bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ivabradine Attenuates the Microcirculatory Derangements Evoked by Experimental Sepsis
Authors: Miranda Marcos L. , Balarini Michelle M. , Balthazar Daniela S. , Paes Lorena S. , Santos Maria-Carolina S. , Bouskela Eliete 
Published: October 2016

Abstract

Background
Experimental data suggest that ivabradine, an inhibitor of the pacemaker current in sinoatrial node, exerts beneficial effects on endothelial cell function, but it is unclear if this drug could prevent microcirculatory dysfunction in septic subjects, improving tissue perfusion and reducing organ failure. Therefore, this study was designed to characterize the microcirculatory effects of ivabradine on a murine model of abdominal sepsis using intravital videomicroscopy.

Methods
Twenty-eight golden Syrian hamsters were allocated in four groups: sham-operated animals, nontreated septic animals, septic animals treated with saline, and septic animals treated with ivabradine (2.0 mg/kg intravenous bolus + 0.5 mg · kg−1 · h−1). The primary endpoint was the effect of ivabradine on the microcirculation of skinfold chamber preparations, assessed by changes in microvascular reactivity and rheologic variables, and the secondary endpoint was its effects on organ function, evaluated by differences in arterial blood pressure, motor activity score, arterial blood gases, and hematologic and biochemical parameters among groups.

Results
Compared with septic animals treated with saline, those treated with ivabradine had greater functional capillary density (90 ± 4% of baseline values vs. 71 ± 16%; P < 0.001), erythrocyte velocity in capillaries (87 ± 11% of baseline values vs. 62 ± 14%; P < 0.001), and arteriolar diameter (99 ± 4% of baseline values vs. 91 ± 7%; P = 0.041) at the end of the experiment. Besides that, ivabradine-treated animals had less renal, hepatic, and neurologic dysfunction.

Conclusions
Ivabradine was effective in reducing microvascular derangements evoked by experimental sepsis, which was accompanied by less organ dysfunction. These results suggest that ivabradine yields beneficial effects on the microcirculation of septic animals.
Challenges in the health economics of familial hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Norman Richard , Watts Gerald F. , Weintraub William , Gidding Samuel S. 
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review
Implementation of effective interventions often requires evidence regarding value, that is, whether they are worth what we pay for them. This review explores recent evidence concerning cost-effectiveness in familial hypercholesterolemia, and discusses the cause of, and likelihood of solutions to, the paucity of such evidence.

Recent findings
Cost-effectiveness analysis in familial hypercholesterolemia has been limited almost exclusively to adult populations. However, there is growing evidence that childhood intervention offers substantial benefit in terms of downstream health gains. Statin therapy in adults has been demonstrated to be cost-effective, but the range of novel agents that might be used will require de novo economic evaluation alongside exploration of their effect and safety profile.

Summary
The familial hypercholesterolemia field has limited evidence regarding cost-effectiveness, which limits optimum allocation of resources. Economic evaluations are necessary to appraise new agents and optimal timing of management approaches. Evaluations often have substantial data demands; consequentially, their applicability to medical decision-making or policy will be partly determined by the availability of data, particularly those providing information about the long-term trajectory of health benefit from familial hypercholesterolemia treatment.
Epidural and transcutaneous spinal electrical stimulation for restoration of movement after incomplete and complete spinal cord injury
Authors: Mayr Winfried , Krenn Matthias , Dimitrijevic Milan R. 
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review
The Purpose of this review is to outline and explain the therapeutic use of electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for modification of spinal motor output. Central functional stimulation provides afferent input to posterior root neurons and is applied to improve volitional movements, posture and their endurance, control spasticity, and improve bladder function or perfusion in the lower limbs. Clinical accomplishments strongly depend on each individual's physiological state and specific methodical adaptation to that physiological state.

Recent findings
Effectiveness of this neuromodulory technique for changing motor control after spinal cord injury (SCI) continues to be explored along with the underlying mechanisms of its effect in people with complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries. There are extensive studies of tonic and rhythmical activity elicited from the lumbar cord as well as data demonstrating augmentation of residual volitional activity. Recent studies have focused on verifying if and how SCS can modify features of neurocontrol in ambulatory spinal cord patients.

Summary
In this review, we emphasize recent publications of research revealing that SCS can substitute for the reduced brain drive for control of excitability in people with SCI. Artificially replacing diminished or lost brain control over the spinal cord has limitations. A fundamental requirement for successful SCS application is analysis of each individual's residual postinjury neural function. This will allow a better understanding of the physiological interactions between SCS and spinal cord motor control below injury and provide criteria for its application. Finally, the publication of both successful and failed applications of SCS will be crucial for gaining future progress.
Sleep-wake disturbances in the premotor and early stage of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Bargiotas Panagiotis , Schuepbach Michael W.M. , Bassetti Claudio L. 
Published: October 2016

Purpose of review
Review of recent literature pertaining to frequency, associations, mechanisms, and overall significance of sleep--wake disturbances (SWD) in the premotor and early phase of Parkinson's disease.

Recent findings
SWD are frequent in Parkinson's disease and their prevalence increases with disease progression. Recent studies confirm previous findings that SWD can appear as initial manifestation of Parkinson's disease even decades before motor signs appear and highlight their clinical associations in these early stages. More intriguingly, new evidence underpins their role as risk factors, predictors, or even as driving force for the neurodegenerative process. As our understanding of sleep--wake neurobiology increases, new hypotheses emerge concerning the pathophysiology of SWD in early Parkinson's disease stages involving dopaminergic and nondopaminergic mechanisms.

Summary
SWD are predictors for the development of parkinsonian syndromes including Parkinson's disease. This may offer the opportunity of developing new preventive strategies and interventions at an early stage of this neurodegenerative disease.
The successor representation in human reinforcement learning
Authors: Momennejad I , Russek EM , Cheong JH , Botvinick MM , Daw ND , Gershman SJ 
Published: October 2016

AbstractTheories of reward learning in neuroscience have focused on two families of algorithms, thought to capture deliberative vs. habitual choice. “Model-based” algorithms compute the value of candidate actions from scratch, whereas “model-free” algorithms make choice more efficient but less flexible by storing pre-computed action values. We examine an intermediate algorithmic family, the successor representation (SR), which balances flexibility and efficiency by storing partially computed action values: predictions about future events. These pre-computation strategies differ in how they update their choices following changes in a task. SR’s reliance on stored predictions about future states predicts a unique signature of insensitivity to changes in the task’s sequence of events, but flexible adjustment following changes to rewards. We provide evidence for such differential sensitivity in two behavioral studies with humans. These results suggest that the SR is a computational substrate for semi-flexible choice in humans, introducing a subtler, more cognitive notion of habit.
FSTand kinship for arbitrary population structures II: Method-of-moments estimators
Authors: Ochoa Alejandro , Storey John D. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractFSTand kinship are key parameters often estimated in modern population genetics studies in order to quantitatively characterize structure and relatedness. Kinship matrices have also become a fundamental quantity used in genome-wide association studies and heritability estimation. The most frequently used estimators ofFSTand kinship are method-of-moments estimators whose accuracies depend strongly on the existence of simple underlying forms of structure, such as the independent subpopulations model of non-overlapping, independently evolving subpopulations. However, modern data sets have revealed that these simple models of structure likely do not hold in many populations, including humans. In this work, we provide new results on the behavior of these estimators in the presence of arbitrarily complex population structures, which results in an improved estimation framework specifically designed for arbitrary population structures. After establishing a framework for assessing bias and consistency of genome-wide estimators, we calculate the accuracy of existingFSTand kinship estimators under arbitrary population structures, characterizing biases and estimation challenges unobserved under their originally assumed models of structure. We then present our new approach, which consistently estimates kinship andFSTwhen the minimum kinship value in the dataset is estimated consistently. We illustrate our results using simulated genotypes from an admixture model, constructing a one-dimensional geographic scenario that departs nontrivially from the independent subpopulations model. Our simulations reveal the potential for severe biases in estimates of existing approaches that are overcome by our new framework. This work may significantly improve future analyses that rely on accurate kinship andFSTestimates.
Level-Based Analysis of Genetic Algorithms and Other Search Processes
Authors: Corus Dogan , Dang Duc-Cuong , Eremeev Anton V. , Lehre Per Kristian 
Published: October 2016

AbstractUnderstanding how the time-complexity of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) depend on their parameter settings and characteristics of fitness landscapes is a fundamental problem in evolutionary computation. Most rigorous results were derived using a handful of key analytic techniques, including drift analysis. However, since few of these techniques apply effortlessly to population-based EAs, most time-complexity results concern simplified EAs, such as the (1 + 1) EA.This paper describes thelevel-based theorem, a new technique tailored to population-based processes. It applies to any non-elitist process where o spring are sampled independently from a distribution depending only on the current population. Given conditions on this distribution, our technique provides upper bounds on the expected time until the process reaches a target state.We demonstrate the technique on several pseudo-Boolean functions, the sorting problem, and approximation of optimal solutions in combina-torial optimisation. The conditions of the theorem are often straightfor-ward to verify, even for Genetic Algorithms and Estimation of Distribution Algorithms which were considered highly non-trivial to analyse. Finally, we prove that the theorem is nearly optimal for the processes considered. Given the information the theorem requires about the process, a much tighter bound cannot be proved.
Hitchhiking in space: ancestry in adapting, spatially-extended populations
Authors: Allman Brent , Weissman Daniel B. 
Published: October 2016

AbstractSelective sweeps reduce neutral genetic diversity. In sexual populations, this “hitchhiking” effect is thought to be limited to the local genomic region of the sweeping allele. While this is true in panmictic populations, we find that in spatially-extended populations the combined effects of many unlinked sweeps can affect patterns of ancestry (and therefore neutral genetic diversity) across the whole genome. Even low rates of sweeps can be enough to skew the spatial locations of ancestors such that neutral mutations that occur in an individual living outside a small region in the center of the range have virtually no chance of fixing in the population. The fact that nearly all ancestry rapidly traces back to a small spatial region also means that relatedness between individuals falls off very slowly as a function of the spatial distance between them.
Kilisun: protecting beyond the Sun
Authors: Justo Rachida , Mehra Rakhi 
Published: October 2016

Subject area
Social entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability
Undergraduate or Honours students interested in Social Enterprise.

Case overview
The case describes the challenges face by Mafalda Soto, a Spanish pharmacist, who together with two albino Tanzanian colleagues, has patented and produced the first solar lotion for the albino population made in Africa. The social organization, KiliSun, and its main product have had a remarkable success in Tanzania and have received funds from BASF and the Tanzanian government for production and distribution until 2016. However, Mafalda could not help but think about how to make a viable project out of her social innovation. For how long could she keep her collaborators on board? Where will she get the funds from? What role should she give the Tanzanian government? After all, her dream was to help albinos beyond Tanzania. It was Christmas eve, and that night, Mafalda went to bed naively asking Santa to help her make possible that every albino could one day have access to her sun lotion. This way, they also, could get closer to the sun.

Expected learning outcomes
How to finance the growth of the organization; how to design a business model that helps social enterprises become self-sustaining; how to measure social impact; and how to craft and choose strategic alliances.

Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
On proposing and evaluating a NoSQL document database logical approach
Authors: Lima Cláudio , Mello Ronaldo Santos 
Published: October 2016

Purpose
NoSQL databases do not require a default schema associated with the data. Even that, they are categorized by data models. A model associated with the data can promote better strategies for persistence and manipulation of data in the target database. Based on this motivation, the purpose of this paper is to present an approach for logical design of NoSQL document databases that consists a process that converts a conceptual modeling into efficient logical representations for a NoSQL document database. The authors also evaluate their approach and demonstrate that the generated NoSQL logical structures reduce the amount of data items accessed by queries.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an approach for logical design of NoSQL document database schemas based on a conceptual schema. The authors generate compact and redundancy-free schemas and define appropriate representations in a NoSQL document logical model. The estimated volume of data and workload information can be considered to generate optimized NoSQL document structures.

Findings
This approach was evaluated through a case study with an experimental evaluation in the e-commerce application domain. The results demonstrate that the authors’ workload-based conversion process improves query performance on NoSQL documents by reducing the number of database accesses.

Originality/value
Unlike related work, the reported approach covers all typical conceptual constructs, details a conversion process between conceptual schemas and logical representations for NoSQL document database category and, additionally, considers the estimated database workload to perform optimizations in the logical structure. An experimental evaluation shows that the proposed approach is promising.
ISML-MDE
Authors: Franky Maria Consuelo , Pavlich-Mariscal Jaime A. , Acero Maria Catalina , Zambrano Angee , Olarte John C. , Camargo Jorge , Pinzón Nicolás 
Published: October 2016

Purpose
This purpose of this paper is to present ISML-MDE, a model-driven environment that includes ISML, a platform-independent modeling language for enterprise applications; ISML-GEN, a code generation framework to automatically generate code from models; and LionWizard, a tool to automatically integrate different components into a unified codebase.

Design/methodology/approach
The development comprises five stages: standardizing architecture; refactoring and adapting existing components; automating their integration; developing a modeling language; and creating code generators. After development, model-to-code ratios in ISML-MDE are measured for different applications.

Findings
The average model-to-code ratio is approximately 1:4.6 when using the code generators from arbitrary models. If a model transformation is performed previously to the code generation, this ratio raises to 1:115. The current validation efforts show that ISML properly supports several DSL essential characteristics described by Kahraman and Bilgen (2015).

Research limitations/implications
ISML-MDE was tested on relatively small applications. Further validation of the approach requires measurement of development times and their comparison with previous similar projects, to determine the gains in productivity.

Originality/value
The value of ISML-MDE can be summarized as follows: ISML-MDE has the potential to significantly reduce development times, because of an adequate use of models and transformations. The design of ISML-MDE addresses real-world development requirements, obtained from a tight interaction between the researchers and the software development company. The underlying process has been thoroughly documented and it is believed it can be used as a reference for future developments of MDE tools under similar conditions.
Child sexual exploitation
Authors: Alderson Kirsty Amanda 
Published: October 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of the research to date, including how some findings have informed practice within child care organisations in England and Wales. The challenges of applying this research are considered, along with some of its key limitations. Avenues for future research are proposed, but understanding will only progress further if research is underpinned by appropriate theory. This paper suggests promising theory that could be applied to CSE. There is also a need to consider CSE risk more holistically and not just in relation to the presence or absence of discrete vulnerability factors.

Design/methodology/approach
This is a brief overview of the literature to date, with a focus on how it has been applied by child care professionals.

Findings
Discusses how some findings have informed practice within child care organisations in England and Wales.

Originality/value
This is a viewpoint piece.
Dividend policy following mergers and acquisitions: US evidence
Authors: Dereeper Sébastien , Turki Aymen 
Published: October 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address whether the past dividend policy of target firm impacts dividend policies following US mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the catering theory as a theoretical approach to test dividend change after a merger-acquisition. For the empirical design, dividend policy is captured using dividend status, payout ratio and dividend yield, and specifications are estimated using Probit and OLS models.

Findings
The data indicate that dividend policy of the target affects dividend policy of the combined entity in cases of stock-based deals. This result provides support for catering theory, which maintains that managers of acquirers adjust dividend policies following transactions to cater to target shareholders’ preferences.

Research limitations/implications
Although the tests suggest significant results using dividend status and payout ratio as measures of dividend, the authors do not find a similar effect for dividend yield.

Practical implications
Financial analysts evaluating merger-acquisition announcements may wish to predict the dividend policy following stock-based deals as they project the likely impact of past dividend policies of target firms. The results are also likely to be useful to investors.

Originality/value
The paper presents new evidence about dividend policy following M&A. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines how an acquirer’s dividend policy is affected by an acquisition.
KPMG’s True Value methodology
Authors: Coulson Andrea B. 
Published: October 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to constructively critique KPMG’s “True Value methodology” which seeks to quantify in financial terms the value companies create or reduce for society.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a review of documents produced by KPMG detailing its methodology and corporate reports in the public domain of the True Value methodology applied in practice. The critique is divided into two sections. The first section reviews KPMGs methodological view of a bounded economic reality and offers potential starting points and limitations for a conceptual framing of the “methodology”. Practical insights on applying the methodology are offered in the second section.

Findings
The True Value methodology helps its producers understand the potential risk to future earnings posed by current externalities being internalised. KPMG’s socio-economic framing of future scenarios and financial valuation of environmental and social impacts is limited to a standardised commercial viewpoint. Potential opportunities exist for producers to involve stakeholders in the application of the methodology to form a more inclusive and pluralist conception of risk and values for social and environmental impacts.

Practical implications
This paper offers timely insights for companies using and considering the use of the “True Value” methodology and stakeholders considering their engagement in the application process and/or use of its findings.

Originality/value
The study is a constructive critique of this contemporary, financial practice of accounting for externalities developed by KMPG.