bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combined spinal‐epidural anesthesia with hypobaric ropivacaine in sitting position significantly increases the incidence of hypotension in parturients undergoing cesarean section
Authors: Xu Zhendong , Shen Fuyi , Zhang Yueqi , Tao Yiyi , Chen Xiubing , Liu Zhiqiang 
Published: December 2016

AbstractAimMaternal position during induction of combined spinal‐epidural anesthesia (CSEA) may affect hemodynamics and block characteristics. This study aimed to assess whether the sitting position is more likely to induce hypotension and higher block level than the lateral position in CSEA with hypobaric ropivacaine.MethodsNinety American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II parturients undergoing elective cesarean section were randomized into three groups: the sitting, left‐lateral, and right‐lateral position groups. The L3–4 interspace was selected as the puncture site, and subarachnoid injection of 2.5 mL 0.5% hypobaric ropivacaine was administered. After the epidural catheter was inserted and fixed, the patient's position was changed to the left‐leaning supine position. The blood pressure was measured once every 1 min followed by once every 3 min after the delivery. The sensory block level was regularly measured.ResultsA total of 88 parturients were included in this study. The incidences of hypotension in the sitting, left‐lateral, and right‐lateral position groups were 72%, 38%, and 40%, respectively, P = 0.012. Incidence and total dose of the phenylephrine supplement in the sitting position group were significantly higher than in the other two groups. The sitting position group showed a significantly higher block level (T4 [T3, T4]) as compared to the left‐lateral (T6 [T5, T6]) and right‐lateral position groups (T6 [T4, T6]), P < 0.01. The Apgar scores of neonates at 1 min and 5 min, and the pH values of the umbilical arterial and venous blood were similar among the three groups.ConclusionAs compared to the lateral positions, CSEA with hypobaric ropivacaine in the sitting position is more likely to cause hypotension and excessively high block level.
DO FEDERAL DEFICITS MOTIVATE REGIONAL FISCAL (IM)BALANCES? EVIDENCE FOR THE SPANISH CASE
Authors: Molina‐Parra Agustín , Martínez‐López Diego 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACTThis paper studies the vertical and horizontal interactions between federal and regional governments in terms of public deficits. Recent studies commonly restraint budget slippages to the incentives created by the institutional arrangements within a country. Alternatively, we estimate here a fiscal reaction function for the Spanish regions over the period 1995–2010, paying special attention to the impact of the federal fiscal stance on regional fiscal imbalances. Our results indicate that higher public deficits for the central government encourage larger fiscal imbalances at the regional level. This vertical interaction is interpreted in the context of yardstick competition models. We also find a significant impact from fiscal decisions taken by governments at the same decision‐making tier in a specific region.
Detecting at‐Most‐m Changes in Linear Regression Models
Authors: Horváth Lajos , Pouliot William , Wang Shixuan 
Published: December 2016

In this article, we provide a new procedure to test for at‐most‐
changes in the time‐dependent regression model
, that is, β1 = β2 = ⋯ = βT under the no‐change null hypothesis against the alternative
if
and β(j) ≠ β(ℓ) for some
with
. Our procedure is based on weighted sums of the residuals, incorporating the possibility of
changes. The weak limit of the proposed test statistic is the sum of two double‐exponential random variables. A small Monte Carlo simulation illustrates the applicability of the limit results in case of small and moderate sample sizes. We compare the new method to the cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) and standardized (weighted) CUSUM procedures and obtain the power curves of the test statistics under the alternative. We apply our method to find changes in the unconditional four‐factor capital asset pricing model.
Negotiations of Blame and Care among HIV‐positive Mothers and Daughters in South Africa's Eastern Cape
Authors: Vale Beth , Hodes Rebecca , Cluver Lucie 
Published: December 2016

AbstractResearch delineates two epidemiological categories among HIV‐positive adolescents: those who contract the virus sexually and those who inherit it as infants. In this article, we are interested in how tacit inferences about adolescents’ mode of infection contribute to their experiences of HIV‐related blame, and their ability to achieve care, in their intimate, everyday settings. The analysis arises from ethnographic research with 23 HIV‐positive adolescents living in South Africa's Eastern Cape. From these, we draw particularly on the narratives of four HIV‐positive teenage girls and their HIV‐positive mothers. The article explores the social stakes entailed in ascriptions of adolescents’ mode of infection, particularly in terms of how blame was allocated between mothers and daughters. It further considers how these families have sought to negotiate repudiation and thereby sustain intergenerational care. The article furthers limited research on the life projects and dilemmas of this HIV‐positive adolescent cohort.
Monitoring Brain Activity of Geriatric Learners With Low‐Cost Neurophysiological Technology
Authors: Romero‐Hall Enilda , Scott JoAnne 
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACTCultural stereotypes rooted in both antiquated data and misinterpretation of data have long perpetuated the belief that older adults are unable to learn new concepts because they are doomed to lose brain cells at an alarming rate during their geriatric years. However, advances in neurophysiological technologies that allow researchers to observe the functional structures of the brain, as opposed to the individual's observable behavior, provide new insights about geriatric learners' brain processes during learning. This article aims to explore the opportunities offered and challenges posed by using low‐cost electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor the brain activity of geriatric learners during learning activities. The article defines geriatric learners; discusses instructional theories and strategies for geriatric learners; and examines the potential contributions of using low‐cost EEGs to monitor the brain of geriatric learners during the learning process.
Profiling the extended phenotype of plant pathogens
Authors: Preston Gail M. 
Published: December 2016

SummaryOne of the most fundamental questions in plant pathology is what determines whether a pathogen grows within a plant? This question is frequently studied in terms of the role of elicitors and pathogenicity factors in the triggering or overcoming of host defences. However, this focus fails to address the basic question of how the environment in host tissues acts to support or restrict pathogen growth. Efforts to understand this aspect of host–pathogen interactions are commonly confounded by several issues, including the complexity of the plant environment, the artificial nature of many experimental infection systems and the fact that the physiological properties of a pathogen growing in association with a plant can be very different from the properties of the pathogen in culture. It is also important to recognize that the phenotype and evolution of pathogen and host are inextricably linked through their interactions, such that the environment experienced by a pathogen within a host, and its phenotype within the host, is a product of both its interaction with its host and its evolutionary history, including its co‐evolution with host plants. As the phenotypic properties of a pathogen within a host cannot be defined in isolation from the host, it may be appropriate to think of pathogens as having an ‘extended phenotype’ that is the product of their genotype, host interactions and population structure within the host environment. This article reflects on the challenge of defining and studying this extended phenotype, in relation to the questions posed below, and considers how knowledge of the phenotype of pathogens in the host environment could be used to improve disease control.

What determines whether a pathogen grows within a plant?

What aspects of pathogen biology should be considered in describing the extended phenotype of a pathogen within a host?

How can we study the extended phenotype in ways that provide insights into the phenotypic properties of pathogens during natural infections?
Barley susceptibility factor RACB modulates transcript levels of signalling protein genes in compatible interaction with Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei
Authors: Schnepf Vera , Vlot A. Corina , Kugler Karl , Hückelhoven Ralph 
Published: December 2016

SummaryRHO (rat sarcoma homologue) GTPases (guanosine triphosphatases) are regulators of downstream transcriptional responses of eukaryotes to intracellular and extracellular stimuli. For plants, little is known about the function of Rho‐like GTPases [called RACs (rat sarcoma‐related C botulinum substrate) or ROPs (RHO of plants)] in transcriptional reprogramming of cells. However, in plant hormone response and innate immunity, RAC/ROP proteins influence gene expression patterns. The barley RAC/ROP RACB is required for full susceptibility of barley to the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh). We compared the transcriptomes of barley plants either silenced for RACB or over‐expressing constitutively activated RACB with and without inoculation with Bgh. This revealed a large overlap of the barley transcriptome during the early response to Bgh and during the over‐expression of constitutively activated RACB. Global pathway analyses and stringent analyses of differentially expressed genes suggested that RACB influences, amongst others, the expression of signalling receptor kinases. Transient induced gene silencing of RACB‐regulated signalling genes (a leucine‐rich repeat protein, a leucine‐rich repeat receptor‐like kinase and an S‐domain SD1‐receptor‐like kinase) suggested that they might be involved in RACB‐modulated susceptibility to powdery mildew. We discuss the function of RACB in regulating the transcriptional responses of susceptible barley to Bgh.
Exploring psychiatric comorbidities and their effects on quality of life in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Authors: Ertem Devrimsel H. , Dirican Ayten C. , Aydın Agah , Baybas Sevim , Sözmen Vedat , Ozturk Musa , Altunkaynak Yavuz 
Published: December 2016

AimThe relation of epilepsy with psychiatric disorders is of great interest to researchers due to its behavioral, social, and cognitive outcomes. In this study, we explored psychiatric comorbidity and its effects on quality of life (QOL) in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).MethodsThirty patients with MTLE, 30 patients with JME, and 30 healthy controls underwent the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV (SCID‐I) to diagnose psychiatric disorders. None of the subjects had previously undergone psychiatric examination. The Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory‐89 (QOLIE‐89) was used to assess QOL. We compared psychiatric comorbidity among groups and evaluated its effects on QOL.ResultsWe detected comorbid psychiatric disorders in 37% of patients with JME and in 57% of patients with MTLE. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were less frequent in healthy controls compared to the patient groups (P = 0.029). Comparing demographic and clinical features of patients with JME and MTLE and their mean QOL scores, there was no statistical difference. Furthermore, we compared QOLIE scores between patients with and without psychiatric comorbidity. JME patients with mood disorders had lower scores on the Attention/Concentration subscale (P = 0.013). MTLE patients with a psychotic disorder had lower scores on the Social Isolation, Energy, and Fatigue subscales (P = 0.045). Patients with somatoform disorders had higher Pain scores (P = 0.04).ConclusionOur study suggests that comorbid psychiatric disorders negatively affect patients’ QOL regardless of seizure syndrome. Comorbid psychiatric conditions should be determined to increase QOL in patients with epilepsy.
In vivo Confocal Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of the Effects of Infrared Radiation in the Human Skin Dermis
Authors: Lopes Monica Bergamo , Rajasekaran Ramu , Lopes Cançado Ana Clara Figueira , Martin Airton Abrahão 
Published: December 2016

AbstractHuman skin is the outer covering of the body, and its composition changes with overexposure to environmental pollution and solar radiation. Infrared (IR) radiation is capable of penetrating more deeply into the skin producing free radicals causing irreversible damage. Confocal Raman spectroscopy was considered as a potential tool for the in vivo analysis of the different metabolic conditions with respect to different depths of the skin. In this regard, this work verifies the influence of infrared radiation on the skin dermis after having been exposed to 432 J cm−2 which corresponds to the dose received in a day in the summer time in a tropical region. This study was performed with 17 female volunteers who were divided into two groups. The marked skin area was exposed twice to IR radiation for a duration of 30 min each with an interval of 30 min. The spectral signatures were collected in the fingerprint region before (T0) and after 60 min (T60) of IR irradiation. The analysis shows that, on average, no significant variations occurred in group I and decreased collagen was observed in group II. However, when considering the effect seen in each individual, collagen degradation was detected in 60% of volunteers.
Legislative Behavior in the Seventh European Parliament and the Regulation of Shale Gas Development in the European Union
Authors: Wendling Zachary A. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractThis study addresses the regulation of shale gas development in the European Union, the role of the European Parliament in the formation of such regulation, and the factors that are associated with legislative behavior in the Seventh European Parliament. I test hypotheses about the influence of member state‐level characteristics related to the benefits and risks of shale gas such as economic development, decarbonization, energy security, and environmental protection. The results show that the member state‐level characteristics are weakly related to the voting behavior of members of the European Parliament. Only one seems especially salient: greenhouse gas emissions intensity. Party cohesion among European political groups holds greater explanatory power, suggesting that the most influential factors are ideological rather than provincial. The EP's role as a force for environmental protection in the EU may be moderated by member state interests and the competencies justifying supranational energy policy.Highlights

The EP has rejected language both calling for moratoria and supporting high shale gas production.
Party cohesion is the strongest factor associated with roll call votes on shale gas.
MEPs may also be influenced by the potential for decarbonization.
Foreclosure, Inequality, and the Difference That Place Makes
Authors: Webb Michael D. , Brown Lawrence A. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractWhile the Great Recession and the associated rise in foreclosures significantly impacted households across the United States, default rates in rural areas and rural‐urban foreclosure differences have failed to attract substantial research attention. To expand the scale and scope of the foreclosure literature, this article examines place‐based differences in estimated foreclosure rates across U.S. counties, which are classified as urban, suburban, micropolitan, or rural. Defaults are considered both overall and for each county classification, and are related to income distribution and inequality, homeownership, adjudication of default, place‐based factors including amenity scores and proximity to urban areas, and geographic region. The article finds a complex relationship among these variables, with inequality itself negatively associated with default rates and lower‐middle−income households positively related to foreclosure. Further, while proximity to urban areas is positively related to foreclosure rates among nonurban counties, natural amenities are related to lower default rates in these areas. The article concludes by considering policy implications, and recommends expanding foreclosure mitigation and prevention strategies to nonurban places.
Mulch effect on successive crop yields and soil carbon in Tonga
Authors: Manu V. , Whitbread A. , Blair G. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractIntensification of crop production in Tonga has resulted in a move to mechanical soil preparation, often with a rotary hoe, and a consequent loss in both chemical physical fertility. An experiment was conducted on a clay loam soil (Typic Argiudoll) on the Forestry Vaini Research Station, Tongatapu Island, Tonga, to investigate the effect of a once‐off application of mulch on yield and quality of watermelon, maize and capsicum grown in rotation over a 1‐yr period. The treatments applied were a nonmulched control, transparent plastic and 200‐mm‐thick applications of locally available coconut sawdust, guinea grass and mature coconut fronds. The fresh fruit yield of watermelon in all the mulch treatments was 7.3–18.1% higher than in the nonmulched control. There was no significant effect of thick vegetative mulch on maize grain dry matter yield; however, the maize yield was significantly lower in the transparent plastic mulch than in the other treatments. The capsicum marketable fruit yield in the following crop was increased by 49–73% in all the vegetative mulch treatments compared to the non‐mulched control. The higher crop yields with the vegetative mulch were attributed to the measured lower soil temperatures and higher soil moisture in these treatments. There was no effect of mulch on soil total N (TN), but soil total C (TC), soil labile C (LC) and the carbon management index (CMI) were increased.
Spatial distribution of soil‐available phosphorus and single‐point phosphorus buffering index in the Khoy region, Iran
Authors: Momtaz H. R. , Ghasemi N. , Sepehr E. , Mousavifard S. M. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractKnowledge of the amount of nutrients in soil is required to achieve sustainable management. The objective of this study was to assess the variability of soil‐available and single‐point buffering index of phosphorus (P) in the farmlands of the Khoy region, Iran. Composite soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected at 114 locations on regular grid of 1000 m. Some soil physico‐chemical characteristics such as soil texture, soil organic matter (OM) content, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), available P (Pava) and single‐point P sorption index (PSI) were measured. Results showed that all variables in this study have spatial distribution in the effective range of 1500–4800 m. Moreover, experimental semivariograms of all studied variables were best‐fit by spherical and exponential models. Most importantly, kriged maps revealed that a major part of the study area contains high Pava, which is seemingly due to the frequent application of phosphate fertilizers along with poultry manure. Some soils in the western part showed low PSI index; they therefore need more P fertilizer application. In addition, due to the lower PSI value in the eastern half of the study region, applying less fertilizer at more frequent intervals seems to be more beneficial than larger single applications. Eventually, to reduce environmental risks and prevent the loss of natural resources, the method of applying P fertilizer needs to be mainly based on the created PSI distribution map.
Novel deletion mutation of HLA‐B*40:02 gene in acquired aplastic anemia
Authors: Jeong T.‐D. , Mun Y.‐C. , Chung H.‐S. , Seo D. , Im J. , Huh J. 
Published: December 2016

AbstractDespite prevalence of clonal evolution in patients with aplastic anemia (AA), somatic mutation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene is rarely reported. Herein, we reported a case of acquired AA (aAA) harboring a new four‐base‐pair deletion mutation within exon 4 of HLA‐B*40:02 leading to frameshift and premature stop codon. The HLA‐B*40:02 mutant allele was detected in the patient's peripheral blood sample not in patient's buccal epithelial cells. The patient received allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from HLA‐matched sibling donor. On day 30 after HSCT, the mutant HLA allele was not detected by high‐resolution sequence‐based HLA typing. Serial chimerism analyses showed mixed chimeric status indicative of coexisting donor and recipient hematopoietic cells. Our data could provide additional support in view of pathophysiology of aAA that somatic mutation of HLA‐B*40:02 allele is one of the possible origin of clonal escape to evade immune attack in patient with aAA.
Transcriptomic profiling of platelet senescence and platelet extracellular vesicles
Authors: Pienimaeki‐Roemer Annika , Konovalova Tatiana , Musri Melina M. , Sigruener Alexander , Boettcher Alfred , Meister Gunter , Schmitz Gerd 
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUNDPlatelets (PLTs) are derived from megakaryocytes during PLT shedding. Senescent or activated PLTs are expanded in vascular and neurological diseases and release PLT extracellular vesicles (PL‐EVs). A systematic analysis of regular messenger RNA (mRNA) and small RNA composition in PLTs and PL‐EVs during in vitro PLT senescence has not yet been published.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe isolated PLTs, total PL‐EVs, and PL‐EV subsets on Days 0 and 5 from human stored donor platelet concentrates. Isolated mRNA species and microRNA (miRNA) species were analyzed by microarrays and deep sequencing. Correlation of mRNA and miRNA species (miR) and miRNA target analyses were performed using bioinformatics.RESULTSDuring in vitro PLT senescence, residual PLT mRNA species were decreased and partially converted to miRNA species. Residual mRNAs included encoded genes relevant for atherosclerosis, inflammation (matrix metallopeptidase 14 [MMP‐14], granulin [GRN], angiopoietin like 2 [ANGPTL2]), and neurotransmission (dopamine receptor 2 [DRD2], γ‐aminobutyric acid type A receptor ρ3 [GABRR3]). Compared with senescent PLTs, PL‐EVs have up‐regulated their miRNA species involved in “diabesity” and in vascular and metabolic disease (miR‐144‐3p, miR‐486‐5p, miR‐142‐5p, miR‐451a, miR‐25‐3p, miR‐145‐5p, and let‐7f‐5p). The 100 highest expressed PL‐EV miRNA species determined by microarrays were compared with the 100 highest expressed PL‐EV miRNA species detected by deep sequencing. This approach resulted in 66 overlaps. The regulated miRNAs (assessed by both methods) were related to neurological disorders, including targets for Alzheimer's disease (e.g., β‐site amyloid precursor protein APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 [BACE1], translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40 homolog [TOMM40], neuron navigator 3 [NAV3]).CONCLUSIONDuring in vitro senescence, PLTs degrade large RNA species. Concomitantly, they up‐regulate a distinct set of known small RNA species involved in atherosclerosis, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. PL‐EVs enrich miRNA species, likely supporting the role of PLTs and PL‐EVs in vascular homeostasis and as carriers of neurodegenerative disease‐related miRNA cargo.