered those obtained from the public domain image processing software ImageJ by 10%. The method introduced here can be trained to function not only in medicine and morphology‐based systems biology but in other application domains as well. The algorithm lends itself to an automated approach that constitutes a valuable tool which is easy to use and generates acceptable results quickly.
Automatic thresholding from the gradients of region boundaries
Authors: LANDINI G. , RANDELL D.A. , FOUAD S. , GALTON A. 
Published: September 2016

SummaryWe present an approach for automatic threshold segmentation of greyscale images. The procedure is inspired by a reinterpretation of the strategy observed in human operators when adjusting thresholds manually and interactively by means of ‘slider’ controls. The approach translates into two methods. The first one is suitable for single or multiple global thresholds to be applied globally to images and consists of searching for a threshold value that generates a phase whose boundary coincides with the largest gradients in the original image. The second method is a variation, implemented to operate on the discrete connected components of the thresholded phase (i.e. the binary regions) independently. Consequently, this becomes an adaptive local threshold procedure, which operates relative to regions, rather than to local image subsets as is the case in most local thresholding methods previously published. Adding constraints for specifying certain classes of expected objects in the images can improve the output of the method over the traditional ‘segmenting first, then classify’ approach.
Evaluation of impact of social support and care on HIV‐positive and AIDS individuals’ quality of life: a nonrandomised community trial
Authors: Li Xing‐ming , Yuan Xiao‐qing , Wang Jun‐jie , Zhang Wan‐ying , Zhou Yang , Liu Gu‐ning 
Published: September 2016

Aims and objectivesOur study was conducted to further investigate the model of social support and care for People Living with HIV/AIDS(PLHA), to explore their role in People Living with AIDS's quality of life (QOL) as reference for improving nursing policies for AIDS.BackgroundSocial support and care are the most important factors impacting the QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS, but most studies conducted upon the influence of social support and QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS are mainly based on cross‐sectional design.DesignOur study was a nonrandomised controlled community intervention study.MethodsThe participants diagnosed as People Living with HIV/AIDS at Beijing You An Hospital received a comprehensive social support care from December 2013 to December 2014. To evaluate the impact of social support and care model on People Living with HIV/AIDS, our study analysed the different dimension scores of social support scale and quality of life before and after the intervention. Correlation between the net benefit value of social support and that of QOL from various dimensions were analysed.ResultsThere were significant differences in the score of objective support and usage of support (all p = 0·02) for social support. Net values of objective support score and usage of support were 0·25 and 0·19, respectively, after intervention. There were significant differences in physiological function, role physical, general health, vitality, social function, mental health, health transition and total score of quality of life (all p < 0·05). The canonical correlation analysis of net values of social support and QOL indicated that the first and second canonical correlation were statistically significant, with correlation coefficients of 0·53 (p = 0·00) and 0·21 (p = 0·04).ConclusionSocial support and care intervention model can effectively improve perceived subjective feeling on social support and QOL condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS. And strategies to improve social support and care intervention programmes are strongly encouraged.Relevance to clinical practiceThe method is simple and cost‐effective and could be a way to improve the quality of life condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS.