bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Best practice in the management of storage symptoms in male lower urinary tract symptoms: a review of the evidence base
Authors: Gacci Mauro , Sebastianelli Arcangelo , Spatafora Pietro , Corona Giovanni , Serni Sergio , De Ridder Dirk , Gravas Stavros , Abrams Paul 
Published: December 2017

Storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are characterized by an altered bladder sensation, increased daytime frequency, nocturia, urgency and urgency incontinence. Some evidence underlines the role of metabolic factors, pelvic ischemia, prostatic chronic inflammation and associated comorbidities in the pathophysiology of storage LUTS. A detailed evaluation of the severity of storage LUTS, and the concomitance of these symptoms with voiding and postmicturition symptoms, is mandatory for improving the diagnosis and personalizing treatment. A detailed medical history with comorbidities and associated risk factors, a physical examination, a comprehensive analysis of all the features of LUTS, including their impact on quality of life, and a frequency–volume chart (FVC) or bladder diary, are recommended for men with storage LUTS. Several drugs are available for the treatment of LUTS secondary to benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). Alpha-blockers (α-blockers), 5-α-reductase inhibitors and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors are commonly used to manage storage LUTS occurring with voiding symptoms associated with BPO. Muscarinic receptor antagonists and Beta 3-agonists (β3-agonists) alone, or in combination with α-blockers, represent the gold standard of treatment in men with predominant storage LUTS. There is no specific recommendation regarding the best treatment options for storage LUTS after prostatic surgery.
Treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a review of efficacy and safety
Authors: Mills Elizabeth P. , Brown K. Paige D. , Smith Jennifer D. , Vang Phillip W. , Trotta Katie 
Published: December 2017

Objective: To review current literature for the efficacy and safety of treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Data sources: A PubMed literature search from January 1990 to June 2017 was conducted using the search terms nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, therapy, treatment, treat, therapeutics, nonalcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis, NASH, NAFLD, metformin, and statin. Bibliographies of chosen articles were reviewed. Study selection and data extraction: Relevant articles on metformin, thiazolidinediones (TZD), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), and statins for the treatment of NAFLD which included patients with T2DM were reviewed. A total of 23 relevant studies were found and included randomized controlled, observational, and open-label designs, as well as three meta-analyses. Data synthesis: Metformin combined with weight loss provides a modest improvement in steatosis and no improvement in fibrosis in patients with NAFLD and T2DM. TZDs showed positive results on fibrosis and resolution of NASH but at least half of patients studied were nonresponders. GLP-1 RAs also showed favorable results on reductions in transaminases and steatosis and improvements in insulin sensitivity and weight loss but lack efficacy data for resolution of NASH or improvement in fibrosis scores. Statins showed favorable results on reductions in transaminases but mixed results for improvement in steatosis and fibrosis scores. Conclusion: All reviewed treatment options are safe for management of NAFLD in patients with T2DM but long-term histological improvements are minimal. TZDs are efficacious for resolution of NASH and improvements in fibrosis but long-term use is required to maintain these results.
K-rod dynamic internal fixation versus microendoscopic discectomy for the treatment of single-segment lumbar disc herniation
Authors: Qu Yang , Cheng Meng , Dong Rongpeng , Kang Mingyang , Zhou Haohan , Zhao Jianwu 
Published: December 2017

Purpose: This study compared the clinical outcome of K-rod dynamic internal fixation versus microendoscopic discectomy (MED) for the treatment of single-segment lumbar disc herniation. Methods: This retrospective study included 34 patients with L4-L5 single-segment lumbar disc herniation who underwent K-rod dynamic internal fixation ( n = 18) or MED ( n = 16). The pain was evaluated by the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS). The neurological function was assessed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores. The height of intervertebral space was calculated using X-ray images, and the disc degeneration was evaluated based on Pfirrmann scores. The mean follow-up time was 31 months (range, 18–46 months). Results: In both groups, the ODI scores, VAS scores and JOA scores were significantly improved at the last follow-up compared with the preoperative values ( p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the improvement of ODI, VAS and JOA scores between the two groups ( p > 0.05). The height of intervertebral space in the surgical segments, proximal segments and distal segments, was significantly greater in the K-rod group than in the MED group. The disc degeneration occurred more in the MED group than in the K-rod group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: K-rod internal fixation and MED produce satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of single-segment lumbar disc herniation. K-rod internal fixation is superior to MED in preventing adjacent segment degeneration.
Adhesive capsulitis of the hip
Authors: Kim Hee Joong , Yoo Jeong Joon , Kwak Hong Suk , Jeong Hyung Jun , Kim Min Nyeon , Seo Wonyeong 
Published: December 2017

Purpose: Adhesive capsulitis of the hip (ACH) is not a well-defined disease entity. We evaluated the change in the clinical features of patients whose chief complaint was inability to sit cross-legged on the floor. All patients had painful limitation in hip joint motion. Based on the diagnosis of ACH, active stretching exercise (ASE) was recommended. Methods: In February 2013 and June 2014, a total of 44 patients (50 hips), who visited outpatient clinic in 2011, were evaluated by telephone interviews. Recovery of hip motion was analyzed according to compliance with ASE and abnormalities found on plane radiographs and magnetic resonance (MR) images. Results: There were 27 women and 17 men with mean age of 51.7 years. In the first telephone interview, 40 patients (45 hips) reported improvement in hip motion but 4 patients (5 hips) reported absolutely no improvement. Compliance with ASE did not affect recovery of motion ( p = 0.225). On plain radiographs, 10 patients (22.7%) had abnormal finding in both hips. Those abnormal findings were not correlated with symptom and did not show adverse effect on motion recovery. Sixteen patients took MR images outside, and abnormal findings such as round ligament or labral tear were observed in nine patients. Those abnormal findings neither correlated with the symptom nor affected motion recovery adversely. In the second telephone interview, nine hips of further improvement and two hips of recurrence were identified. Conclusions: Most cases showed improvement in the range of motion with or without ASE. Surgical treatments including arthroscopy seemed to be unnecessary for these patients.
Histology and Cytopathology Capacity in the Public Health Sector in Kenya
Authors: Brand Nathan R. , Wolf Nicholas , Flanigan John , Njoroge Richard , Karagu Alfred 
Published: December 2017

Purpose Histology and cytopathology services are necessary for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the current capacity of Kenya’s pathology laboratories is unknown. A national survey was conducted among public sector pathology laboratories to assess their capacity to perform histology, fine-needle aspiration, and bone marrow aspiration. Methods Between April and June 2017, we identified all public hospitals that provide pathology services in Kenya. In total, two national and 13 county referral hospitals met the inclusion criteria and were sent a standardized, pretested, self-administered questionnaire. Results A total of 11 hospitals (73%) completed the survey. The reported total caseload of histology, fine-needle aspiration, and bone marrow aspiration for 2016 was 26,472. All of the facilities staffed a pathologist and were providing cancer-related diagnostic services. Nine (82%) of the hospitals maintain a register of diagnosed cancer cases, but only one (11%) of those uses an electronic system. Six (55%) of the surveyed hospitals were able to perform histology with a median turnaround time of 14 days. Six (55%) laboratories regularly referred some specimens elsewhere for interpretation, but three of these centers relied on patients for transportation of the specimen to the referral institution. No laboratories were accredited by an external organization; however, 10 (91%) of the laboratories were working toward achieving accreditation, but only for clinical pathology services. Conclusion This study describes the current status of histology and cytopathology capacity in Kenya’s public sector hospitals. It provides useful baseline information needed by the Ministry of Health to develop necessary capacity building and referral-strengthening interventions. A high proportion of hospitals are working to achieve accreditation points toward their commitment to providing quality services to the Kenyan public.
Can zinc protect cells from the cytotoxic effects of cobalt ions and nanoparticles derived from metal-on-metal joint arthroplasties?
Authors: Liu Y. , Zhu H. , Hong H. , Wang W. , Liu F. 
Published: December 2017

ObjectivesRecently, high failure rates of metal-on-metal (MOM) hip implants have raised concerns of cobalt toxicity. Adverse reactions occur to cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) and cobalt ions (Co2+) during wear of MOM hip implants, but the toxic mechanism is not clear.MethodsTo evaluate the protective effect of zinc ions (Zn2+), Balb/3T3 mouse fibroblast cells were pretreated with 50 μM Zn2+for four hours. The cells were then exposed to different concentrations of CoNPs and Co2+for four hours, 24 hours and 48 hours. The cell viabilities, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and inflammatory cytokines were measured.ResultsCoNPs and Co2+can induce the increase of ROS and inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). However, Zn pretreatment can significantly prevent cytotoxicity induced by CoNPs and Co2+, decrease ROS production, and decrease levels of inflammatory cytokines in Balb/3T3 mouse fibroblast cells.ConclusionThese results suggest that Zn pretreatment can provide protection against inflammation and cytotoxicity induced by CoNPs and Co2+in Balb/3T3 cells. Cite this article: Y. Liu, H. Zhu, H. Hong, W. Wang, F. Liu. Can zinc protect cells from the cytotoxic effects of cobalt ions and nanoparticles derived from metal-on-metal joint arthroplasties? Bone Joint Res 2017;6:649–655. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.612.BJR-2016-0137.R2.
Sartre’s Case for Nonthetic Consciousness: The Ground of the Cartesian Cogito’s Certainty and the Methodological Basis for Phenomenological Ontology
Authors: Sommerlatte Curtis 
Published: December 2017

Abstract:Sartre’s phenomenological view of consciousness gives primacy to the thesis that all consciousness is nonthetically aware of itself, i. e. pre-reflectively aware of itself but not as an object. Few commentators, however, have explained Sartre’s grounds for holding this thesis, despite his view that the thesis’s truth underwrites the certainty of the Cartesian cogito and thereby the method of Sartre’s own phenomenological ontology. I document three lines of support for the thesis, the most promising of which consists in a proof by cases. Namely, Sartre’s texts contain the argument that the existence of nonthetic consciousness is the only satisfactory explanation of the Cartesian cogito’s certainty. The paper concludes with an examination of whether and how nonthetic consciousness can serve as a foundation for Sartre’s method of phenomenological ontology.
Zu neuen elephantinischen Zeugnissen für die Umlage des Steueraufkommens von Flüchtlingen
Authors: Reiter Fabian 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSeveral recent editions of receipts from Elephantine for the substitute tax caused by tax-payers who have fled their homes allow new conclusions regarding the development of the tax-rate. The article also contains critical observations on the readings and dates of some of the receipts.
House Price Models for Banking and Insurance Applications: The Impact of Property Characteristics
Authors: Shao Adam W. , Hanewald Katja , Michael Sherris and 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
House price indices are needed to assess house price risk in households’ portfolio allocation decisions and in many housing-related financial products such as reverse mortgages, mortgage insurance and real estate derivatives. This paper first introduces nine widely-used house price models to the insurance, risk management and actuarial literature and provides new evidence on the relative performance of these models. We then show how portfolio-level house price indices for properties with specific physical and locational characteristics can be constructed for these different models. All analyses are based on a large dataset of individual property transactions in Sydney, Australia, for the period 1971-2011. The unrestricted hedonic model and a hybrid hedonic repeat-sales model provide a good model fit and reliable portfolio-level house price indices. Our results are important for banks, insurers and investors that have exposure to house price risks.
Development of a new biochip array for APOE4 classification from plasma samples using immunoassay-based methods
Authors: Badrnya Sigrun , Doherty Tara , Richardson Ciaran , McConnell Robert I. , Lamont John V. , Veitinger Michael , FitzGerald Stephen P. , Zellner Maria , Umlauf Ellen 
Published: December 2017

Abstract

Background:
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a key player in lipid transport and metabolism and exists in three common isoforms: APOE2, APOE3 and APOE4. The presence of the E4 allelic variant is recognized as a major genetic risk factor for dementia and other chronic (neuro)degenerative diseases. The availability of a validated assay for rapid and reliable APOE4 classification is therefore advantageous.

Methods:
Biochip array technology (BAT) was successfully applied to identify directly the APOE4 status from plasma within 3 h, through simultaneous immunoassay-based detection of both specific APOE4 and total APOE levels.

Results:
Samples (n=432) were first genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and thereafter, using BAT, the corresponding plasma was identified as null, heterozygous or homozygous for the E4 allele by calculating the ratio of APOE4 to total APOE protein. Two centers based in Austria and Ireland correctly classified 170 and 262 samples, respectively, and achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions:
This chemiluminescent biochip-based sandwich immunoarray provides a novel platform to detect rapidly and accurately an individual’s APOE4 status directly from plasma. The E4 genotype of individuals has been shown previously to affect presymptomatic risk, prognosis and treatment response for a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. The biochip’s potential for being incorporated in quantitative protein biomarker arrays capable of analyzing disease stages makes it a superior alternative to PCR-based APOE genotyping and may deliver additional protein-specific information on a variety of diseases in the future.
Complete plastid genome sequences of three tropical Alseodaphne trees in the family Lauraceae
Authors: Song Yu , Yao Xin , Liu Bing , Tan Yunhong , Corlett Richard T. 
Published: December 2017

Abstract

Alseodaphne is a genus of timber trees (ca. 40 spp.) belonging to the Persea group of the Lauraceae. It is widely distributed in tropical Asia, but is often confused with Dehaasia and Nothaphoebe, and the systematics of the genus is unclear. Here, the complete chloroplast genome sequences of A. semecarpifolia will be reported, the type species of Alseodaphne, and two China-endemic species, A. gracilis and A. huanglianshanensis. The three plastomes were 153 051 bp, 153 099 bp and 153 070 bp, respectively. Comparative genomic analyses indicate that the three Alseodaphne plastomes have similar genome size and those are very different with previously published plastomes of Lauraceae in length. The length difference is directly caused by inverted repeats expansion/contraction. Four highly variable loci including psbD-trnM, ndhF-rpl32, rpl32-trnL and ycf1 among the three Alseodaphne species were identified as useful plastid candidate barcodes for Alseodaphne and Lauraceae species. Phylogenetic analyses based on 12 complete plastomes of Lauraceae species confirm a monophyletic Persea group comprising species of Alseodaphne, Phoebe, Persea and Machilus.
Scrimber board (SB) manufacturing by a new method and characterization of SB’s mechanical properties and dimensional stability
Authors: Zhang Yamei , Huang Xian’ai , Zhang Yahui , Yu Yanglun , Yu Wenji 
Published: December 2017

Abstract
A novel process has been developed for manufacturing poplar wood scrimber boards (SBs), in the course of which thick veneers are produced first and then the oriented wood fiber mats (OWFMs) are fabricated in a pilot scale fluffing machine. A low molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin is applied for gluing and the cold-prepressing of the mats is followed by hot-curing between 120 and 130°C for 12 h. The mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the SBOWFMs were measured. The new process resulted in significantly better mechanical properties of SBOWFMs compared with those of raw wood and other poplar wood-based composites. All data including the dimensional stability of SBOWFMs increased with increasing density.
Dependence of Poisson’s ratio and Young’s modulus on microfibril angle (MFA) in wood
Authors: Ando Kosei , Mizutani Mayu , Toba Keisuke , Yamamoto Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMicrofibril angle (MFA) is a major structural variable that describes the fine structure of the cell wall in wood. In this study, the relationships between the MFA of the S2 layer and the Poisson’s ratios and Young’s moduli (modulus of elasticity, MOE) of five wood species (agathis, larch, Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress and ginkgo) were determined by analyzing both their normal and compression woods. It was found that both the longitudinal MOE (MOEL) and MOE of the cell-wall substance (MOEW) decreased with increasing MFA, while the peaks values of Poisson’s ratio (νLT) were obtained at MFAs of ≈25°. In particular, at MFAs lower than 25°, theνLTincreased with increasing MFA, and the opposite relationship was observed at MFA values exceeding 25°. This trend is in good agreement with the estimates obtained based on the theory of orthotropic elasticity with the underlying assumption that the orthotropic elasticity of materials is MFA-dependent. Hence, the MFA parameter incorporated into the orthotropic elasticity theory is useful for determination of the Poisson’s ratio.
Visual Understanding of Metabolic Pathways Across Organisms Using Layout in Two and a Half Dimensions
Authors: Brandes Ulrik , Dwyer Tim , Schreiber Falk 
Published: December 2017

Summary We propose a method for visualizing a set of related metabolic pathways across organisms using 2 1/2 dimensional graph visualization. Interdependent, twodimensional layouts of each pathway are stacked on top of each other so that biologists get a full picture of subtle and significant differences among the pathways. The (dis)similarities between pathways are expressed by the Hamming distances of the underlying graphs which are used to compute a stacking order for the pathways. Layouts are determined by a global layout of the union of all pathway graphs using a variant of the proven Sugiyama approach for layered graph drawing. Our variant layout approach allows edges to cross if they appear in different graphs.
Statistical Embedding in Complex Biosystems
Authors: Capobianco Enrico 
Published: December 2017

Summary Complex high-dimensional systems represent an important area of interdisciplinary research in systems biology. Gene expression values obtained by microarray data represent a good example, owing to their various features that depend on biological network dynamics. This work emphasizes the role of blind source separation for dealing with dimensionality reduction and feature selection, and their useful combination with fuzzy rules, embedding principles and entropic measures. In particular, entropy and embedding are useful tools for controlling the robustness and stability of the decomposition of a system with larger than intrinsic dimensionality. As a result, the convergence to a small intrinsic dimensionality occurs by the means of least dependent components, seen as a minimal number of salient features.
A First Step towards Learning which uORFs Regulate Gene Expression
Authors:   Selpi, Bryant Christopher H. , Kemp Graham J.L. , Cvijovic Marija 
Published: December 2017

Summary We have taken a first step towards learning which upstream Open Reading Frames (uORFs) regulate gene expression (i.e., which uORFs are functional) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We do this by integrating data from several resources and combining a bioinformatics tool, ORF Finder, with a machine learning technique, inductive logic programming (ILP). Here, we report the challenge of using ILP as part of this integrative system, in order to automatically generate a model that identifies functional uORFs. Our method makes searching for novel functional uORFs more efficient than random sampling. An attempt has been made to predict novel functional uORFs using our method. Some preliminary evidence that our model may be biologically meaningful is presented.
Multi-model inference of network properties from incomplete data
Authors: Stumpf Michael P. H. , Thorne Thomas 
Published: December 2017

Summary It has previously been shown that subnets differ from global networks from which they are sampled for all but a very limited number of theoretical network models. These differences are of qualitative as well as quantitative nature, and the properties of subnets may be very different from the corresponding properties in the true, unobserved network. Here we propose a novel approach which allows us to infer aspects of the true network from incomplete network data in a multi-model inference framework. We develop the basic theoretical framework, including procedures for assessing confidence intervals of our estimates and evaluate the performance of this approach in simulation studies and against subnets drawn from the presently available PIN network data in Saccaromyces cerevisiae. We then illustrate the potential power of this new approach by estimating the number of interactions that will be detectable with present experimental approaches in sfour eukaryotic species, inlcuding humans. Encouragingly, where independent datasets are available we obtain consistent estimates from different partial protein interaction networks. We conclude with a discussion of the scope of this approaches and areas for further research