bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
B7‐H4 deficiency in salivary gland of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome impairs the regulatory effect on T cells
Authors: Li Xiaomei , Yu Daliang , Yu Ning , Wang Ximei , Li Xiangpei , Harris David C. H. , Wang Yiping 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAimOur previous study confirmed the defect of B7‐H4 expression in peripheral blood and salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the deficit expression of B7‐H4 on CD4+ T cells.MethodsCD4+ T cells were purified by magnetic‐activated cell sorting MACS. The proliferation and cytokine production of CD4+ T cells co‐cultured with purified salivary gland epithelial cells (SGECs) from pSS or non‐SS sicca syndrome were detected.ResultsBy co‐culturing the gland cells with CD4+ T cells, we found the proliferation of CD4+ T cells was significantly suppressed. The effect was weaker when SGECs from pSS patients were used compared to that from non‐pSS sicca syndrome controls. Simultaneously, the productions of cytokines interleukin (IL)‐5, IL‐13, IL‐17A, IL‐6 in supernatant were reduced and also SGECs from pSS patients decreased them less than that from non‐SS controls.ConclusionsThe decrease of B7‐H4 expression in salivary glands of SS patients contributes to the defect of negatively regulating the inflammation caused by CD4+ T cells, thereby providing new insights into the role of B7‐H4 in the inflammatory process of salivary glands in SS.
Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a characteristic manifestation of granulomatosis with polyangiitis: A retrospective study of anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis
Authors: Shimojima Yasuhiro , Kishida Dai , Hineno Akiyo , Yazaki Masahide , Sekijima Yoshiki , Ikeda Shu‐ichi 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAimTo elucidate the characteristics of patients with hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) in a population with anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)‐associated vasculitis (AAV).MethodsWe retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 39 patients who were diagnosed with AAV. To determine the characteristics of HP in AAV, the epidemiological and clinical data from patients with HP were statistically compared with those from patients without HP.ResultsOf 39 patients with AAV, seven (17.9%) had associated HP. All patients with HP were classified as having granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), whereas only five of 32 patients without HP were diagnosed as having GPA (P < 0.0001). The frequencies of myeloperoxidase (MPO)‐ANCA and proteinase 3‐ANCA positivity in patients with HP were equivalent, while MPO‐ANCA positivity was obviously dominant in patients without HP. HP occurred as the initial clinical episode of AAV in three patients (7.7% of all AAV). Frequent significant characteristics of patients with HP were headache, cranial neuropathy and paranasal involvement (P < 0.05), and histopathological findings from paranasal involvement were useful for the diagnosis of GPA in some patients with HP. Combination therapy of corticosteroid and an immunosuppressant, such as methotrexate, cyclophosphamide or rituximab, was effective for achieving remission and improving radiographic findings of HP.ConclusionAAV is a common cause of HP; epidemiological features of AAV patients with HP are different from those of patients without HP. Additionally, HP impacts diagnosis because it may be an initial clinical sign of AAV.
Reduction‐oxidation cycles of organic matter increase bacterial activity in the pelagic oxycline
Authors: Lau Maximilian P. , Hupfer Michael , Grossart Hans‐Peter 
Published: February 2017

SummaryDissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic ecosystems contains redox‐active moieties, which are prone to oxidation and reduction reactions. Oxidized moieties feature reduction potentials Eh, so that the moieties may be used as terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) in microbial respiration with a thermodynamic energy yield between nitrate and sulfate reduction. Here, we study the response of pelagic freshwater bacteria to exposure to native DOM with varying availabilities of oxidized moieties and hence redox state. Our results show that the prevalence of oxidized DOM favors microbial production and growth in anoxic waters. Reduced DOM in stratified lakes may be oxidized when fluctuations of the oxycline expose DOM in previously anoxic water to epilimnetic oxygen. The resulting oxidized DOM may be rapidly used as TEAs in microbial respiration during subsequent periods of anoxia. We further investigate if the prevalence of these organic electron sinks in anaerobic incubations can induce changes in the microbial community. Our results reveal that DOM traversing transient redox interfaces selects for species that profit from such spatially confined and cyclically restored TEA reservoirs.
The relationship between the second‐to‐fourth digit ratios and lifelong premature ejaculation: a prospective, comparative study
Authors: Bolat D. , Kocabas G. U. , Kose T. , Degirmenci T. , Aydin M. E. , Dincel C. 
Published: February 2017

SummaryTo investigate the relationship between the fetal androgen exposure and lifelong premature ejaculation by using the ratio of the second (index)‐to‐fourth (ring) digits (2D : 4D) which is the marker for higher prenatal androgen exposure. Totally 65 patients with lifelong premature ejaculation and 65 control cases without any ejaculatory complaints were enrolled in the study. A detailed medical history was obtained and self‐estimated intravaginal ejaculatory latency times were recorded. Ejaculation function was evaluated by Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool. The lengths of the second and fourth digits of both hands were measured and 2D : 4Ds were calculated. The mean 2D : 4D values were 0.964 ± 0.024 vs. 0.978 ± 0.032 (p = 0.004) for the right hand and 0.966 ± 0.023 vs. 0.979 ± 0.032 (p = 0.006) for the left hand in lifelong premature ejaculation and control groups, respectively. Significant correlations were observed between the digit ratios and self‐estimated intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (r = 0.258, p = 0.003 for right hand; r = 0.240, p = 0.06 for left hand), and between the digit ratios and total Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool scores (r = −0.263, p = 0.003 for right hand; r = −0.238, p = 0.06 for left hand). Individuals with lower digit ratios have higher risks of shorter intravaginal ejaculatory latency times. These results suggest that increased fetal androgen exposure may be a new risk factor for the development of lifelong premature ejaculation.
shRNA mediated ablation of prostate and testis expressed (Pate) messenger RNA results in impaired sperm function and fertility
Authors: Rajesh A. , Yenugu S. 
Published: February 2017

SummarySpermatogenesis and sperm maturation are complex processes mediated by a variety of proteins present in the testicular and epididymal mileu. In the recent years, functional characterization of these proteins is being studied by genetic manipulations that involve targeted over expression or knock down of specific genes. In this study, we adopted FuGENE 6‐based in vivo transfection of rat cauda epididymis with pGFP‐V‐RS plasmid that encodes shRNA to knock down Pate mRNA levels to implicate a possible role for this gene in sperm function. The mRNA levels of Pate gene were significantly decreased in HEK cells as well as in cauda of rats upon transfection with pGFP‐V‐RS plasmid that encodes shRNA targeting Pate gene. Spermatozoa obtained from the transfected cauda displayed impairment in capacitation and acrosome reaction. Furthermore, rats subjected to in vivo transfection to knock down Pate mRNA levels had compromised fertility. Results of our study indicate a role for Pate gene in sperm function and can be exploited as a potential male contraceptive target.
An anti‐nicotinic cognitive challenge model using mecamylamine in comparison with the anti‐muscarinic cognitive challenge using scopolamine
Authors: Baakman Anne Catrien , Alvarez‐Jimenez Ricardo , Rissmann Robert , Klaassen Erica S. , Stevens Jasper , Goulooze Sebastiaan C. , den Burger Jeroen C. G. , Swart Eleonora L. , van Gerven Joop M. A. , Groeneveld Geert Jan 
Published: February 2017

AimsThe muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist scopolamine is often used for proof‐of‐pharmacology studies with pro‐cognitive compounds. From a pharmacological point of view, it would seem more rational to use a nicotinic rather than a muscarinic anticholinergic challenge to prove pharmacology of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. This study aims to characterize a nicotinic anticholinergic challenge model using mecamylamine and to compare it to the scopolamine model.MethodsIn this double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, four‐way cross‐over trial, 12 healthy male subjects received oral mecamylamine 10 and 20 mg, intravenous scopolamine 0.5 mg and placebo. Pharmacokinetics were analysed using non‐compartmental analysis. Pharmacodynamic effects were measured with a multidimensional test battery that includes neurophysiological, subjective, (visuo)motor and cognitive measurements.ResultsAll treatments were safe and well tolerated. Mecamylamine had a tmax of 2.5 h and a Cmax of 64.5 ng ml−1 for the 20 mg dose. Mecamylamine had a dose‐dependent effect decreasing the adaptive tracking performance and VAS alertness, and increasing the finger tapping and visual verbal learning task performance time and errors. Scopolamine significantly affected almost all pharmacodynamic tests.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that mecamylamine causes nicotinic receptor specific temporary decline in cognitive functioning. Compared with the scopolamine model, pharmacodynamic effects were less pronounced at the dose levels tested; however, mecamylamine caused less sedation. The cognitive effects of scopolamine might at least partly be caused by sedation. Whether the mecamylamine model can be used for proof‐of‐pharmacology of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists remains to be established.
Data extraction and statistical errors: A quantitative critique of Gumley, Braehler, and Macbeth (2014)
Authors: Williams Donald R. , Bürkner Paul‐Christian 
Published: February 2017

ObjectiveWhile oxytocin has been identified as having therapeutic properties for schizophrenia, the emerging evidence has been mixed which has resulted in meta‐analytic reviews. We identified several errors in one such meta‐analysis. Here, we highlight these errors, demonstrate the conclusions were incorrect, and state the importance of this report.MethodsWe reproduced the methods of Gumley, Braehler, and Macbeth (), including: outcomes (positive, negative, and total symptoms, as well as general psychopathology) and meta‐analytic estimates for fixed and random effect models.ResultsWhereas Gumley, Braehler, and Macbeth () reported oxytocin had significant effects on three of four outcomes, we show that all effects were non‐significant.ConclusionsBased on these null results, we hope this report encourages a re‐evaluation of intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for schizophrenia.
A systematic review of research on the flipped learning method in engineering education
Authors: Karabulut‐Ilgu Aliye , Jaramillo Cherrez Nadia , Jahren Charles T. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to describe the current state of knowledge and practice in the flipped learning approach in engineering education and to provide guidance for practitioners by critically appraising and summarizing existing research. This article is a qualitative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research investigating the flipped learning approach in engineering education. Systematic review was adopted as the research methodology and article selection and screening process are described. Articles published between 2000 and May 2015 were reviewed, and 62 articles were included for a detailed analysis and synthesis. The results indicated that flipped learning gained popularity amongst engineering educators after 2012. The review revealed that research in engineering education focused on documenting the design and development process and sharing preliminary findings and student feedback. Future research examining different facets of a flipped learning implementation, framed around sound theoretical frameworks and evaluation methods, is still needed to establish the pedagogy of flipped learning in teaching engineering.
Variation in population structure and dynamics of montane forest tree species in Ethiopia guide priorities for conservation and research
Authors: Young Nicholas E. , Romme William H. , Evangelista Paul H. , Mengistu Tefera , Worede Asrat 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe greatest extent of Afromontane environments in the world is found in Ethiopia. These areas support exceptional biodiversity, but forest cover and ecological integrity have declined sharply in recent decades. Conservation and management efforts are hampered in part by an inadequate understanding of the basic ecology of major tree species. We investigated population structure and inferred population dynamics from size frequency distributions of 22 forest tree species encountered in montane forests of Ethiopia. We collected new empirical data from four sites in the Bale Mountains, where some of the country's most extensive and least disturbed forests remain, and conducted a systematic review and analysis of all such studies that reported population structure for one or more of these species in Ethiopia. Thirteen widespread montane tree species showed a reverse‐J size distribution, indicating a relatively stable population structure. Six other species had size‐frequency distributions that indicate episodic recruitment and/or removal of certain size classes. Specific causes of these patterns are uncertain: they may involve timber harvesting, herbivory, fire, or natural disturbances, but patterns were inconsistent and locality dependent. For three other tree species, existing data are inadequate for any interpretation of population structure and dynamics. A species of particular conservation concern that emerged from this analysis was Hagenia abyssinica, which was found in all areas to consist only of larger individuals with no recent recruitment. For management and conservation purposes, the species in most urgent need of new research are those with inadequate or inconsistent data, and H. abyssinica.
Defining personal utility in genomics: A Delphi study
Authors: Kohler J.N. , Turbitt E. , Lewis K.L. , Wilfond B.S. , Jamal L. , Peay H.L. , Biesecker L.G. , Biesecker B.B. 
Published: February 2017

BackgroundIndividual genome sequencing results are valued by patients in ways distinct from clinical utility. Such outcomes have been described as components of “personal utility,” a concept that broadly encompasses patient‐endorsed benefits, that is operationally defined as non‐clinical outcomes. No empirical delineation of these outcomes has been reported.AimTo address this gap, we administered a Delphi survey to adult participants in a National Institute of Health (NIH) clinical exome study to extract the most highly endorsed outcomes constituting personal utility.Materials and MethodsForty research participants responded to a Delphi survey to rate 35 items identified by a systematic literature review of personal utility.ResultsTwo rounds of ranking resulted in 24 items that represented 14 distinct elements of personal utility. Elements most highly endorsed by participants were: increased self‐knowledge, knowledge of “the condition,” altruism, and anticipated coping.DiscussionOur findings represent the first systematic effort to delineate elements of personal utility that may be used to anticipate participant expectation and inform genetic counseling prior to sequencing. The 24 items reported need to be studied further in additional clinical genome sequencing studies to assess generalizability in other populations. Further research will help to understand motivations and to predict the meaning and use of results.
Clinical and radiographic outcome following immediate loading and delayed loading of single‐tooth implants: Randomized clinical trial
Authors: Gjelvold Björn , Kisch Jenö , Chrcanovic Bruno Ramos , Albrektsson Tomas , Wennerberg Ann 
Published: February 2017

AbstractBackgroundImmediate loading of single implants is generally considered a reliable procedure.PurposeThe objective of the present prospective randomized clinical study was to compare the overall treatment outcome following immediate loading (IL) and delayed loading (DL) of single implants after 1 year of follow‐up.Materials and MethodsPatients with a missing maxillary tooth (15‐25) were randomly assigned to IL or DL. The protocol included implant installation in healed sites, immediate loading, delayed loading, temporary screw‐retained restoration, and replacement with a permanent single implant crown. Outcome measures were implant survival, marginal bone level, soft tissue changes, papillae index, pink, and white esthetic score (PES and WES), patient judged aesthetics, and oral health impact profile (OHiP‐14).ResultsImplant survival rate was 100% and 96% for IL and DL, respectively. Implant success rate was 96% and 88% for IL and DL, respectively. Statistically significant lower papilla index scores were found in the IL group at temporary crown and definitive crown placement. An overall statistically significant improvement after 12 months for PES, WES and OHIP‐14 was found.ConclusionThis prospective randomized study showed that single implants in the maxilla can present satisfactory results with respect to either immediate loading or delayed loading after 12 months.
Functional nonredundancy of elephants in a disturbed tropical forest
Authors: Sekar Nitin , Lee Chia‐Lo , Sukumar Raman 
Published: February 2017

AbstractConservation efforts are often motivated by the threat of global extinction. Yet if conservationists had more information suggesting that extirpation of individual species could lead to undesirable ecological effects, they might more frequently attempt to protect or restore such species across their ranges even if they were not globally endangered. Scientists have seldom measured or quantitatively predicted the functional consequences of species loss, even for large, extinction‐prone species that theory suggests should be functionally unique. We measured the contribution of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to the dispersal of 3 large‐fruited species in a disturbed tropical moist forest and predicted the extent to which alternative dispersers could compensate for elephants in their absence. We created an empirical probability model with data on frugivory and seed dispersal from Buxa Tiger Reserve, India. These data were used to estimate the proportion of seeds consumed by elephants and other frugivores that survive handling and density‐dependent processes (Janzen‐Connell effects and conspecific intradung competition) and germinate. Without compensation, the number of seeds dispersed and surviving density‐dependent effects decreased 26% (Artocarpus chaplasha), 42% (Careya arborea), and 72% (Dillenia indica) when elephants were absent from the ecosystem. Compensatory fruit removal by other animals substantially ameliorated these losses. For instance, reductions in successful dispersal of D. indica were as low as 23% when gaur (Bos gaurus) persisted, but median dispersal distance still declined from 30% (C. arborea) to 90% (A. chaplasha) without elephants. Our results support the theory that the largest animal species in an ecosystem have nonredundant ecological functionality and that their extirpation is likely to lead to the deterioration of ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal. This effect is likely accentuated by the overall defaunation of many tropical systems.
Characterizing fish responses to a river restoration over 21 years based on species’ traits
Authors: Höckendorff Stefanie , Tonkin Jonathan D. , Haase Peter , Bunzel‐Drüke Margret , Zimball Olaf , Scharf Matthias , Stoll Stefan 
Published: February 2017

AbstractUnderstanding restoration effectiveness is often impaired by a lack of high‐quality, long‐term monitoring data and, to date, few researchers have used species’ trait information to gain insight into the processes that drive the reaction of fish communities to restoration. We examined fish‐community responses with a highly resolved data set from 21 consecutive years of electrofishing (4 years prerestoration and 17 years postrestoration) at multiple restored and unrestored reaches from a river restoration project on the Lippe River, Germany. Fish abundance peaked in the third year after the restoration; abundance was 6 times higher than before the restoration. After 5–7 years, species richness and abundance stabilized at 2 and 3.5 times higher levels relative to the prerestoration level, respectively. However, interannual variability of species richness and abundance remained considerable, illustrating the challenge of reliably assessing restoration outcomes based on data from individual samplings, especially in the first years following restoration. Life‐history and reproduction‐related traits best explained differences in species’ responses to restoration. Opportunistic short‐lived species with early female maturity and multiple spawning runs per year exhibited the strongest increase in abundance, which reflected their ability to rapidly colonize new habitats. These often small‐bodied and fusiform fishes typically live in dynamic and ephemeral instream and floodplain areas that river‐habitat restorations often aim to create, and in this case their increases in abundance indicated successful restoration. Our results suggest that a greater consideration of species’ traits may enhance the causal understanding of community processes and the coupling of restoration to functional ecology. Trait‐based assessments of restoration outcomes would furthermore allow for easier transfer of knowledge across biogeographic borders than studies based on taxonomy.
Effectiveness of conservation easements in agricultural regions
Authors: Braza Mark 
Published: February 2017

AbstractConservation easements are a standard technique for preventing habitat loss, particularly in agricultural regions with extensive cropland cultivation, yet little is known about their effectiveness. I developed a spatial econometric approach to propensity‐score matching and used the approach to estimate the amount of habitat loss prevented by a grassland conservation easement program of the U.S. federal government. I used a spatial autoregressive probit model to predict tract enrollment in the easement program as of 2001 based on tract agricultural suitability, habitat quality, and spatial interactions among neighboring tracts. Using the predicted values from the model, I matched enrolled tracts with similar unenrolled tracts to form a treatment group and a control group. To measure the program's impact on subsequent grassland loss, I estimated cropland cultivation rates for both groups in 2014 with a second spatial probit model. Between 2001 and 2014, approximately 14.9% of control tracts were cultivated and 0.3% of treated tracts were cultivated. Therefore, approximately 14.6% of the protected land would have been cultivated in the absence of the program. My results demonstrate that conservation easements can significantly reduce habitat loss in agricultural regions; however, the enrollment of tracts with low cropland suitability may constrain the amount of habitat loss they prevent. My results also show that spatial econometric models can improve the validity of control groups and thereby strengthen causal inferences about program effectiveness in situations when spatial interactions influence conservation decisions.