bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity to scale of willingness‐to‐pay within the context of menorrhagia
Authors: Sanghera Sabina , Frew Emma , Gupta Janesh Kumar , Kai Joe , Roberts Tracy Elizabeth 
Published: February 2016

AbstractObjectivesWillingness‐to‐pay (WTP) provides a broad assessment of well‐being, capturing benefits beyond health. However, the validity of the approach has been questioned and the evidence relating to the sensitivity of WTP to changes in health status is mixed. Using menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding) as a case study, this exploratory study assesses the sensitivity to scale of WTP to change in health status as measured by a condition‐specific measure, MMAS, which includes both health and non‐health benefits. The relationship between EQ‐5D and change in health status is also assessed.MethodsBaseline EQ‐5D and MMAS values were collected from women taking part in a randomized controlled trial for pharmaceutical treatment of menorrhagia. Following treatment, these measures were administered along with a WTP exercise. The relationship between the measures was assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis, and the sensitivity to scale of WTP was measured by identifying differences in WTP alongside differences in MMAS and EQ5D values.ResultsOur exploratory findings indicated that WTP, and not EQ‐5D, was significantly positively correlated with change in MMAS, providing some evidence for convergent validity. These findings suggest that WTP is capturing the non‐health benefits within the MMAS measure. Mean WTP also increased with percentage improvements in MMAS, suggesting sensitivity to scale.ConclusionWhen compared to quality of life measured using the condition‐specific MMAS measure, the convergent validity and sensitivity to scale of WTP is indicated. The findings suggest that WTP is more sensitive to change in MMAS, than with EQ‐5D.
In Defence of Reasonable Doubt
Authors: Gardiner Georgi 
Published: February 2016

AbstractIn criminal trials the state must establish, to a particular standard of proof, the defendant's guilt. The most widely used and important standard of proof for criminal conviction is the ‘beyond a reasonable doubt' standard. But what legitimates this standard, rather than an alternative? One view holds the standard of proof should be determined or justified – at least in large part – by its consequences.In this spirit, Laudan uses crime statistics to estimate risks the average citizen runs of being violently victimised and falsely convicted. He argues that since the former risk is higher, and the aggregate harms are worse, the standard of proof should be substantially lowered. He presents a formula for calculating the preferred standard.In this article I outline various ways Laudan's uses of crime statistics are flawed, and explain how he substantially overestimates risks of victimhood and underestimates costs of false convictions. I also explain why his formula is mistaken, and illuminate consequences Laudan neglects. I conclude that, even if consequences determine the appropriate standard of proof, Laudan's arguments fail to show the standard is too high. I conclude by suggesting that the inadequacies of Laudan's reasoning might be good news for consequence‐based justifications of the standard of proof.
Histone variants and melanoma: facts and hypotheses
Authors: Konstantinov Nikifor K. , Ulff‐Møller Constance J. , Dimitrov Stefan 
Published: February 2016

SummaryMelanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with rising incidence and morbidity. Despite advances in treatment, the 10‐yr survival for patients with metastatic disease is less than 10%. During the past few years, ongoing research on different epigenomic aberrations in melanoma has catalyzed better understanding of its pathogenesis and identification of new therapeutics. In our review, we will focus on the role of histone variants, key epigenetic players in melanoma initiation and progression. Specifically, incorporation of histone variants enables additional layers of chromatin structure, and here, we will describe how alterations in this epigenetic behavior impact melanoma.
Generalizing disposability: Residential mobility and the willingness to dissolve social ties
Authors: GILLATH OMRI , KEEFER LUCAS A. 
Published: February 2016

AbstractFour studies examined whether residential mobility (RM) leads people to view objects as disposable and, in turn, view social ties as disposable. Study 1 showed that tendencies to dispose of objects and social ties are related. Study 2 demonstrated that a history of RM increases the willingness to dispose of objects and, through that, dispose of social ties. Study 3 showed that increasing the sense of RM increases the willingness to dispose of objects and, through this, dispose of social ties. Study 4 showed that the relational aspect of RM is crucial in affecting relational disposability. Our findings extend research on RM and support Lewin's (1936) conceptualization of mobility being associated with ease of disposing social ties.
The End of the Conservative German Welfare State Model
Authors: Seeleib‐Kaiser Martin 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThis article investigates change and continuity of the German welfare state at the institutional as well as at the outcome level in the domains of family, pension and unemployment policies. It shows that seemingly path‐dependent policy adaptations – largely through drift, layering and recalibration – have led to a paradigmatic and indeed transformational adjustment of welfare state arrangements. The unsettling of institutional arrangements and functional underpinnings of the welfare state in the wake of German unification constituted a ‘critical juncture’ facilitating the establishment of new ‘interpretative patterns’ that have subsequently replaced previous assumptions relating to the economic benefits of social policies and reordered the aims and goals of the welfare state.
Performance evaluation of a high‐speed multileaf collimator in real‐time IMRT delivery to moving targets
Authors: Li Fang , Ye Peiqing , Zhang Hui 
Published: February 2016

Purpose:Multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking can be used for motion management. However, on account of mechanical constraints, it is a crucial challenge for conventional MLCs (3–4 cm/s in leaf speed) to track fast targets, especially moving in 2D in the beam's eye view (BEV). Our group has recently developed a “high‐speed” MLC (HS‐MLC) prototype with a maximum leaf speed of 40 cm/s, which makes it possible to track the vast majority of moving targets without violation of mechanical constraints. The major innovation of the HS‐MLC design is that it employs linear motors instead of rotary motors to drive leaves. This paper mainly aims to evaluate the performance of the HS‐MLC in real‐time intensity‐modulated radiation therapy delivery to targets moving in 2D in the BEV.Methods:A 2D real‐time tracking algorithm was proposed first based on a previous superimposing leaf sequencing method. Then, simulations were performed to evaluate the delivery performance including fluence accuracy, efficiency, delivery time, and number of monitor units under various settings of limiting coefficient and dose rate for four clinical fluence maps and two target speeds. The comparisons between the HS‐MLC with a “medium‐speed” MLC (MS‐MLC, 10 cm/s) and a “low‐speed” MLC (LS‐MLC, 5 cm/s) were also made. For validation, experiments were carried out on the HS‐MLC prototype in the lab environment. A camera‐based measurement system was set up to detect actual leaf trajectories.Results:Simulation results indicate that a limiting coefficient of 0.5 and a dose rate of 400 MU/min are “optimal” in the sense of getting best compromise between delivery time and number of monitor units. Under the optimal parameters, the HS‐MLC achieved 100% in efficiency, 18.1 s in delivery time, and 121.2 MU in number of monitor units on average for the “fast” target speed, compared to 94%, 20.6 s, and 129.9 MU with the MS‐MLC, and to 53%, 40.2 s, and 141.1 MU with the LS‐MLC. The benefits of increased leaf speed were demonstrated. The experimental results agreed with the simulation ones, which further confirmed the efficacy of the HS‐MLC.Conclusions:The HS‐MLC is superior to conventional MLCs when used for tracking, benefiting from its high leaf speed. These results indicate that the novel HS‐MLC is feasible for high‐accuracy and high‐efficiency motion management. It also offers guidance for future MLC design.
Flow Cytometry, a Versatile Tool for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Primary Immunodeficiencies
Authors: Abraham Roshini S. , Aubert Geraldine 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACTGenetic defects of the immune system are referred to as primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). These immunodeficiencies are clinically and immunologically heterogeneous and, therefore, pose a challenge not only for the clinician but also for the diagnostic immunologist. There are several methodological tools available for evaluation and monitoring of patients with PIDs, and of these tools, flow cytometry has gained prominence, both for phenotyping and functional assays. Flow cytometry allows real-time analysis of cellular composition, cell signaling, and other relevant immunological pathways, providing an accessible tool for rapid diagnostic and prognostic assessment. This minireview provides an overview of the use of flow cytometry in disease-specific diagnosis of PIDs, in addition to other broader applications, which include immune phenotyping and cellular functional measurements.
Expansion of Microbial Forensics
Authors: Schmedes Sarah E. , Sajantila Antti , Budowle Bruce 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT
Microbial forensics has been defined as the discipline of applying scientific methods to the analysis of evidence related to bioterrorism, biocrimes, hoaxes, or the accidental release of a biological agent or toxin for attribution purposes. Over the past 15 years, technology, particularly massively parallel sequencing, and bioinformatics advances now allow the characterization of microorganisms for a variety of human forensic applications, such as human identification, body fluid characterization, postmortem interval estimation, and biocrimes involving tracking of infectious agents. Thus, microbial forensics should be more broadly described as the discipline of applying scientific methods to the analysis of microbial evidence in criminal and civil cases for investigative purposes.
Infections and Intoxications from the Ocean: Risks of the Shore
Authors: Clemence Mark A. , Guerrant Richard L. 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT

Marine and coastal regions provide a diverse range of foods and serve as recreation and leisure areas for large numbers of people in many parts of the world. However, they also serve as environments associated with numerous hazards. The number of cases of fish- and shellfish-related food poisonings in the United States has increased in recent years, accounting for over 600,000 illnesses, with 3,000 hospitalizations and 94 deaths annually. Human diseases due to pathogenic
Vibrio
species can result from both ingestion of contaminated shellfish and exposure of open wounds to contaminated seawater. A variety of infections may result from human interactions with marine life, including sharks, barracudas, and moray eels. This chapter covers some of the risks of the shore, including fish and shellfish intoxications, infections related to
Vibrio
species, and infections resulting from marine trauma.
Acupuncture for chronic knee pain: a protocol for an updated systematic review
Authors: Zhang Qinhong , Yue Jinhuan , Sun Zhongren , Lu Ying 
Published: February 2016

IntroductionThe aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for patients with chronic knee pain.Methods and analysisMEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTERAL, CINAHL and four Chinese medical databases will be searched from their inception to present. We will also manually retrieve eligible studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which acupuncture is assessed as the sole treatment or as an adjunct treatment for chronic knee pain will be included. The primary outcome of our analysis is pain measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale or the 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS). The secondary outcomes will include the quality of life, measured by the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and adverse events. Two researchers will conduct the study selection, data extraction and quality assessment independently. Any disagreement will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. The Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist will be used to assess the methodological quality of the trials.DisseminationThis systematic review will assess the current evidence on acupuncture therapy for chronic knee pain. It uses aggregated published data instead of individual patient data and does not require an ethical board review and approval. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated in conference presentations. It will provide the latest analysis of the currently available evidence for acupuncture treating chronic knee pain.Trial registration numberCRD42014015514.
Recharacterisation of three Parasitodiplogaster species based on morphological and molecular profiles
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Giblin-Davis Robin M. , Ye Weimin , Herre Edward Allen , Center Barbara J. 
Published: February 2016

Three previously describedParasitodiplogasterspp.,P. nymphanema,P. obtusinemaandP. trigonemawere re-isolated from their type locality, Barro Colorado Island Research Station, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in Panama. The re-isolated materials were morphologically observed to compare with the original descriptions and molecularly characterised by DNA sequences of the near-full-length small subunit and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA genes. Although the male tail characters,i.e., arrangement of genital papillae and spicule and gubernaculum morphologies, were close to the original descriptions, a compressed stoma with two (right subventral and dorsal) teeth was observed for the first time and confirmed in the newly re-isolated materials. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the three re-isolated species are close toP. laevigata,P. citrinemaandP. popenema, forming theP. laevigatagroup in the genus, and this group was separated into three subgroups,P. citrinema +P. popenema(subgroup 1),P. nymphanema +P. obtusinema(subgroup 2) andP. laevigata +P. trigonemaand three undescribed species (subgroup 3). TheP. laevigatagroup is characterised by a relatively compressed stoma with two (right subventral and dorsal) teeth, arrangement of genital papillae (three or four precloacal and four postcloacal pairs), but distinguishable from each other by stomatal morphology,i.e., the shortest and most compressed being in subgroup 3, widest in subgroup 1, and intermediate in subgroup 2. Furthermore, a large and long spicule and gubernaculum were observed in subgroup 2 as its hypothesised apomorphy.
How Stationary Eddies Shape Changes in the Hydrological Cycle: Zonally Asymmetric Experiments in an Idealized GCM
Authors: Wills Robert C. , Schneider Tapio 
Published: February 2016

Abstract
Stationary and low-frequency Rossby waves are the primary drivers of extratropical weather variations on monthly and longer time scales. They take the form of persistent highs and lows, which, for example, shape subtropical dry zones and guide extratropical storms. More generally, stationary-eddy circulations, including zonally anomalous tropical overturning circulations, set up large zonal variations in net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation, P − E). This paper investigates the response of stationary eddies and the zonally asymmetric hydrological cycle to global warming in an idealized GCM, simulating a wide range of climates by varying longwave absorption. The stationary eddies are forced by two idealized zonal asymmetries: a midlatitude Gaussian mountain and an equatorial ocean heat source. Associated with changes in stationary eddies are changes in the zonal variation of the hydrological cycle. Particularly in the subtropics, these simulations show a nearly constant or decreasing amplitude of the zonally anomalous hydrological cycle in climates warmer than modern despite the wet gets wetter, dry gets drier effect associated with increasing atmospheric moisture content. An approximation for zonally anomalous P − E, based on zonal-mean surface specific humidity and stationary-eddy vertical motion, disentangles the roles of thermodynamic and dynamic changes. The approximation shows that changes in the zonally asymmetric hydrological cycle are predominantly controlled by changes in lower-tropospheric vertical motion in stationary eddies.
Outcomes of denervation, joint lavage and capsular imbrication for painful thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis
Authors: Ehrl D. , Erne H. C. , Broer P. N. , Metz C. , Falter E. 
Published: February 2016

Pain reduction remains the main aim in the treatment of thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis. We performed a retrospective analysis of a case series of patients with symptomatic thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis treated with denervation, joint lavage and capsular imbrication. A total of 60 patients participated in this study. Follow-up, including a clinical examination, was performed on 37 patients at a mean of 46 months (range 12 to 81); an additional 23 patients were followed-up by telephone at a mean of 52 months (range 14 to 93) post-operatively. The patients assessed in person showed a significant decrease in pain and a significant improvement in thumb function. The information gathered by telephone gave similar results. The findings of our study indicate that the presented treatment approach could be a good alternative to more invasive surgical options in patients with earlier stages of thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis. Advantages include the low rate of complications and invasiveness, as well as short recovery times. Level of evidence: IV
miR-22 inhibits mouse ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis by targeting SIRT1
Authors: Xiong Fang , Hu Lingqing , Zhang Yun , Xiao Xiao , Xiao Juxia 
Published: February 2016

ABSTRACT
Granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis has been shown to be involved in follicular atresia, which is a degenerative process in ovarian follicles of mammals. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of follicular atresia, particularly by microRNAs, is not well known. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of miR-22 in healthy follicles (HF), early atretic follicles (EAF), and progressively atretic follicles (PAF). Flow cytometry was performed to assess the apoptosis of mouse granulosa cells (mGCs) treated with miR-22 mimics or negative control (NC) mimics. Regulation of the expression of SIRT1 by miR-22 was evaluated using a luciferase reporter assay system. To investigate the roles of SIRT1 in mGC apoptosis, the endogenous SIRT1 gene in mGCs was knocked down using an siRNA specific for SIRT1. miR-22 was increased during follicular atresia and suppressed granulosa cell apoptosis. The results of the luciferase reporter assay indicated that SIRT1 was a target gene of miR-22. In addition, knockdown of SIRT1 attenuated apoptosis in mGCs. miR-22 inhibits mGC apoptosis by downregulating SIRT1 directly in vitro. This study provides important insights into understanding the regulation mechanism of ovarian follicle atresia.
Purification of polyclonal IgG specific for Camelid’s antibodies and their recombinant nanobodies
Authors: Haddad Muhammad , Soukkarieh Chadi , Khalaf Houssam Eddin , Abbady Abdul Qader 
Published: February 2016

AbstractCamelid’ s heavy-chain antibody (HCAb) consists of only two heavy chains and lacks the two light chains together with the CH1 domain usually found in conventional immunoglobulins. A recombinant single antigen-binding entity, named VHH (or Nanobody®) was generated by reengineering the variable domains from HCAb. This study focuses on the detection of camelid´s immunoglobulins as well as their derivative nanobodies using a universal anti-camel antibody produced in rabbit (rIgG). Starting from a crude rabbit serum, a standard stock of rIgG (1 mg/ml) was prepared after purification by affinity chromatography using protein-A column. As expected, rIgG was able to detect camel antibodies in ELISA and immunoblotting, and its reactivity was equal against all different camel IgG subclasses, which were purified from serum by differential affinity chromatography on protein-G and -A. Interestingly, rIgG also recognized nanobodies since they were originally part of camel HCAbs, providing an alternative method to detect the corpus of these recombinant proteins rather than targeting their artificial tags. These data suggest that the anti-camel rIgG described here could be efficiently applied at different stages of nanobody technology, including the quantitation of the issued nanobodies and their detection when bound to target antigens.
Antioxidative defense mechanism of the ruderal Verbascum olympicum Boiss. against copper (Cu)-induced stress
Authors: Akpınar Ayşegül Uğar , Arslan Hülya , Güleryüz Gürcan , Kırmızı Serap 
Published: February 2016

AbstractThe endemic Verbascum olympicum has characteristics that allows it to live in degraded areas of Uludağ Mountain, Turkey and therefore known as a ruderal species. In this study, V. olympicum seeds collected from Uludağ Mountain were grown in the Hoagland nutrient solution, under hydroponic conditions. The activity of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; ascorbate peroxidase, APX) were examined to demonstrate the role of antioxidative mechanism in the seedlings exposed to different Cu concentrations (0, 50, 250, 500 μM) for seven days. Also, certain growth parameters (such as the water content, biomass production, soluble protein), the level of lipid peroxidation, cell membrane injury and permeability were investigated. As a result, some toxic effects are observed following the application of 500 μM Cu, after the seedlings growing in 50 and 250 mM Cu concentrations showed high resistance and survived in hydroponic conditions. Our findings provide information about the resistance of V. Olympicum seedlings to oxidative stress caused by excessive Cu concentrations.