bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neurogranin and YKL-40: independent markers of synaptic degeneration and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Hellwig Konstantin , Kvartsberg Hlin , Portelius Erik , Andreasson Ulf , Oberstein Timo Jan , Lewczuk Piotr , Blennow Kaj , Kornhuber Johannes , Maler Juan Manuel , Zetterberg Henrik , Spitzer Philipp 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Introduction
Neuroinflammation and synaptic degeneration are major neuropathological hallmarks in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Neurogranin and YKL-40 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are newly discovered markers indicating synaptic damage and microglial activation, respectively.

Methods
CSF samples from 95 individuals including 39 patients with AD dementia (AD-D), 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (MCI-AD), 29 with MCI not due to AD (MCI-o) and 14 patients with non-AD dementias (non-AD-D) were analyzed for neurogranin and YKL-40.

Results
Patients with dementia or MCI due to AD showed elevated levels of CSF neurogranin (p < 0.001 for AD-D and p < 0.05 for MCI-AD) and YKL-40 (p < 0.05 for AD-D and p = 0.15 for MCI-AD) compared to mildly cognitively impaired subjects not diagnosed with AD. CSF levels of neurogranin and YKL-40 did not differ between MCI not due to AD and non-AD dementias. In AD subjects no correlation between YKL-40 and neurogranin was found. The CSF neurogranin levels correlated moderately with tau and p-tau but not with Aβ42 or the MMSE in AD samples. No relevant associations between YKL-40 and MMSE or the core AD biomarkers, Aβ42, t-tau and p-tau were found in AD subjects.

Conclusions
Neurogranin and YKL-40 are promising AD biomarkers, independent of and complementary to the established core AD biomarkers, reflecting additional pathological changes in the course of AD.
Protocol for a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of grass allergen immunotherapy tablet for seasonal allergic rhinitis: time course of nasal, cutaneous and immunological outcomes
Authors: Steveling Esther Helen , Lao‐Araya Mongkol , Koulias Christopher , Scadding Guy , Eifan Aarif , James Louisa K. , Dumitru Alina , Penagos Martin , Calderón Moisés , Andersen Peter Sejer , Shamji Mohamed , Durham Stephen R. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundSeasonal Allergic Rhinitis is characterised by inflammation of the nasal mucosa upon exposure to common aeroallergens, affecting up to 20–25 % of the population. For those patients whose symptoms are not controlled by standard medical treatment, allergen specific immunotherapy is a therapeutic alternative. Although several studies have shown changes in immunologic responses as well as long term tolerance following treatment with a sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet, a detailed time course of the early mechanistic changes of local and systemic T and B cell responses and the effects on B cell repertoire in the nasal mucosa have not been fully examined.Methods/designThis is a randomized, double‐blind, single‐centre, placebo controlled, two arm time course study based in the United Kingdom comparing sublingual allergy immunotherapy tablet (GRAZAX®, ALK‐Abello Horsholm, Denmark) plus standard treatment with placebo plus standard treatment. Up to 50 moderate to severe grass pollen allergic participants will be enrolled to ensure randomisation of at least 44. Further, we shall enrol 20 non‐atopic volunteers. Screening will be completed before eligible atopic participants are randomised to one of the two treatment arms in a 1 to 1 ratio. The primary endpoint will be the total nasal symptom score assessed over 60 min following grass pollen nasal allergen challenge after 12 months of treatment. Clinical assessments and/or mechanistic analyses on blood, nasal fluid, brushing and biopsies will be performed at baseline at 1, 2, 3, 4 (coinciding with the peak pollen season), 6 and 12 months of treatment. After 12 months of treatment, unblinding will take place. Those atopic participants receiving active treatment will continue therapy for another 12 months followed by a post treatment phase of 12 months. Assessments and collection of biologic samples from these participants will take place again at 24 and at 36 months from the start of treatment. The 20 healthy, non‐atopic controls will undergo screening and one visit only coinciding with the 12 month visit for the atopic participants.DiscussionThe trial will end in April 2017. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov and the trial identifying number is NCT02005627.Trial registration: Primary Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, Trial Identifying number: NCT02005627, Secondary identifying numbers: EudraCT number: 2013‐003732‐72 REC: 13/EM/0351, Imperial College London (Sponsor): 13IC0847, Protocol Version 6.0, Date: 16.05.2014
Hybrid de novo genome assembly of the Chinese herbal plant danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge)
Authors: Zhang Guanghui , Tian Yang , Zhang Jing , Shu Liping , Yang Shengchao , Wang Wen , Sheng Jun , Dong Yang , Chen Wei 
Published: December 2015

Abstract

Background
Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), also known as Chinese red sage, is a member of Lamiaceae family. It is valued in traditional Chinese medicine, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Because of its pharmacological potential, ongoing research aims to identify novel bioactive compounds in danshen, and their biosynthetic pathways. To date, only expressed sequence tag (EST) and RNA-seq data for this herbal plant are available to the public. We therefore propose that the construction of a reference genome for danshen will help elucidate the biosynthetic pathways of important secondary metabolites, thereby advancing the investigation of novel drugs from this plant.

Findings
We assembled the highly heterozygous danshen genome with the help of 395 × raw read coverage using Illumina technologies and about 10 × raw read coverage by using single molecular sequencing technology. The final draft genome is approximately 641 Mb, with a contig N50 size of 82.8 kb and a scaffold N50 size of 1.2 Mb. Further analyses predicted 34,598 protein-coding genes and 1,644 unique gene families in the danshen genome.

Conclusions
The draft danshen genome will provide a valuable resource for the investigation of novel bioactive compounds in this Chinese herb.
Intermittent Fasting Promotes Fat Loss With Lean Mass Retention, Increased Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Content, and Increased Neuropeptide Y Gene Expression in Diet-Induced Obese Male Mice
Authors: Gotthardt Juliet D. , Verpeut Jessica L. , Yeomans Bryn L. , Yang Jennifer A. , Yasrebi Ali , Roepke Troy A. , Bello Nicholas T. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Clinical studies indicate alternate-day, intermittent fasting (IMF) protocols result in meaningful weight loss in obese individuals. To further understand the mechanisms sustaining weight loss by IMF, we investigated the metabolic and neural alterations of IMF in obese mice. Male C57/BL6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD; 45% fat) ad libitum for 8 weeks to promote an obese phenotype. Mice were divided into four groups and either maintained on ad libitum HFD, received alternate-day access to HFD (IMF-HFD), and switched to ad libitum low-fat diet (LFD; 10% fat) or received IMF of LFD (IMF-LFD). After 4 weeks, IMF-HFD (∼13%) and IMF-LFD (∼18%) had significantly lower body weights than the HFD. Body fat was also lower (∼40%–52%) in all diet interventions. Lean mass was increased in the IMF-LFD (∼12%–13%) compared with the HFD and IMF-HFD groups. Oral glucose tolerance area under the curve was lower in the IMF-HFD (∼50%), whereas the insulin tolerance area under the curve was reduced in all diet interventions (∼22%–42%). HPLC measurements of hypothalamic tissue homogenates indicated higher (∼55%–60%) norepinephrine (NE) content in the anterior regions of the medial hypothalamus of IMF compared with the ad libitum-fed groups, whereas NE content was higher (∼19%–32%) in posterior regions in the IMF-LFD group only. Relative gene expression of Npy in the arcuate nucleus was increased (∼65%–75%) in IMF groups. Our novel findings indicate that intermittent fasting produces alterations in hypothalamic NE and neuropeptide Y, suggesting the counterregulatory processes of short-term weight loss are associated with an IMF dietary strategy.
A pH-Controlled Reversible Phase Transfer and Electrolytic Size-Fractionation of Stable Silver Nanoparticles Capped with a Long Amino Amide Dicarboxylic Acid
Authors: Delbecq Frederic , Yamano Itsuki , Kawai Takeshi 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The synthesis of a long alkylaminoamide dicarboxylic acid amphoteric species has been achieved. Employed as capping agent, the reduction of ionic silver in water led to the formation of small (10–100 nm) and hydrophobic diacid bilayer coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In a biphasic system (e.g. H2O–CHCl3), a pH-controlled and reversible phase transfer phenomenon was observed. At different stages, the formation of these nanoparticles was studied by UV–vis spectroscopy, their stability was controlled by zeta-potential measurement and both shape and morphology were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ionic strength of the AgNPs was tested by the addition of inorganic salt electrolyte (NaCl, CaCl2). A NaCl concentration dependant size fractionation of the AgNPs between the same above biphasic system was also studied by means of analytical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), TEM, and UV–vis spectroscopy.
Typification of the Indo‐Pacific Sirophysalis trinodis (Fucales: Sargassaceae)
Authors: Boisset Fernando , Ferrer-Gallego P. Pablo 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe typification of the Indo‐Pacific seaweed Sirophysalis trinodis (Phaeophyceae) is discussed. Original material conserved in the Herbarium Forsskålii at C is designated as the lectotype.
Das Wort Gottes und die Ökumene
Authors: Weinrich Michael 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Although Karl Barth showed some reservations especially against the Geneva ecumenism, by his theology of God’s word he established a contribution to an ecumenical perspective which has actually not yet been taken up. God’s word has to remain God’s word. The church cannot dispose freely of God’s word but remains in need of being addressed time and again by this word. It is a fundamental part of the liberty of the church to stay first and foremost open towards God’s word. Consequently, the efforts devoted to the survival of the church have to be redirected to a concentration on a timely actualization of its mission. The church has to bear witness not to itself but to the »sound of the Easter morning« perceivable even today. The unity of the church, characterized by reciprocal diversity, becomes an incidental by-product of its vital focus on God’s word.
Re-präsentation und Übersetzung als zentrale Aufgaben einer Öffentlichen Theologie und Religionspädagogik
Authors: Pirner Manfred L. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The social-philosophical discussion about the role of religion in late modern society opens up new perspectives for a public theology in general and a public religious pedagogy in specific. This contribution develops some of these perspectives referencing primarily Jürgen Habermas’ proposal to understand secularization as a common complementary process of learning of religious and non-religious people, in which translation gains central relevance. The consequences for religious pedagogy include the foundation as well as the conceptualization and impact of public religious learning.
Imago Dei
Authors: Kunstmann Joachim 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Theological anthropology determines the human being as image of God. He/she is a social being directed towards a counterpart. This is plausible from a psychological perspective as well: the experiences of meaning, happiness, longing and love define the life of the individual in an essential way; these sentiments can be experienced primarily in relation with others or with nature and culture. Based on such existential considerations, religious pedagogy can devote itself to (more) concrete questions and human experiences. It is thereby leaving the traditional scheme of given teaching content and addressee behind, which cannot convince any longer and which is neither overcome by elementarization nor by performative religious didactics. Religion is symbolic interpretation of life; therefore religious pedagogy is plausible inasmuch as it takes questions of (the meaning of) life as its start and brings them to a religious interpretation.
Review of the Ordovician stratigraphy and fauna of the Anarak Region in Central Iran
Authors: Popov Leonid E. , Hairapetian Vachik , Evans David H. , Pour Mansoureh Ghobadi , Holmer Lars E. , Baars Christian 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The Ordovician sedimentary succession of the Pol-e Khavand area, situated on the northern margin of the Yazd block, has important differences from those in other parts of Central Iran. It has been established that the presumably terminal Cambrian to Lower Ordovician volcano-sedimentary Polekhavand Formation, exposed in the Pol-e Khavand area, has non-conformable contact with greenschists of the Doshakh Metamorphic Complex. The succeeding, mainly siliciclastic Chahgonbad Formation contains low to moderately diverse faunal assemblages, including brachiopods, cephalopods, trilobites and tentaculitids. The Darriwilian age of the lower part of the formation is well established by the co-occurrence of brachiopod genera Camerella, Phragmorthis, Tritoechia and Yangtzeella. The associated rich cephalopod fauna is different from the Darriwilian cephalopod associations of the Alborz terrane and may show some affinity with warm water faunas of North China and South Korea. It is likely that the Mid Ordovician fauna recovered from the lower part of the Chahgonbad Formation settled in the area sometime during a warming episode in the late Darriwilian. By contrast the low diversity mid Katian brachiopod association includes only three taxa, which occur together with the trilobite Vietnamia cf. teichmulleri and abundant, but poorly preserved tentaculitids questionably assigned to the genus Costatulites. This faunal association bears clear signatures linking it to the contemporaneous cold water faunas of the Arabian, Mediterranean and North African segments of Gondwana. Four brachiopod species recovered from the Chahgonbad Formation, including Hibernodonta lakhensis, Hindella prima, Lomatorthis? multilamellosa and Yangtzeella chupananica are new to science.
Forecasting Mortality using Imputed Data: The Case of Taiwan
Authors: Luo Sheng-Feng , Teng Huei-Wen , Lee Yu-Hsuan 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Mortality forecasting plays an essential role in designing welfare policies and pricing aged-related financial derivatives. However, most prevailing models do not perform well in mortality forecasting particularly for the elder people. Indeed, the problem of missing category for the elderly is a typical feature in developing countries, because people are shorter-lived in earlier times and hence the mortality is recorded up to fewer age categories. For example, in Taiwan, the mortality is recorded up to an age of 95 before 1997, but as the improvement of life expectancy, the mortality is recorded up to an age of 100 afterwards. This paper proposes several approaches for data imputation to alleviate this systematic missing data problem of the mortality data. Motivated by Lee, and Carter. 1992. “Modelling and Forecasting the Time Series of US Mortality.” Journal of the American Statistical Association 87:659–71 and Renshaw, and Haberman. 2006. “A Cohort-Based Extension to the Lee-Carter Model for Mortality Reduction Factors.” Insurance: Mathematics and Economics 38:556–70, we employ factor models, in which age, period, and cohort are employed as useful effects. Simulation study and an empirical study using mortality data of Taiwan demonstrate the improvement in forecasting using a suitable data augmentation technique.
Influence of Machine Exploitation Effectiveness on Furniture Production Quality Level
Authors: Stasiak-Betlejewska Renata , Prístavka Miroslav , Czajkowska Agnieszka , Tóth Marián 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
One of the most important factors determining the company‘s capacity to produce high quality products is the level of machinery operation effectiveness. Companies having modern machinery are characterized by high productivity. To obtain a high quality product, the equipment should be properly used, without any failure, which contributes significantly to the exploitation level increase. The modernity level and the exploitation effectiveness level for chosen machine producing furniture components in relation to the product quality level were analysed in the paper. As a result of the research findings analysis, proposals for corrective actions with regard to machinery maintenance and production processes were presented.
Directional representation of data in Linear Discriminant Analysis
Authors: Grala-Michalak Jolanta 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Sometimes feature representations of measured individuals are better described by spherical coordinates than Cartesian ones. The author proposes to introduce a preprocessing step in LDA based on the arctangent transformation of spherical coordinates. This nonlinear transformation does not change the dimension of the data, but in combination with LDA it leads to a dimension reduction if the raw data are not linearly separated. The method is presented using various examples of real and artificial data.
Evaluation of the usability of single extractors in chemical analysis of composts using principal component analysis
Authors: Jakubus Monika , Graczyk Małgorzata 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The usability of various single extractors in the chemical analysis of composts was evaluated using principal component analysis. Ten different single extractors were used to determine the contents of microelements obtained in the chemical extraction of four different composts. It was found that principal component analysis is a satisfactory statistical method enabling the comparison of different solutions in terms of efficiency of extraction of microelements from composts of different composition. The results showed that 1mol dm-3 HCL and 10% HNO3 solutions had the highest extraction strength, and 0.01mol dm-3 CaCl2 and 1mol dm-3 NH4NO3 the lowest.
Optical investigations of ZnO layers affected by some selected gases in the aspect of their application in optical gas sensors
Authors: Struk P. , Pustelny T. , Gołaszewska K. , Borysiewicz M.A. , Piotrowska A. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
The paper presents the results of investigations of zinc oxide (ZnO) layers as a potential sensing material, being affected by certain selected gaseous environments. The investigations concerned the optical transmission through thin ZnO layers in wide spectral ranges from ultraviolet to the near infrared. The effect of the gaseous environment on the optical properties of zinc oxide layers with a thickness of ~ 400 nm was analyzed applying various technologies of ZnO manufacturing. Three kinds of ZnO layers were exposed to the effect of the gaseous environment, viz.: layers with relatively slight roughness (RMS several nm), layers with a considerable surface roughness (RMS some score of nm) and layers characterized by porous ZnO structures. The investigations concerned spectral changes in the transmission properties of the ZnO layers due to the effect of such gases as: ammonia (NH3), hydrogen (H2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the atmosphere of synthetic air. The obtained results indicated the possibility of applying porous ZnO layered structures in optical gas sensors.
Pyramidal ceramic armor ability to defeat projectile threat by changing its trajectory
Authors: Stanislawek S. , Morka A. , Niezgoda T. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
This paper presents a numerical study of a multilayer composite panel impacted by an AP (Armor Piercing) 14.5×114 mm B32 projectile. The composite consists of alternating layers of hard ceramic and a ductile aluminum alloy. While the alloy layer consists of typical plate, ceramics confront projectiles in the form of ceramic pyramids. The studied models are compared with a reference structure, which is a standard double layer panel.
The problem has been solved with the usage of modeling and simulation methods as well as a finite elements method implemented in LS-DYNA software. Space discretization for each option was built with three dimensional elements ensuring satisfying accuracy of the calculations. For material behavior simulation, specific models including the influence of the strain rate and temperature changes were considered. A steel projectile and aluminum plate material were described by the Johnson-Cook model and a ceramic target by the Johnson-Holmquist model.
The obtained results indicate that examined structures can be utilized as a lightweight ballistic armor in certain conditions. However, panels consisting of sets of ceramic prisms are a little easier to penetrate. Despite this fact, a ceramic layer is much less susceptible to overall destruction, making it more applicable for the armor usage. What is most important in this study is that significant projectile trajectory deviation is detected, depending on the impact point. Such an effect may be utilized in solutions, where a target is situated relatively far from an armor.
Optimization of process parameters of friction stir welded AA 5083-O aluminum alloy using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Jannet S. , Mathews P. Koshy , Raja R. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
A methodology was exhibited to create the experimental model for assessing the Ultimate Tensile Strength of AA 5083-O aluminum compound which is broadly utilized as a part of boat building industry by Friction Stir Welding (FSW). FSW process parameters, such as: tool rotational speed, welding speed, and axial force were optimized for better results. FSW was completed considering three-component 3-level Box Behnekn Design. Response surface Methodology (RSM) was implemented to obtain the relationship between the FSW process parameters and ultimate Tensile Strength. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) procedure was utilized to check the aptness of the created model. The FSW process parameters were additionally streamlined utilizing Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to augment tensile strength. The joint welded at a rotational speed of 1100 rpm, a welding speed of 75 mm/min and a pivotal energy of 2.5 t displays higher tensile strength compared with different joints in comparison with other joints.
Single web camera robust interactive eye-gaze tracking method
Authors: Wojciechowski A. , Fornalczyk K. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract
Eye-gaze tracking is an aspect of human-computer interaction still growing in popularity,. Tracking human gaze point can help control user interfaces and may help evaluate graphical user interfaces. At the same time professional eye-trackers are very expensive and thus unavailable for most of user interface researchers and small companies. The paper presents very effective, low cost, computer vision based, interactive eye-gaze tracking method. On contrary to other authors results the method achieves very high precision (about 1.5 deg horizontally and 2.5 deg vertically) at 20 fps performance, exploiting a simple HD web camera with reasonable environment restrictions. The paper describes the algorithms used in the eye-gaze tracking method and results of experimental tests, both static absolute point of interest estimation, and dynamic functional gaze controlled cursor steering.