bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The combination of daclatasvir and sofosbuvir for curing genotype 2 patients who cannot tolerate ribavirin
Authors: Mangia Alessandra , Arleo Andrea , Copetti Massimiliano , Miscio Maria , Piazzolla Valeria , Santoro Rosanna , Squillante Maria Maddalena 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundThe current standard‐of‐care for treatment of HCV genotype 2 (GT‐2) patients is the combination of sofosbuvir (SOF) with weight‐based ribavirin (RBV). Patients with HCV GT‐2 infection and ribavirin contraindications require the use of SOF plus NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir (DCV) which is not reimbursed everywhere.MethodsWe conducted an open‐label observational, prospective study on a subgroup of GT‐2 patients either naïve or treatment experienced (TE) with contraindications to the use of RBV. Patients with cirrhosis of Child–Pugh–Turcotte (CPT) class A and B or advanced fibrosis with comorbidities were included. They were assigned to receive 12 or 24 weeks of SOF/DCV. The primary end point of the study was sustained virological response (SVR) defined as HCV RNA levels <12 IU/ml, 12 weeks post treatment.ResultsOut of 106 patients with GT‐2 who received treatment at our unit from July 2014 to June 2015, 20 (18.8%) patients, whose treatment could not be deferred, were ribavirin intolerant; 19 received SOF/DCV combination for 12 or 24 weeks. The majority of the patients was men, 58% had cirrhosis, and 58% were TE. All treated patients achieved SVR regardless of treatment duration. The most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue, headache and nausea. No discontinuations due to AEs were observed. Two patients had oesophageal bleeding but continued treatment and achieved SVR; one patient developed HCC 12 weeks post treatment, but remained HCV RNA undetectable.ConclusionsThis study supports the use of SOF/DCV for 12 weeks in non‐cirrhotics or 24 weeks in cirrhotic GT‐2 patients who cannot tolerate RBV, including those with decompensated disease.
Distribution of individual members of the mosquito Anopheles maculipennis complex in Germany identified by newly developed real‐time PCR assays
Authors: LÜHKEN R. , CZAJKA C. , STEINKE S. , JÖST H. , SCHMIDT‐CHANASIT J. , PFITZNER W. , BECKER N. , KIEL E. , KRÜGER A. , TANNICH E. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractOwing to their role as vectors of malaria parasites, species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) Meigen were intensively studied in the past, but with the disappearance of malaria in Germany in the middle of the last century, the interest in this field of research declined. A comprehensive ecological analysis of the current species distribution for Germany is lacking.Between 2010 and 2013, a total of 1445 mosquitoes of the An. maculipennis complex were collected at 72 different sites in Germany. The samples comprise 722 single individuals as well as 723 individuals in 90 pools of up to 25 mosquitoes. All samples were analysed with newly developed species‐specific qPCR assays for the identification of the four German species using nucleotide differences within the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) ribosomal DNA. All gathered data were used for species distribution modelling.The overall prevalence of An. messeae s.l. was highest with 98.89% of all pools; An. daciae with 6.93% of all individuals and An. messeae s.s. with 69.53%. The prevalence of the other two species was relatively low: An. maculipennis s.s. with 13.30% of all individuals (6.67% of all pools) and An. atroparvus with 1.80% of all individuals (1.11% of all pools).
Axonal motor protein KIF5A and associated cargo deficits in multiple sclerosis lesional and normal‐appearing white matter
Authors: Hares K. , Redondo J. , Kemp K. , Rice C. , Scolding N. , Wilkins A. 
Published: January 2016

AimsUnderstanding the causes of axonal pathology remains a key goal in the pursuit of new therapies to target disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Anterograde axonal transport of many proteins vital for axonal viability is mediated by the motor protein KIF5A, which has been linked to several neurological diseases. This study aimed to investigate the expression of KIF5A protein and its associated cargoes: amyloid precursor protein (APP) and neurofilament (NF) in post mortem MS and control white matter (WM) and to determine if KIF5A expression is influenced by the presence of MS risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in the region of the KIF5A gene.MethodsUsing immunoblotting assays we analysed the expression of KIF5A, APP and NF phospho‐isoforms in 23 MS cases and 12 controls.ResultsWe found a significant reduction in KIF5A and associated cargoes in MS WM and an inverse correlation between KIF5A and APP/NF protein levels. Furthermore, homozygous carriers of MS risk gene SNPs show significantly lower levels of KIF5A protein compared to MS patients with no copies of the risk SNPs.ConclusionsWe conclude that reduced expression of axonal motor KIF5A may have important implications in determining axonal transport deficits and ongoing neurodegeneration in MS.
Gastric ghrelin, GOAT, leptin, and leptinR expression as well as peripheral serotonin are dysregulated in humans with obesity
Authors: Ritze Y. , Schollenberger A. , Hamze Sinno M. , Bühler N. , Böhle M. , Bárdos G. , Sauer H. , Mack I. , Enck P. , Zipfel S. , Meile T. , Königsrainer A. , Kramer M. , Bischoff S. C. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractBackgroundGastrointestinal hormone release and the regulation of appetite and body weight are thought to be dysbalanced in obesity. However, human data investigating the expression of gastrointestinal hormones in the obese are rare. We studied the expression of ghrelin, leptin, and the serotonergic system in stomach tissue and serum of obese and non‐obese individuals.MethodsGastric tissue and serum were collected from 29 adult obese (BMI 48.7 ± 10.6 kg/m2; mean ± SD) who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric biopsies, surgery specimen or serum was obtained from 35 adult non‐obese humans (BMI 22.7 ± 1.9 kg/m2). Ghrelin, ghrelin O‐acyl transferase (GOAT), leptin, leptin receptor, and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) mRNA expression were measured by qRT‐PCR. Serotonin (5HT) and leptin protein concentration were quantified in tissue extracts and serum; GOAT and ghrelin‐positive cells were immunohistologically quantified in tissue. Additionally, 21 blood immune markers were analyzed.Key ResultsIn gastric tissue, GOAT‐positive cells were reduced (p < 0.01), but ghrelin‐positive cells and mRNA were increased (both p < 0.05) in obese compared with non‐obese individuals. Gastric leptin (p < 0.001) and leptin receptor (p < 0.001) mRNA expression, as well as leptin concentrations in serum (p < 0.001), were increased in obese compared with non‐obese individuals. Serum 5HT was reduced (p < 0.05), while tissue 5HT and TPH1 mRNA were reduced only by trend. Interleukin 1 receptor a (IL1Ra), IL‐8, IL‐12, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (IL1Ra) were increased and IL1Ra correlated negatively with serum leptin.Conclusions & InferencesOur data indicate that obesity causes a dysregulation of gastrointestinal hormones at the tissue level and serum, including a negative correlation with an increased marker of subclinical inflammation.
Single‐center assessment of nutritional counseling in preventing excessive weight gain in pediatric renal transplants recipients
Authors: Cameron Camilla , Krmar Rafael T. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractPost‐transplantation obesity is a common complication that is associated with a higher risk for decreased allograft function and hypertension. However, the role of diet intervention on reducing post‐transplantation obesity is relatively unknown. We investigated the clinical relevance of dietary counseling on the prevalence of overweight/obesity during the first two yr following renal transplantation. The computerized patient records of 42 recipients (31 males) aged 6.3 ± 4.8 yr at transplantation were reviewed. All patients systematically underwent yearly dietary assessment/counseling (motivational interviewing technique) and measurement of renal function and ABPM. At transplantation, 14.2% of patients were overweight/obese, which increased to 42.8% by two yr post‐transplantation (p = 0.004). The majority of patients experienced a significant increase in BMI SDS during the first six months post‐transplantation that remained sustained throughout the duration of the follow‐up period (p = 0.001). By two yr post‐transplantation, there were no observable differences between patients classified as having normal BMI or being overweight/obese with regard to renal function and controlled hypertension. The application of yearly tailored dietary assessment/counseling had a poor effect on preventing post‐transplantation weight gain, suggesting the need for more comprehensive interventions to reduce post‐transplant obesity.
Actinic Prurigo in Singaporean Chinese: A Positive Association with HLA‐DRB1*03:01
Authors: Chen Qiping , Shen Meixin , Heng Yee Kiat , Theng Thiam Seng Colin , Tey Hong Liang , Ren Ee Chee , Chong Wei‐Sheng 
Published: January 2016

AbstractStudies have reported the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes with susceptibility to develop actinic prurigo (AP) in Caucasians, but there were no studies in Asian populations, including the Chinese. Our study was performed to determine if AP is associated with susceptibility or protective HLA alleles or haplotypes in Singaporean Chinese. All Chinese patients diagnosed with AP at National Skin Center, Singapore, from January 2002 to April 2015 were invited to participate in the study. Clinical data and phototesting results were collated, and HLA typing was performed. Among 14 patients included, 11 were male and the mean age was 49.6 (37.9–61.3) years. All patients did not have a family history of AP and none had mucosal involvement, as such these clinical features differed from Caucasian AP patients. The frequency of DRB1*03:01 in AP patients was significantly higher compared to healthy controls (43% vs 16%, P = 0.022, odds ratio (OR) 3.89). Concurrently, the frequency of HLA‐B*58:01‐DRB1*03:01 haplotype was also significantly increased (25% vs 7%, P = 0.004, OR 4.23). In conclusion, HLA‐DRB1*03:01 was associated with AP in Singaporean Chinese patients. This novel allelic association may possibly be utilized as a biological marker to aid in the diagnosis of AP in Chinese patients.
Shifts from specialised to generalised pollination systems in Miconieae (Melastomataceae) and their relation with anther morphology and seed number
Authors: Brito V. L. G. , Fendrich T. G. , Smidt E. C. , Varassin I. G. , Goldenberg R. 
Published: January 2016

AbstractMost species in Melastomataceae have poricidal anthers related to specialised bee buzz‐pollination, while some have anthers with large openings associated to non‐bee pollination systems. We tracked the evolution of anther morphology and seed number on the Miconieae phylogenetic tree to understand the evolutionary shifts in such pollination systems. Anther morphometric data and seed number were recorded for 54 taxa. Pollinators (bees, flies, wasps) were recorded for 20 available species. Ancestral state reconstruction was made using Maximum Likelihood from nrITS sequences. We used phylogenetic eigenvector regressions to estimate phylogenetic signal and the adaptive component for these traits. Species pollinated by bees or bees and wasps tend to have smaller pores and fruits with more seeds. Species pollinated by flies or flies and bees and/or wasps tend to have larger pores and fruits with less seeds. Independent evolution occurred three times for anthers with large pores and twice for fruits with few seeds. We detected a phylogenetic signal in both traits, and negative correlated evolution between them. In actinomorphic small‐flowered Miconieae, changes in anther morphology can be related to generalisation in the pollination system incorporating flies and wasps as pollinators and lessening the importance of buzzing bees in such process. Differences in pollen removal and deposition may explain differences in anther morphology and seed number in Miconieae.
Examining the N400m in affectively negative sentences: A magnetoencephalography study
Authors: Parkes Linden , Perry Conrad , Goodin Peter 
Published: January 2016

AbstractMagnetoencephalography was used to examine the effect on the N400m of reading words that create emotional violations in sentences. The beginnings of the sentences were affectively negative and were completed with either a negative congruous, positive incongruous, or neutral incongruous adjective (e.g., “My mother was killed and I felt bad/great/normal”). The task conditions were also manipulated to favor semantic over affective processing. Compared to the sentences with the congruous negative adjectives, the results of sensor space analysis showed that there was an N400m effect with the sentences with the neutral but not positive adjectives, despite both types of sentences containing an emotional violation. Source localization results showed a similar pattern where the sentences with the incongruous positive versus congruous negative adjectives showed no significant N400m effect in the temporal and frontal areas examined, but the sentences with the incongruous neutral versus incongruous positive adjectives in the temporal areas did, particularly the left middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that (a) the N400m effect was likely to be caused by the incongruous neutral adjectives being comparatively harder to integrate into a negative emotional context than the incongruous positive ones, (b) emotional context created by the negative sentence stems caused deeper semantic processing of the incongruous positive adjectives to be bypassed, and (c) negative affective context was generated from reading the sentences even in task conditions where it has not been generated with isolated words.
Early and late selection modulate competition for representation: Evidence from the N2pc in a multiple frame procedure
Authors: Aubin Sébrina , Jolicoeur Pierre 
Published: January 2016

AbstractIn this study, both bottom‐up and top‐down influences on processes of visual attention deployment are tested by examining the interaction between the similarity of a salient distractor to a salient target and the physical distance separating attended items in the visual field. Distractor‐target similarity was varied both on a semantic and a physical level. Additionally, across experiments, the similarity of the salient items could vary in form, color, or both. Three experiments identified interactive relationships between these factors on the amplitude and the latency of N2pc, an ERP associated to the deployment of visuospatial attention. Results show the influence of both early form‐based selection and late identification‐based selection processes on the N2pc. Furthermore, selection processes appear to be dependent on the spatial proximity of the attended items, suggesting that some processes may operate on a local spatial scale.
Deception detection with behavioral, autonomic, and neural measures: Conceptual and methodological considerations that warrant modesty
Authors: Meijer Ewout H. , Verschuere Bruno , Gamer Matthias , Merckelbach Harald , Ben‐Shakhar Gershon 
Published: January 2016

AbstractThe detection of deception has attracted increased attention among psychological researchers, legal scholars, and ethicists during the last decade. Much of this has been driven by the possibility of using neuroimaging techniques for lie detection. Yet, neuroimaging studies addressing deception detection are clouded by lack of conceptual clarity and a host of methodological problems that are not unique to neuroimaging. We review the various research paradigms and the dependent measures that have been adopted to study deception and its detection. In doing so, we differentiate between basic research designed to shed light on the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying deceptive behavior and applied research aimed at detecting lies. We also stress the distinction between paradigms attempting to detect deception directly and those attempting to establish involvement by detecting crime‐related knowledge, and discuss the methodological difficulties and threats to validity associated with each paradigm. Our conclusion is that the main challenge of future research is to find paradigms that can isolate cognitive factors associated with deception, rather than the discovery of a unique (brain) correlate of lying. We argue that the Comparison Question Test currently applied in many countries has weak scientific validity, which cannot be remedied by using neuroimaging measures. Other paradigms are promising, but the absence of data from ecologically valid studies poses a challenge for legal admissibility of their outcomes.
Defining the shelf edge and the three‐dimensional shelf edge to slope facies variability in shelf‐edge deltas
Authors: Laugier Fabien J. , Plink‐Björklund Piret 
Published: January 2016

AbstractShelf‐edge deltas play a critical role in shelf‐margin accretion and deepwater sediment delivery, yet much remains to be understood about the detailed linkage between shelf edge and slope sedimentation. The shelf edge separates the flat‐lying shelf from steeper slope regions, and is observable in seismic data and continuous outcrops; however, it is commonly obscured in non‐continuous outcrops. Defining this zone is essential because it segregates areas dominated by shelf currents from those governed by gravity‐driven processes. Understanding this linkage is paramount for predicting and characterizing associated deepwater reservoirs. In the Tanqua Karoo Basin, the Permian Kookfontein Formation shelf‐slope clinothems are well‐exposed for 21 km along depositional strike and dip. Two independent methods identified the shelf‐edge position, indicating that it is defined by: (i) a transition from predominantly shelf‐current to gravitational deposits; (ii) an increase in soft‐sediment deformation; (iii) a significant gradient increase; and (iv) clinothem thickening. A quantitative approach was used to assess the impact of process‐regime variability along the shelf edge on downslope sedimentation. Facies proportions were quantified from sedimentary logs and photographic panels, and integrated with mapped key surfaces to construct a stratigraphic grid. Spatial variability in facies proportions highlights two types of shelf‐edge depositional zones within the same shelf‐edge delta. Where deposition occurred in fluvial‐dominated zones, the slope is sand rich, channelized with channels widening downslope, and rich in collapse features. Where deltaic deposits indicate considerable tidal reworking, the deposits are thin and pinch‐out close to the shelf edge, and the slope is sand poor and lacks channelization. Amplification of tidal energy, and decrease in fluvial drive on the shelf, coincides with a decrease in mouth bar and shelf‐edge collapse, and a lack of channelization on the slope. This analysis suggests that process‐regime variability along the shelf edge exercised significant control on shelf‐edge progradation, slope channelization and deepwater sediment delivery.
Integrated Forming, Welding and Crash Simulations for an Aluminum Crash Management System
Authors: Tang Xinxin , Fjær Hallvard G. 
Published: January 2016

Simulations of production by forming and welding, and crash testing of an aluminum crash management system have been carried out. A numerical tool/interface is also developed for modeling, simulating and evaluating the material flow, the design concepts and fabrication processes continually, accurately and fast.
In the present paper, the fabrication processes of the Audi A1 crash management system are studied. The system consists of a stretch-bent extruded beam, a towing nut, two extruded crash tubes and two plates that are welded together.
In order to perform analyses efficiently, this study employed a common set of solid elements for modeling the forming, welding and crash processes.
The forming simulation has been performed in IMPETUS Afea Solver. The solid elements have been transferred flexible from coarse single order elements into the fine higher order elements in different stages of the design. In this way, it is possible to quickly capture the key concepts of the tool design, and to ensure that the details of the product and the requirements of the tooling can be correctly predicted. The welding simulation has been performed in Weldsim. It combines a thermal, a mechanical and a metallurgical model. The thermal history, the welding deformations, the hardness and the microstructure distribution, the residual stresses and the distortions in the system are evaluated after a welding simulation. Through the welding simulation, the effect of the welding fixtures and the welding heat input can be assessed.
Result fields from the welding simulation include the yield stress varying through the heat affected zones. This result field is imported to and applied in the crash simulation.
Crash simulation is carried out with the information of changes in material performance caused by the welding heat.
Through a crash simulation the ability of the system to perform correct deformation and fracture modes is verified.
Design Concepts and Prototypes of Vibration Isolators Using Bi-Stable Foldable Structures
Authors: Ishida Sachiko , Uchida Hiroshi , Shimosaka Haruo , Hagiwara Ichiro 
Published: January 2016

In this paper, a new vibration isolator using origami-based foldable structures is proposed and the performance of the isolator is numerically evaluated to prevent structural vibration. Next, the prototype of the isolator is introduced.
It has been known that the origami-based foldable structures based on torsional buckling pattern provide the bistable folding motions under the given conditions. We propose to apply additional linear springs to this structure. It is numerically confirmed that the structure with additional linear springs can work as a vibration isolator around the region that the total spring stiffness of the whole structure reaches the relative minimum value that is close to zero. The prototype of the isolator consists of metallic components. The structure is adequately simplified from the above-mentioned conceptual foldable structure, still maintaining the bi-stability.