bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of drugs of abuse in Cerumen ‐ correlation of postmortem analysis results with those for blood, urine and hair
Authors: Meier Sylvia I. , Koelzer Sarah C. , Schubert‐Zsilavecz Manfred , Toennes Stefan W. 
Published: February 2017

The evaluation of drug and alcohol abuse is a major subject of forensic toxicology. Assessment of drug abstinence currently requires the analysis of urine or hair. In the present study cerumen, a mixture of sebum and sweat, was tested as an alternative.Postmortem samples (blood, urine, hair and cerumen from 38 corpses) were analyzed using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, each coupled to mass spectrometry (LC–MS, GC–MS). The results were compared.In all cases of recent drug use (i.e. detection of opiates, amphetamine and derivatives, cocaine, methadone and diazepam or their metabolites in blood) the corresponding cerumen was positive. In 3 cases, where drugs could only be detected in urine, cerumen was also found to be positive. Even in cases where only hair was positive cerumen still contained analytes in some instances (52.5%). However, cannabis use was only detected in 31.6% of cerumen samples of the deceased cannabis users. Unexpectedly, not tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was detected but its oxidized form, cannabinol.The present results suggest that cerumen is a promising alternative for drugs of abuse testing. The detection time window of cerumen is obviously in excess of that of urine but not as long as with hair. However, current problems with the detection of cannabinoids require further research. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The theory of island biogeography applies to ectomycorrhizal fungi in subalpine tree “islands” at a fine scale
Authors: Glassman Sydney I. , Lubetkin Kaitlin C. , Chung Judy A. , Bruns Thomas D. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe theory of island biogeography, which predicts that species richness is a function of island size and distance from the mainland, is well tested with macro‐fauna and flora. Yet, in many ways, microbes are more appropriate for testing this and other ecological theories due to their small size and short generation times that translate to an ease of replication. We used a natural experimental system of isolated “host islands” to test the generality of the theory of island biogeography. Specifically, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) richness increased with tree size and decreased with distance from forest in a subalpine basin in Yosemite National Park for two congeneric pine species, Pinus albicaulis and Pinus contorta. We determined EMF richness with next‐generation sequencing, measured the size and age of each tree island (n = 40), and calculated geographic distances from each tree to the nearest forest edge. We found that EMF richness increased with island size (as measured by tree volume) and tree age for both pine species and decreased with distance from forest edge for P. albicaulis. Thus, we show the applicability of the theory to microbial symbionts in harsh, dry, and likely non‐equilibrium systems. In addition, we found that despite the fact that our tree islands had a mean age of 65 yr, a pioneer community of EMF dominated. We interpret this as evidence that water stress interacts with succession to create a sustained period of early‐stage fungi even in mature trees.
Passerine morphology: external measurements of approximately one‐quarter of passerine bird species
Authors: Ricklefs Robert E. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractStudies of community organization and clade diversification that include functional traits have become an important component of the analysis of ecological and evolved systems. Such studies frequently are limited by availability of consistently collected data. Here, I present a data set including eight measurements of the external morphology of 1642 species, roughly one‐quarter of all passerine birds (Aves: Order Passeriformes), from all parts of the world, characterizing the relative proportions of the wing, tail, legs, and beak. Specimens were measured opportunistically over the past 40 years in museums in the United States and Europe. Numbers of individuals measured per species vary from one to dozens in some cases. Measurements for males and females of sexually size‐dimorphic species are presented separately. The measurements include total length, the lengths of the wing, tail, tarsus, and middle toe, and the length, breadth, and depth of the beak. Particular attention was paid to obtaining a broad representation of passerine higher taxa, with special interest in small families and subfamilies of passerines, as well as species produced by evolutionary radiations of birds in archipelagoes, including the Galapagos, Hawaii, and the Lesser Antilles. Taxonomy follows the Taxonomy in Flux (TIF) checklist as well as the World Bird List of the International Ornithological Council. Geographic distributions are summarized from Edwards's Coded List of Birds of the World. Coverage of taxa and geographic regions varies and reflects the changing interests of the author over the past four decades. North American and South American species are particularly well represented in the sample, as well as species belonging to the families Tyrannidae, Furnariidae, Thamnophilidae, Mimidae, Sturnidae, Fringillidae, Parulidae, Icteridae, Cardinalidae, and Thraupidae.
An experimental test of fitness variation across a hydrologic gradient predicts willow and poplar species distributions
Authors: Wei Xiaojing , Savage Jessica A. , Riggs Charlotte E. , Cavender‐Bares Jeannine 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEnvironmental filtering is an important community assembly process influencing species distributions. Contrasting species abundance patterns along environmental gradients are commonly used to provide evidence for environmental filtering. However, the same abundance patterns may result from alternative or concurrent assembly processes. Experimental tests are an important means to decipher whether species fitness varies with environment, in the absence of dispersal constraints and biotic interactions, and to draw conclusions about the importance of environmental filtering in community assembly. We performed an experimental test of environmental filtering in 14 closely related willow and poplar species (family Salicaceae) by transplanting cuttings of each species into 40 common gardens established along a natural hydrologic gradient in the field, where competition was minimized and herbivory was controlled. We analyzed species fitness responses to the hydrologic environment based on cumulative growth and survival over two years using aster fitness models. We also examined variation in nine drought and flooding tolerance traits expected to contribute to performance based on a priori understanding of plant function in relation to water availability and stress. We found substantial evidence that environmental filtering along the hydrologic gradient played a critical role in determining species distributions. Fitness variation of each species in the field experiment was used to model their water table depth optima. These optima predicted 68% of the variation in species realized hydrologic niches based on peak abundance in naturally assembled communities in the surrounding region. Multiple traits associated with water transport efficiency and water stress tolerance were correlated with species hydrologic niches, but they did not necessarily covary with each other. As a consequence, species occupying similar hydrologic niches had different combinations of trait values. Moreover, individual traits were less phylogenetically conserved than species hydrologic niches and integrated water stress tolerance as determined by multiple traits. We conclude that differential fitness among species along the hydrologic gradient was the consequence of multiple traits associated with water transport and water stress tolerance, expressed in different combinations by different species. Varying environmental tolerance, in turn, played a critical role in driving niche segregation among close relatives along the hydrologic gradient.
Restriction of oil migration in tahini halva via organogelation
Authors: Öğütcü Mustafa , Arifoğlu Nazan , Yılmaz Emin 
Published: February 2017

Tahini halva is a famous traditional confectionery product mostly consumed in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Balkan countries, with a continuously rising consumption rates. With the increase in production, problems such as oil migration, causing an unpleasant appearance are emerging especially during prolonged storage of halva products. Thus, in the present study, tahini halva was prepared via organogelation technique with natural organogelators such as sunflower, shellac, and beeswax at different addition levels (1, 3, and 5%) and the effect of these additives on preventing the oil migration was evaluated by comparing with a commercial emulsifier (hydrogenated palm stearine). The evaluation of the physico–chemical, morphological, textural, and sensory properties of the halva samples revealed that sunflower and shellac wax at 3 and 5% addition levels led to a reasonable reduction of the oil migration problem and these products were quite similar with the control sample containing hydrogenated palm stearine. Furthermore, in all samples oil leakage was below 7%. Addition of the natural waxes did not negatively affect the textural and sensory properties of tahini halva. In conclusion, shellac and sunflower wax might be successfully used instead of hydrogenated palm stearine in confectioneries such as tahini halva.Practical applications: Oil migration is one of the major problem in oil based food products such as chocolate, emulsions, fillings, confectionery, and halva. This problem can cause quality and nutritional problems, as well as economical losses in food industry. In this reason, natural waxes were used to prevent oil migration in tahini halva. Tahini halva can be successfully prepared with natural waxes and the textural properties of tahini halva are not negatively affected by addition of natural waxes. Organogelation is effective in restricting oil migration in tahini halva. Natural waxes, sunflower, shellac, and beeswax, may reduce use of hydrogenated food additives as oil stabilizers in halva processing.Natural waxes are at least as effective as hydrogenated palm stearine for improving the oil separation problem in tahini halva.
Cyclic Lipopeptide Antibiotic Daptomycin Electrochemical Oxidation at a Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Machini Wesley B. S. , Oliveira‐Brett A. M. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDaptomycin was the first approved drug from a new class of antimicrobials, the cyclic lipopeptides, and presents a broad spectrum of activity against a wide range of gram‐positive bacteria. The daptomycin redox behaviour, by cyclic, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry, in a wide pH range, at a glassy carbon electrode, was investigated. The daptomycin oxidation was a two‐step irreversible diffusion‐controlled process and the diffusion coefficient DDPT = 2.32 × 10−5 cm2 s−1, was calculated. A detection limit LOD = 0.32 μM, was obtained. For the first time daptomycin, in fetal bovine serum biological fluid, using DP voltammetry, was determined.
Electrochemical Simultaneous Sensing of Melatonin, Dopamine and Acetaminophen at Platinum Doped and Decorated Alpha Iron Oxide
Authors: Manikandan Palinci Nagarajan , Dharuman Venkataraman 
Published: February 2017

AbstractSimultaneous sensing of dopamine (DA), acetaminophen (AP) and melatonin (MEL) was made by electrochemical method as the drugs melatonin and acetaminophen interact with dopamine in brain to induce neuro disorders. The glassy carbon electrode surface was modified with un‐doped α‐ Fe2O3, platinum doped Fe2O3 (dPtFe2O3), Pt decorated Fe2O3 (sPtFe2O3) and doped and decorated Fe2O3 (sdPtFe2O3) nano particles that are synthesized by co‐precipitation method in presence of polyethylene glycol for the first time. These particles were characterized using Ultra‐Violet Visible (UV‐Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrochemical techniques. The sdPtFe2O3 showed the highest catalytic activity than the dPtFe2O3, sPtFe2O3 and un‐doped α‐ Fe2O3 with well separated voltammetric peaks for DA and AP in presence of MEL. This is attributed to higher surface hydration effects of the sdPtFe2O3, dPtFe2O3 and sPtFe2O3 than the un‐doped Fe2O3 which plays a vital role in enhancing the melatonin sensing in presence of dopamine and acetaminophen. Linear ranges and lowest detection limits for all three analytes were increased by 10 times for the sdPtFe2O3 compared to other Fe2O3 modified electrodes. The sensor is validated using commercially available pharmaceutical drugs used in therapeutics.
Complementary medicine for treatment of agitation and delirium in older persons: a systematic review and narrative synthesis
Authors: Levy Ilana , Attias Samuel , Ben‐Arye Eran , Bloch Boaz , Schiff Elad 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundAgitation and delirium frequently occur in cognitively impaired older people. We conducted a systematic review with narrative synthesis of the literature aiming to assess effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities to address these conditions.MethodsFollowing preliminary search, we included 40 original researches on CAM treatment of delirium and agitation in older persons. Then, the quality of these studies was assessed using the Downs and Black Checklist and Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs, and the effect sizes were calculated. We subsequently conducted a narrative synthesis of the main findings, including theory development, preliminary synthesis, exploration of relationships within and between studies, and assessment of synthesis robustness.ResultsForty articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Sixteen of these were randomized controlled trials. One article specifically addressed CAM treatment of delirium in patients without dementia, and the remaining 39 articles described treatments of agitated older persons with dementia. Thirty‐five of the 40 included studies suggested that the investigated CAM therapies may ameliorate the severity of agitation and delirium. The physiological surrogates of agitation assessed in these studies included cortisol level, chromogranin A level, and heart rate variability. Very few of the studies systematically assessed safety issues, although no major adverse effects were reported.ConclusionOverall, the systematic review of the literature suggests that several CAM modalities are potentially beneficial in the treatment of agitation and delirium among older persons. We suggest that promising CAM modalities should be further explored through large‐scale randomized controlled trials in different clinical settings. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in South‐East Asian patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: prevalence, subtypes, and risk factors
Authors: Yatawara Chathuri , Hiu Shaun , Tan Laura , Kandiah Nagaendran 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundThe subtypes and risk factors of neuropsychiatric symptoms remain largely unexplored in South‐East Asian populations.ObjectiveWe investigated the prevalence, subtypes, and risk factors, namely, demographic, medical morbidity, and cognitive impairment associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms in a South‐East Asian cohort of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.MethodsA clinical cohort of 38 MCI and 198 mild–moderate dementia patients were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory‐Questionnaire.ResultsNeuropsychiatric symptoms were equally prevalent among patients with MCI (74%) and mild–moderate dementia (85%). Three subtypes of symptoms were identified for each diagnostic group; for MCI, they included mood disturbances, anxiety/sleep problems, and psychosis, while for dementia, the subtypes included behavioral disturbances, psychosis/mood, and hyperactive behaviors. The largest risk for neuropsychiatric symptoms for both MCI and dementia patients was male gender. Among patients with MCI, burden of cerebrovascular disease and global cognitive impairment were small risks for neuropsychiatric symptoms, while for patients with dementia, an older age (>65 years) was a small risk and lower educational attainment was a moderate risk.DiscussionThese findings contribute to the worldwide epidemiology of neuropsychiatric symptoms in MCI and dementia and highlight that the profile of symptoms, subtypes, and risks is fairly homogenous across Western and Asian cultures. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of anxiety on the progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia in Chinese and English data bases: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Xiao‐Xue , Li Zheng 
Published: February 2017

ObjectiveIt remains unclear whether or not anxiety increases the risk of dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to investigate the risk of dementia among people with MCI and anxiety compared with those with MCI and no anxiety.MethodsThe hazard ratio of conversion to dementia in people with anxiety and MCI was compared with those without anxiety and was calculated using a generic inverse variance method with fixed effect models.ResultsEleven studies from the English and Chinese databases were included, seven of which were included in the meta‐analysis. The pooled hazard ratio of conversion to dementia was 1.18 95% CI [1.07, 1.31] (p = 0.002) in the group of MCI plus anxiety compared with those without anxiety.ConclusionThe results suggest that anxiety increases the risk of progression to dementia in people with MCI. Future interventions targeting anxiety management in vulnerable people with MCI may reduce the risk of dementia. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Different apathy clinical profile and neural correlates in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Fernández‐Matarrubia Marta , Matías‐Guiu Jordi A. , Cabrera‐Martín María Nieves , Moreno‐Ramos Teresa , Valles‐Salgado María , Carreras José Luis , Matías‐Guiu Jorge 
Published: February 2017

ObjectivesApathy is one of the most common and disabling syndromes of dementia. Clinical apathy expression and neuroanatomical basis of apathy seem to differ between behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), although evidence is scarce and poorly understood. Our main purposes were to compare the clinical apathy profile from patients with bvFTD and AD and analyze the relationship between apathy and brain metabolism measured using positron emission tomography imaging with 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG‐PET).MethodsForty‐two bvFTD, 42 AD, and 30 healthy volunteers without cognitive or behavioral complaints were included. Apathy was defined using Robert's 2009 diagnostic criteria, and specific apathy characteristics were assessed with the Lille Apathy Rating Scale. All participants underwent FDG‐PET brain scan to provide data for voxel‐based morphometric analysis.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed that subjects affected by bvFTD displayed greater impairment of emotional apathy and self‐awareness in comparison with AD sample. Additionally, FDG‐PET imaging analyses revealed that apathy was associated with different neuroanatomical substrates in each dementia group: left lateral prefrontal, medial frontal/anterior cingulate, lateral orbitofrontal and anterior insular cortices in bvFTD, and right anterior cingulate in AD.ConclusionsThese results support that apathy is a complex syndrome, with different clinical expressions across different pathological conditions. Those differences in qualitative aspects of apathy seem to be associated with differences in the damage sites, as shown by our FDG‐PET imaging analysis. Our findings provide a better knowledge about pathophysiology of apathy in dementia, which could have practical implications for therapeutic management. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coronary artery calcification and cognitive function: cross‐sectional results from the ELSA‐Brasil study
Authors: Suemoto Claudia K. , Bittencourt Marcio S. , Santos Itamar S. , Benseñor Isabela M. , Lotufo Paulo A. 
Published: February 2017

ObjectivesWe examined the relationship between coronary artery calcification (CAC) score and performance in cognitive tests in a large Brazilian sample.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional study, 4104 participants (mean age = 50.9 ± 8.8 years old, 54% female) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health had complete information for CAC and cognitive tests. We used linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographics, cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and body mass index), depression, and thyroid function. To investigate potential different associations for middle‐aged and older adults, we stratified the analysis by age groups.ResultsParticipants with CAC ≥ 100 Agatston score had poorer performance in the trail making test compared to those with CAC < 100 Agatston score (β = −0.101, 95% CI = −0.194; −0.010, p = 0.03). We did not find any other association between CAC and cognitive tests. When we investigated the effect modification between CAC and age on cognitive tests, only the effect modification on global cognition (p = 0.02) and trail making test was significant (p = 0.0003).ConclusionsHigher CAC was weakly associated with poorer performance in an executive function test in a large sample from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abnormal task driven neural oscillations in multiple sclerosis: A visuomotor MEG study
Authors: Barratt Eleanor L. , Tewarie Prejaas K. , Clarke Margareta A. , Hall Emma L. , Gowland Penny A. , Morris Peter G. , Francis Susan T. , Evangelou Nikos , Brookes Matthew J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease commonly attributed to degradation of white matter myelin. Symptoms include fatigue, as well as problems associated with vision and movement. Although areas of demyelination in white matter are observed routinely in patients undergoing MRI scans, such measures are often a poor predictor of disease severity. For this reason, it is instructive to measure associated changes in brain function. Widespread white‐matter demyelination may lead to delays of propagation of neuronal activity, and with its excellent temporal resolution, magnetoencephalography can be used to probe such delays in controlled conditions (e.g., during a task). In healthy subjects, responses to visuomotor tasks are well documented: in motor cortex, movement elicits a localised decrease in the power of beta band oscillations (event‐related beta desynchronisation) followed by an increase above baseline on movement cessation (post‐movement beta rebound (PMBR)). In visual cortex, visual stimulation generates increased gamma oscillations. In this study, we use a visuomotor paradigm to measure these responses in MS patients and compare them to age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls. We show a significant increase in the time‐to‐peak of the PMBR in patients which correlates significantly with the symbol digit modalities test: a measure of information processing speed. A significant decrease in the amplitude of visual gamma oscillations in patients is also seen. These findings highlight the potential value of electrophysiological imaging in generating a new understanding of visual disturbances and abnormal motor control in MS patients. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2441–2453, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.