bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An observational retrospective evaluation of 79 young men with long‐term adverse effects after use of finasteride against androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Chiriacò G. , Cauci S. , Mazzon G. , Trombetta C. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryConcern regarding adverse effects of finasteride is increasing. We aimed to determine the type and frequency of symptoms in men having long‐term sexual and non‐sexual side effects after finasteride treatment (a condition recently called post‐finasteride syndrome, PFS) against androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Subjects were recruited at the Urology Unit of the Trieste University‐Hospital, and from a dedicated website. Out of 79 participants, 34% were white Italians, mean age was 33.4 ± 7.60 years, mean duration of finasteride use was 27.3 ± 33.21 months; mean time from finasteride discontinuation was 44.1 ± 34.20 months. Symptoms were investigated by an ad hoc 100 questions' questionnaire, and by validated Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) and Aging Male Symptom Scale (AMS) questionnaires. By ASEX questionnaire, 40.5% of participants declared getting and keeping erection very difficult, and 3.8% never achieved; reaching orgasm was declared very difficult by 16.5%, and never achieved by 2.5%. By the ad hoc questionnaire, the most frequent sexual symptoms referred were loss of penis sensitivity (87.3%), decreased ejaculatory force (82.3%), and low penile temperature (78.5%). The most frequent non‐sexual symptoms were reduced feeling of life pleasure or emotions (anhedonia) (75.9%); lack of mental concentration (72.2%), and loss of muscle tone/mass (51.9%). We contributed to inform about symptoms of PFS patients; unexpectedly loss of penis sensitivity was more frequent than severe erectile dysfunction and loss of muscle tone/mass was affecting half of the subjects. Further studies are necessary to investigate the pathophysiological and biochemical pathways leading to the post‐finasteride syndrome.
Impact of patient characteristics on the clinical efficacy of mongersen (GED‐0301), an oral Smad7 antisense oligonucleotide, in active Crohn's disease
Authors: Monteleone G. , Di Sabatino A. , Ardizzone S. , Pallone F. , Usiskin K. , Zhan X. , Rossiter G. , Neurath M. F. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryBackgroundIn a phase 2 study, mongersen, an oral antisense oligonucleotide targeting Smad7, was effective in inducing clinical remission in approximately 60% of patients with active Crohn's disease (CD).AimIn a post hoc analysis to evaluate those patient disease characteristics that may have influenced the efficacy and safety of mongersen therapy.MethodsPatients with steroid‐dependent/resistant, active CD were randomised to mongersen 10, 40 or 160 mg/day or placebo for 2 weeks; patients were followed for 10 weeks. Clinical remission [Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score <150] and clinical response (CDAI score reduction ≥100 points) were assessed at weeks 2, 4 and 12 for these subgroups: disease duration <5/≥5 years, human serum C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) <3/≥3 mg/L, and CDAI at baseline ≤260/>260. Additional patient baseline and disease characteristics were explored.ResultsClinical remission and response rates were significantly higher in patients receiving mongersen 40 and 160 mg/day but not 10 mg/day vs. placebo and independent of disease duration and hsCRP. Patients with baseline CDAI ≤260 had significantly higher remission rates with 40 and 160 mg/day. In patients with baseline CDAI >260, remission rates were statistically greater with 160 mg/day and numerically better with 40 mg/day vs. placebo. Adverse event rates were similar across treatment groups. Mongersen was safe and well tolerated.ConclusionsPatients with higher CDAI scores achieved clinical remission most frequently with the highest mongersen dose. Disease duration and baseline human serum C‐reactive protein did not appear to significantly impact efficacy of mongersen in this study (EudraCT Number: 2011‐002640‐27.)
Therapeutic implication of genetic variants of IL13 and STAT4 in airway remodelling with bronchial asthma
Authors: Nakamura Y. , Suzuki R. , Mizuno T. , Abe K. , Chiba S. , Horii Y. , Tsuboi J. , Ito S. , Obara W. , Tanita T. , Kanno H. , Yamauchi K. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryBackgroundSeveral gene variants identified in bronchial asthmatic patients are associated with a decrease in pulmonary function. The effects of this intervention on pulmonary function have not been fully researched.ObjectiveWe determined the effects of high‐dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) on decreased pulmonary function in asthmatic Japanese patients with variants of IL13 and STAT4 during long‐term treatments with low to mild doses of ICS.MethodsIn this study, 411 patients with bronchial asthma who were receiving ICSs and living in Japan were recruited, were genotyped, and underwent pulmonary function tests and fibreoptic examinations. The effects of 2 years of high‐dose ICSs administered to asthmatic patients who were homozygous for IL13 AA of rs20541 or STAT4 TT of rs925847 and who progressed to airway remodelling were investigated.ResultsHigh‐dose ICS treatment increased the pulmonary function of patients homozygous for IL13 AA of rs20541 but not of patients homozygous for STAT4 TT of rs925847. The increased concentrations of the mediators IL23, IL11, GMCSF, hyaluronic acid, IL24, and CCL8 in bronchial lavage fluid (BLF) were diminished after high‐dose ICS treatment in patients homozygous for IL13 AA of rs20541.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceIL13 AA of rs20541 and STAT4 TT of rs925847 are potential genomic biomarkers for predicting lower pulmonary function. The administration of high‐dose ICSs to asthmatic patients with genetic variants of IL13 AA may inhibit the advancement of airway remodelling. The genetic variants of STAT4 TT did not respond to high‐dose ICSs. Therefore, using medications other than ICSs must be considered even during the initial treatment of bronchial asthma. These genetic variants may aid in the realization of personalized and phenotype‐specific therapies for bronchial asthma.
Stockout Recovery under Consignment: The Role of Inventory Ownership in Supply Chains
Authors: Xu Kefeng , Yin Rui , Dong Yan 
Published: January 2016

ABSTRACTWe examine how a supply chain firm may implement an incentive contract under inventory consignment to recover stockouts and to retain customers. Inventory consignment allows an upstream firm (e.g., a manufacturer) to own and control inventory at a downstream firm (e.g., a retailer), representing a structural change in supply chain governance. Motivated by cases in pet toy and electronics component industries, we formulate principal–agent models based on the newsvendor framework to capture the strategic interactions in a supply chain. We find that consignment can be effective in reducing stockouts because the ownership and control of the product by the manufacturer allows better prevention of stockouts, which complements stockout recovery and leads to fewer stockouts. However, the lower level of stockout under consignment does not necessarily translate into profitability—when the manufacturer is highly opportunistic, that is, readily exploring outside opportunities for its product, consignment may lead to lower profitability for both the manufacturer and the supply chain. On the other hand, consignment will improve profitability for the manufacturer and the supply chain, if both the manufacturer opportunism and the retailer opportunism are moderate.
Temporal trends in cerebral palsy by impairment severity and birth gestation
Authors: Reid Susan M , Meehan Elaine , McIntyre Sarah , Goldsmith Shona , Badawi Nadia , Reddihough Dinah S ,   the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register Group
Published: January 2016

AimOur aim was to build on previous research indicating that rates of cerebral palsy (CP) in the Australian state of Victoria are declining, and examine whether severity of impairments is also decreasing.MethodData on individuals with CP were extracted from the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register for birth years 1983 to 2009. The yearly rates of dichotomized categories for gross motor function, motor laterality, intellectual impairment, and epilepsy per 1000 neonatal survivors and proportions in the CP cohort were tabulated and plotted by birth gestation. Linear regression modelling was used to fit prediction curves; likelihood ratio tests were used to test for differences in trends between impairment severity groups.ResultsSince the mid‐1990s, CP rates declined in neonatal survivors of birth at all gestations. Our data suggest that the decreasing CP rates were associated with relatively greater decreases in the rates of Gross Motor Function Classification System levels III to V, bilateral CP, epilepsy, and intellectual impairment (all p<0.005). Some variation was seen between birth gestation groups.InterpretationDeclines in rates of CP of all levels of severity and complexity from the mid‐1990s provides ‘real‐world’ support for the effectiveness of concurrent neuroprotective strategies and continual innovation in perinatal practices.
Change in residential remoteness during the first 5 years of life in an Australian cerebral palsy cohort
Authors: DeLacy Michael J , Louca Christalla , Smithers‐Sheedy Hayley , McIntyre Sarah ,   the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register Group
Published: January 2016

AimTo determine if families of children with cerebral palsy living in Australia move to less remote areas between birth and 5 years.MethodChildren on the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (n=3399) born 1996 to 2005, were assigned a remoteness value for family residence at birth and 5 years using a modification of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. Each value at birth was subtracted from the value at 5 years yielding a positive difference if they moved more remotely, negative difference if they moved less remotely and a value of zero if they did not move or moved to an equally remote residence.ResultsThe small net increase in remoteness across this cohort was non‐significant (p=0.43). Fifty‐seven per cent of families changed postcode but only 20% changed remoteness, 11% more remotely, and 9% less remotely. There was a small trend for families with a child with more impaired gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V) to move to a less remote area.InterpretationThis cohort of families with children with cerebral palsy did not appear to move to less remote areas by age 5 years. Remoteness at birth and level of gross motor function seem to have little effect.
Evolution of the YABBY gene family in seed plants
Authors: Finet Cédric , Floyd Sandra K. , Conway Stephanie J. , Zhong Bojian , Scutt Charles P. , Bowman John L. 
Published: January 2016

SUMMARYMembers of the YABBY gene family of transcription factors in angiosperms have been shown to be involved in the initiation of outgrowth of the lamina, the maintenance of polarity, and establishment of the leaf margin. Although most of the dorsal‐ventral polarity genes in seed plants have homologs in non‐spermatophyte lineages, the presence of YABBY genes is restricted to seed plants. To gain insight into the origin and diversification of this gene family, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of YABBY gene lineages in seed plants. Our findings suggest that either one or two YABBY genes were present in the last common ancestor of extant seed plants. We also examined the expression of YABBY genes in the gymnosperms Ephedra distachya (Gnetales), Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoales), and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Coniferales). Our data indicate that some YABBY genes are expressed in a polar (abaxial) manner in leaves and female cones in gymnosperms. We propose that YABBY genes already acted as polarity genes in the last common ancestor of extant seed plants.
Sexual dimorphism in sister species of Leucoraja skate and its relationship to reproductive strategy and life history
Authors: Martinez Christopher M. , Rohlf F. James , Frisk Michael G. 
Published: January 2016

SUMMARYInstances of sexual dimorphism occur in a great variety of forms and manifestations. Most skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei) display some level of body shape dimorphism in which the pectoral fins of mature males develop to create a distinct bell‐shaped body not found in females. This particular form of dimorphism is present in each of the sister species Leucoraja erinacea and Leucoraja ocellata, but differences between sexes are much greater in the former. In order to understand the nature and potential causes of pectoral dimorphism, we used geometric morphometrics to investigate allometry of fin shape in L. erinacea and L. ocellata and its relationship to the development of reproductive organs, based on previous work on the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo. We found that allometric trajectories of overall pectoral shape were different in both species of skate, but only L. erinacea varied significantly with respect to endoskeleton development. Male maturation was characterized by a number of sex‐specific morphological changes, which appeared concurrently in developmental timing with elongation of cartilage‐supported claspers. We suggest that external sexual dimorphism of pectoral fins in skates is a byproduct of skeletal growth needed for clasper development. Further, the magnitude of male shape change appears to be linked to the differential life histories of species. This work reports for the first time that pectoral dimorphism is a persistent feature in rajoid fishes, occurring in varying degrees across several genera. Lastly, our results suggest that pectoral morphology may be useful as a relative indicator of reproductive strategy in some species.
Polymicrogyric Cortex may Predispose to Seizures via Abnormal Network Topology: An fMRI Connectomics Study
Authors: Sethi Moksh , Pedersen Mangor , Jackson Graeme D. 
Published: January 2016

SummaryPolymicrogyria is a significant malformation of cortical development with a high incidence of epilepsy and cognitive deficits. Graph theoretic analysis is a useful approach to studying network organization in brain disorders. In this study, we used task‐free functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from four patients with polymicrogyria and refractory epilepsy. Gray matter masks from structural MRI data were parcellated into 1,024 network nodes. Functional “connectomes” were obtained based on fMRI time series between the parcellated network nodes; network analysis was conducted using clustering coefficient, path length, node degree, and participation coefficient. These graph metrics were compared between nodes within polymicrogyric cortex and normal brain tissue in contralateral homologous cortical regions. Polymicrogyric nodes showed significantly increased clustering coefficient and characteristic path length. This is the first study using functional connectivity analysis in polymicrogyria—our results indicate a shift toward a regular network topology in polymicrogyric nodes. Regularized network topology has been demonstrated previously in patients with focal epilepsy and during focal seizures. Thus, we postulate that these network alterations predispose to seizures and may be relevant to cognitive deficits in patients with polymicrogyria.
Water browning mediates predatory decimation of the Arctic fairy shrimp Branchinecta paludosa
Authors: Lindholm Markus , Wolf Raoul , Finstad Anders , Hessen Dag O. 
Published: January 2016

Summary

Increased concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in northern watersheds is a concern. Such browning affects aquatic food webs and biodiversity in multiple ways, not least through increased attenuation of short‐wave UV radiation, which may facilitate establishment of new predators. We examined the effects of browning on occurrence of the predatory larvae of the phantom midge, Chaoborus nyblaei, and quantified their impact on the Arctic fairy shrimp Branchinecta paludosa in ponds in alpine southern Norway.

The predator was present only above certain levels of DOC (here represented by total organic carbon, TOC). Comet assays revealed a 50‐fold higher DNA damage in the population inhabiting a clearwater pond (3.9 mg TOC L−1), compared to that from a brownwater site (10.5 mg TOC L−1). Laboratory experiments corroborated the key role of browning in protection against UV‐related DNA damage.

Chaoborus nyblaei was a highly effective predator on B. paludosa, which suffered major population declines in ponds where the predator was present. Indeed, extinction of B. paludosa has been observed at lower altitudes of the surveyed area over the past decades, possibly in parallel with warming and increased vegetation cover, as inferred from analyses of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the surveyed area. These shifts could clearly have favoured establishment of C. nyblaei in the region.

Our results point to climate‐induced cascading effects in alpine ponds, whereby increased warming and terrestrial C‐fixation cause increased catchment export of DOC, leading to increased browning of water and associated food‐web changes.
Controlled attenuation parameter is correlated with actual hepatic fat content in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease with none‐to‐mild obesity and liver fibrosis
Authors: Fujimori Naoyuki , Tanaka Naoki , Shibata Soichiro , Sano Kenji , Yamazaki Tomoo , Sekiguchi Tomohiro , Kitabatake Hiroyuki , Ichikawa Yuki , Kimura Takefumi , Komatsu Michiharu , Umemura Takeji , Matsumoto Akihiro , Tanaka Eiji 
Published: January 2016

Aim: Non‐invasive steatosis‐quantifying methods are required for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients in order to monitor disease severity and assess therapeutic efficacy. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) evaluated with vibration‐controlled transient elastography can predict the presence of steatosis, but its application to absolute hepatic fat quantitation remains unclear. The aim of this st\udy was to examine whether CAP is correlated with real hepatic fat content in NAFLD patients.MethodsEighty‐two NAFLD patients who had undergone percutaneous liver biopsy were enrolled. CAP was measured using FibroScan® just before liver biopsy. The percentage of fat droplet area to hepatocyte area in biopsied specimen was determined morphometrically using computerized optical image analyzing system. The correlation between CAP and liver histology was examined.ResultsCAP showed an excellent correlation with actual liver fat percentage in the NAFLD patients with body mass index (BMI) of less than 28 kg/m2 (r = 0.579, P < 0.0001), especially less than 25 kg/m2 (r = 0.708, P < 0.01), but the meaningful correlation disappeared in the patients with BMI of 28 kg/m2 or more. In the patients with BMI of less than 28 kg/m2, CAP quantitativeness was affected by the presence of stage 2–4 fibrosis, but not the presence of hepatocyte ballooning and severity of lobular inflammation.ConclusionCAP may be a promising tool for quantifying hepatic fat content in NAFLD patients with none‐to‐mild obesity and liver fibrosis. Further improvement of CAP performance is needed for the NAFLD patients with BMI of more than 28 kg/m2 or significant hepatic fibrosis.
Microarray profiling analysis of long non‐coding RNAs expression in tendinopathy: identification for potential biomarkers and mechanisms
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Ge Heng'an , Jiang Yuqing , Cheng Biao , Zhou Dong , Xu Nanwei 
Published: January 2016

SummaryThe role of lncRNAs in pathologies of tendinopathy has not been researched so far, this study aims to identify the role and potent mechanism of lncRNAs in tendinopathy with a bioinformatic analysis. The gene profile of GSE26051 based on the platform of Affymetrix Human Genome U133B Array condensed was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. A total of 46 specimens (including 23 normal samples and 23 tendinopathy specimens) were available. Compared with the control samples, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of tendinopathy was identified the by packages in R. The selected DEGs were further analysed using bioinformatics methods including co‐expression and enrichment analysis to detect the potential role of lncRNAs. A total of 40 different expressed lncRNAs were identified. However, most of the identified lncRNAs have not been researched before. And this study only annotate one of the identified lncRNAs successfully, the LOC100507027 (myoregulin), with the potential role in regulating skeletal muscle tissue development and skeletal muscle organ development.
Effect of Mentha spicata L. and Mentha aquatica L. essential oils on the microbiological properties of fermented dairy product, kashk
Authors: Golestan Leila , Seyedyousefi Laleh , Kaboosi Hami , Safari Hamed 
Published: January 2016

SummaryThe antibacterial activity of Mentha spicata and Mentha aquatica essential oils (EO) was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Bifidobacterium animalis and Clostridium perfringens using agar well and disc diffusion techniques. Results showed that M. spicata EO had the highest inhibition activity against the studied microorganisms. Then, the antibacterial activity of both EO at 1500 and 2500 ppm was examined in industrial liquid kashk during the storage at 4 °C for 20 days. Both EO reduced the S. aureus viable count below 5 log CFU g−1 after 4 days; however, the population of C. perfringens, L. reuteri and B. animalis decreased <1 log CFU g−1 during the storage time. The least deteriorative effect on the lactic acid bacteria was related to M. aquatica. As revealed by organoleptic studies, kashk samples containing M. aquatica EO at 1500 and 2500 ppm were the most preferred samples.
Bioactive components, ABTS radical scavenging capacity and physical stability of orange, yellow and purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) powder processed by convection‐ or vacuum‐drying methods
Authors: Kuan Lai‐Yee , Thoo Yin‐Yin , Siow Lee‐Fong 
Published: January 2016

SummaryThis study aims to investigate the antioxidant properties and physical stability of convection‐ or vacuum‐dried orange, yellow and purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) powder upon room temperature storage at different relative humidity (RH) of 33%, 43%, 54% and 75% for 25 days. Both convection and vacuum‐dried samples had lower total phenolic content (TPC), anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity compared to the fresh samples. Vacuum‐dried powder retained higher antioxidant activity than convection‐dried powder. Storage of the powder at high RH of 75% resulted in apparent clump formation, which was likely attributed to the decrease of glass transition temperature (Tg). In general, purple sweet potato powder contained the highest TPC (255.0 mg GAE 100 g DW−1) and antioxidant activity (1924.0 μmol TEAC 100 g DW−1), while orange powder had the highest beta‐carotene content (127.2 mg 100 g DW−1). Vacuum‐dried sweet potato powder, which has relatively higher antioxidant activity, could be a potential functional ingredient or natural colourant for the food industry.