bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of adjunctive viscogonioplasty on drainage angle status in cataract surgery: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Eslami Yadollah , Latifi Golshan , Moghimi Sasan , Ghaffari Reza , Fakhraie Ghasem , Zarei Reza , Jabbarvand Mahmood , Mohammadi Massood , Lin Shan 
Published: September 2012

AbstractBackgroundTo compare the anatomic effects of phacoemulsification (Phaco) versus combined phacoemulsification and viscogonioplasty (Phaco‐VGP) on drainage angle status in primary angle‐closure glaucoma (PACG) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT).DesignProspective, randomized clinical trial.ParticipantsSixty‐seven eyes of 57 patients with the diagnosis of PACG.MethodPatients were randomized to undergo Phaco alone (33 eyes) or Phaco‐VGP (34 eyes). Patients were examined postoperatively on day 1, week 1 and week 6. Indentation gonioscopy and AS‐OCT were performed preoperatively and at 6 weeks after surgery.Main Outcome MeasuresAngle and anterior segment parameters by AS‐OCT and amount of peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) by gonioscopy.ResultsSixty‐five eyes of 55 patients completed the trial. The mean extent of PAS was significantly reduced from 127.7 to 95.0 degrees (P < 0.001) by Phaco alone, and from 174.0 to 77.3 degrees (P < 0.001) by Phaco‐VGP. Phaco‐VGP resulted in significantly greater reduction in PAS extent (P = 0.002). Angle‐opening distance and trabecular‐iris space‐area measured by AS‐OCT increased significantly after Phaco alone and Phaco‐VGP (P < 0.001 for both). Although the change was higher in the Phaco‐VGP group, this did not reach statistical significance. Anterior chamber depth (ACD) increased, and lens vault (LV) decreased after both procedures. The amount of change in ACD and LV was not significant between the two groups.Conclusion Both Phaco alone and Phaco‐VGP resulted in widening of the drainage angle, deepening of the anterior chamber and reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) and PAS extent in PACG eyes. Phaco‐VGP resulted in significantly more reduction of PAS. However, it seems that additional VGP has no significant effect on short‐term IOP.
Phenotypic and clinical manifestations of compound heterozygous genetic haemochromatosis (CHGH): a non‐invasive approach to clinical management
Authors: Ramakrishna R. , Gupta S. , Sarathy K. , Bowen A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe role of compound heterozygous genetic haemochromatosis (CHGH) (C282Y/H63D) mutations in the manifestations of iron overload is known; however, the extent of these manifestations and their associated management remain unclear.AimsThis study evaluates the phenotypic manifestations of CHGH using laboratory and radiological biomarkers including serum ferritin/transferrin saturation, liver function tests (LFT), thyroid function tests, blood sugar level, and abdominal ultrasound (US) or computed tomography. The study also evaluates the effects of venesection therapy on these markers and its potential role in routine management of CHGH patients.MethodsIn this case‐controlled study, 104 patients with HFE‐C282Y/H63D compound mutations were subjected to laboratory investigations and imaging. Tests were repeated over a 4‐year period before and after venesection. Data were compared between patient and control groups using paired t‐tests.ResultsPatients showed significantly higher serum ferritin and transferrin saturations compared with controls (P = 0.002, P = 0.003). Twenty‐four patients (23%) demonstrated hyperferritinaemia ≥1000 mmol/L. Sixty‐nine patients (68%) demonstrated biochemical abnormalities on initial testing (abnormal LFT (transaminases) (51 patients, 74%) and US/computed tomography (42 patients, 61%)). A significant number of LFT and US abnormalities normalised post‐venesection (80%; P = 0.000 and 52%; P = 0.005 respectively).ConclusionsPhenotypic manifestations displayed by CHGH patients can include biochemical and radiological abnormalities, which can occur at levels similar to C282Y homozygous disease (ferritin ≥1000 mmol/L). With venesection therapy, a large number of these abnormalities is reversible. Based on this, a non‐invasive framework to assess and manage CHGH within a routine community‐based clinical setting is proposed.
The short‐term response of yeast to potassium starvation
Authors: Barreto Lina , Canadell David , Valverde‐Saubí Daniel , Casamayor Antonio , Ariño Joaquín 
Published: September 2012

SummaryPotassium is the major intracellular cation in most living cells, including yeasts. Although K+ has been demonstrated to be necessary for diverse cellular functions, such as enzyme activation, additional, still uncharacterized cellular targets may exist. We show here that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae short‐term potassium deprivation impacts in the mRNA level of over one thousand genes. Lack of potassium drastically alters sulfur metabolism (mainly Met and Cys metabolism), triggers an oxidative stress response and activates the retrograde pathway, possibly due to the ammonium accumulation that occurs through the Trk1 potassium transporter. We also observe a remarkable halt in the expression of genes required for ribosome biogenesis and translation, a decrease in expression of diverse components (cyclins, protein kinases) required for progression through the cell cycle and a blockage in septins assembly. Only specific subsets of these changes were observed in a strain deleted for the TRK1 and TRK2 genes growing in the presence of sufficient potassium (50 mM). Therefore, a shortage of potassium in the environment triggers an acute transcriptional response, which covers different aspects of the cell biology so far unexplored, and whose investigation will likely reveal novel functional roles for this cation.
Assessing production of the ubiquitous archaeal diglycosyl tetraether lipids in marine subsurface sediment using intramolecular stable isotope probing
Authors: Lin Yu‐Shih , Lipp Julius S. , Elvert Marcus , Holler Thomas , Hinrichs Kai‐Uwe 
Published: September 2012

SummaryThe membrane lipids diglycosyl‐glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (2G‐GDGTs) in marine subsurface sediments are believed to originate from uncultivated benthic archaea, yet the production of 2G‐GDGTs from subseafloor samples has not been demonstrated in vitro. In order to validate sedimentary biosynthesis of 2G‐GDGTs, we performed a stable carbon isotope probing experiment on a subseafloor sample with six different 13C‐labelled substrates (bicarbonate, methane, acetate, leucine, glucose and Spirulina platensis biomass). After 468 days of anoxic incubation, only glucose and S. platensis resulted in label uptake in lipid moieties of 2G‐GDGTs, indicating incorporation of carbon from these organic substrates. The hydrophobic moieties of 2G‐GDGTs showed minimal label incorporation, with up to 4‰ 13C enrichment detected in crenarchaeol‐derived tricyclic biphytane from the S. platensis‐supplemented slurries. The 2G‐GDGT‐derived glucose or glycerol moieties also showed 13C incorporation (Δδ13C = 18–38‰) in the incubations with glucose or S. platensis, consistent with a lipid salvage mechanism utilized by marine benthic archaea to produce new 2G‐GDGTs. The production rates were nevertheless rather slow, even when labile organic matter was supplied. The 2G‐GDGT turnover times of 1700–20 500 years were much longer than those estimated for subseafloor microbial communities, implying that sedimentary 2G‐GDGTs as biomarkers of benthic archaea are cumulative records of past and present generations.
Moh’s micrographic surgery for the management of a periocular mast cell tumor in a dog
Authors: Bernstein Joseph A. , Storey Eric S. , Bauer Rudy W. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractA 3‐year‐old neutered male boxer dog presented with a 6‐month history of a waxing and waning mass of the left dorsotemporal eyelid margin. Cytology and biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of mast cell neoplasia. Systemic staging of the dog failed to reveal any evidence of metastatic neoplasia. Owing to the location of the tumor within the eyelid margin and the wide surgical margins recommended for excision of mast cell tumors, Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) was chosen for its potential to conserve tissues while providing intraoperative confirmation the tumor was completely excised. Utilizing MMS horizontal sectioning technique, 100% of the surgical margins were assessed prior to closure of the surgical wound. This represents the first time a comprehensive MMS protocol was used in a veterinary patient under general anesthesia.
Phylogenetic signal in bone histology of amniotes revisited
Authors: LEGENDRE LUCAS , LE ROY NATHALIE , MARTINEZ‐MAZA CAYETANA , MONTES LAETITIA , LAURIN MICHEL , CUBO JORGE 
Published: September 2012

Legendre, L, Le Roy, N, Martinez‐Maza, C, Montes, L, Laurin, M & Cubo, J. (2012). Phylogenetic signal in bone histology of amniotes revisited. —Zoologica Scripta,42, 44–53.There is currently a debate about the presence of a phylogenetic signal in bone histological data, but very few rigorous tests have fuelled the discussions on this topic. Here, we performed new analyses using a larger set of seven histological traits and including 25 taxa (nine extinct and 16 extant taxa), using three methods: the phylogenetic eigenvector regression, the tree length distribution and the regressions on distance matrices. Our results clearly show that the phylogenetic signal in our sample of bone histological characters is strong, even after correcting for multiple testing. Most characters exhibit a significant phylogenetic signal according to at least one of our three tests, with the phylogeny often explaining 20–60% of the variation in the histological characters. Thus, we conclude that the phylogenetic comparative method should be systematically used in interspecific analyses of bone histodiversity to avoid problems of non‐independence among observations.
The impact of sleep apnoea syndrome on nocturia according to age in men
Authors: Kang Suk‐Hoon , Yoon In‐Young , Lee Sang Don , Kim Jeong‐Whun 
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Symptom prevalence (cohort)Level of Evidence 2bWhat's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) can be a risk factor for nocturia, although whether the relationship between nocturia and SAS changes according to age remains to be addressed.SAS has a modest impact on nocturia frequency and the prevalence of pathological nocturia in young adults and middle‐aged men. However, SAS may not be a risk factor for nocturia in the elderly, and age‐related urinary diseases and voiding dysfunctions could over‐ride the influence of SAS on nocturia in the elderly.OBJECTIVE
To assess the association between nocturia and sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) according to age, as well as to determine the factors related to nocturia.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 1757 men who had been referred to a sleep laboratory underwent polysomnography.
Nocturia frequency was assessed using a questionnaire, and pathological nocturia was defined as the need to void two or more times per night.
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were applied to all study subjects.
RESULTS
Nocturia frequency was significantly correlated with age (r= 0.405, P < 0.001) and the apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) (r= 0.065, P < 0.01).
In those men aged <65 years, significant correlations were found between nocturic frequency and age, AHI, BDI and PSQI.
Multiple regression analysis showed that age (β= 0.303, P < 0.001), AHI (β= 0.107 P < 0.001) and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH; β= 0.069, P < 0.01) were associated with nocturia, and that the presence of pathological nocturia was predicted by BPH (odds ratio [OR], 2.77; P < 0.01), age (OR, 1.09; P < 0.001) and AHI (OR, 1.02; P < 0.001).
However, in men aged >65 years, nocturia frequency was significantly associated with BDI and PSQI, although no relationship was found between nocturia frequency and SAS parameters.
BPH was more frequently observed in elderly men with pathological nocturia than in those without pathological nocturia (OR, 2.18; P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
In the elderly, SAS may not be a risk factor for nocturia.
Age‐related urinary diseases and voiding dysfunction may over‐ride the influence of SAS.
Does conglomeration really reduce credit risk?
Authors: Grass Gunnar 
Published: September 2012

AbstractI quantify the effects of conglomeration on credit risk by first computing theoretical default probabilities for conglomerates and their hypothetical stand‐alone counterparts and then mapping them into physical probabilities using a comprehensive database of corporate failures. Comparing the credit risk of conglomerates with that of hypothetical stand‐alone firms, I report significant reductions in the annual probability of default for small firms. My results support the proposition that managers can have a strong incentive to engage in conglomeration, even if it reduces shareholder value and show for which firms this is the case.
Phonotactic acquisition in healthy preterm infants
Authors: Gonzalez‐Gomez Nayeli , Nazzi Thierry 
Published: September 2012

AbstractPrevious work has shown that preterm infants are at higher risk for cognitive/language delays than full‐term infants. Recent studies, focusing on prosody (i.e. rhythm, intonation), have suggested that prosodic perception development in preterms is indexed by maturational rather than postnatal/listening age. However, because prosody is heard in‐utero, and preterms thus lose significant amounts of prenatal prosodic experience, both their maturation level and their prosodic experience (listening age) are shorter than that of full‐terms for the same postnatal age. This confound does not apply to the acquisition of phonetics/phonotactics (i.e. identity and order of consonants/vowels), given that consonant differences in particular are only perceived after birth, which could lead to a different developmental pattern. Accordingly, we explore the possibility that consonant‐based phonotactic perception develops according to listening age. Healthy French‐learning full‐term and preterm infants were tested on the perception of consonant sequences in a behavioral paradigm. The pattern of development for full‐term infants revealed that 7‐month‐olds look equally at labial‐coronal (i.e. /pat/) compared to coronal‐labial sequences (i.e. /tap/), but that 10‐month‐olds prefer the labial‐coronal sequences that are more frequent in the French lexicon. Preterm 10‐month‐olds (having 10 months of phonetic listening experience but 7 months of maturational age) behaved as full‐term 10‐month‐olds. These results establish that preterm developmental timing for consonant‐based phonotactic acquisition is based on listening age (experience with input). This questions the interpretation of previous results on prosodic acquisition in terms of maturational constraints, and raises the possibility that different constraints apply to the acquisition of different phonological subcomponents.
A Micro-Level Analysis of Support in Britain for the War in Afghanistan
Authors: Clements Ben 
Published: September 2012

Research Highlights and Abstract The article conducts a detailed and robust analysis of the social and attitudinal underpinnings of general support for the war in Afghanistan. The article contributes to scholarly understanding of public attitudes in Britain on foreign policy issues and to the wider literature on public opinion and war. The findings underline the long-standing ‘gender gap’ in attitudes to war, with men more in favour. Labour partisanship and political knowledge are directly related to support for the war, though there is only weak evidence that the effects of partisanship are mediated via political knowledge. This article analyses the micro-level factors affecting public opinion in Britain towards the long-running war in Afghanistan, a major foreign policy issue in the post-9-11 era. It examines the effects of social and attitudinal factors, including perceptions of how the war is going. There is a strong evidence of a ‘gender gap’, with men more in favour, while those with higher educational attainment are more supportive. Perceptions of the war's progress play a strong role in shaping general support. Labour partisans are more supportive while political knowledge is positively-related to support for the war. There is weaker evidence that the effects of partisanship are mediated via political knowledge. This article contributes to the scholarly understanding of public attitudes in Britain on foreign policy issues and to the wider literature on public opinion and military intervention.
The Party Politics of Post-Devolution Identity in Northern Ireland
Authors: McGlynn Catherine , Tonge Jonathan , McAuley Jim 
Published: September 2012

Research Highlights and Abstract Offers one of the first detailed considerations of how political parties in Northern Ireland have adapted to the impact of the dual legitimacy of Protestant-British-Unionist and Catholic-Irish-Nationalist identities central to the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement Extends debates about devolution and party competition which have been centred on Great Britain to the United Kingdom. Outlines how the continuing bi-communalism of the electorate discourages parties from reshaping identity or chasing votes beyond the ethnic divide Analyses how nationalist parties, Sinn Féin in particular, have developed the rights of all citizens on the island of Ireland to be Irish, under the post-Good Friday Agreement Irish constitution Assesses the data indicating a modest growth of a common Northern Irish identity In this article we examine how party political competition in Northern Ireland impacts on understandings of national identity and citizenship both within the region and elsewhere in the UK. These dynamics can be seen in expressions of political identity and through organisational change and electoral strategies. The consociational framework in which Northern Irish parties operate is one of the most powerful dynamics and we assess how it has shaped intra-community party competition, most notably through the emergence of the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin as the strongest unionist and nationalist parties respectively. However, our analysis of campaigning and voting in the 2010 General Election and 2011 Assembly elections also shows that the transformation of party political competition in the UK after devolution is an important dynamic and one that has shaped unionist electoral strategies in particular.
The Cyclical Conduct of Irish Fiscal Policy
Authors: Bénétrix Agustín S. , Lane Philip R. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThis paper provides an overview of the cyclical conduct of fiscal policy in Ireland both before and during the crisis. It shows that fiscal policy has been procyclical, with financial shocks amplifying the fiscal cycle. In addition, it highlights the importance of institutional reform and outlines the case for a formal fiscal framework.
Model Selection Criteria for Factor‐Augmented Regressions*
Authors: Groen Jan J. J. , Kapetanios George 
Published: September 2012

AbstractExisting dynamic factor selection criteria determine the appropriate number of factors in a large‐dimensional panel of explanatory variables, but not all of these have to be relevant for modeling a specific dependent variable within a factor‐augmented regression. We develop theoretical conditions that selection criteria have to meet in order to get consistent estimates of the relevant factor dimension for such a regression. These incorporate factor estimation error and do not depend on specific factor estimation methodologies. Using this framework, we modify standard model selection criteria, and simulation and empirical applications indicate that these are useful in determining appropriate factor‐augmented regressions.
Allocating active conservation measures using species distribution models: a case study of red‐footed falcon breeding site management in the Carpathian Basin
Authors: Fehérvári P. , Solt S. , Palatitz P. , Barna K. , Ágoston A. , Gergely J. , Nagy A. , Nagy K. , Harnos A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractThe red‐footed falcon Falco vespertinus is an enigmatic colonial raptor of high international conservation concern. One of the identified threatening factors responsible for the recent worldwide population decline is the shortage of suitable colonial nesting sites. In theory, this problem can easily be resolved by establishing artificial colonies. However, the key to a successful large scale nest‐box scheme is to provide these artificial colonies in habitats suitable for the species. A Hungarian–Serbian project aimed to establish such nesting facilities in northern Serbia, although the lack of recent full‐scale habitat surveys hindered the designation of the locations of these artificial nesting sites. We used five different species distribution models to model the distribution of nest sites on a 10 × 10 km grid in Hungary and in Romania. We then used the ensemble predictions of the best performing models to project the probability of red‐footed falcon nest site presence in northern Serbia (predicted area). The models showed that three variables (grasslands, pastures and broad‐leaved forests) had the highest importance in describing the spatial pattern of nest sites in the modelling area. The extent of grasslands and pastures had positive effects, while broad‐leaved forests had negative impact on the probability of nest site presence. The predictions classified all the currently known colonies in the predicted area correctly. Our results suggest that the potential breeding distribution in Serbia is similar to that of two decades ago, thus large‐scale land use changes are presumably not responsible for the reported population decline. We have also reduced the extent of conservation target areas to 11.5%, allowing to pinpoint locations for these future nest box colonies, and also provided a basis for future conservation measures like allocating monitoring efforts and designating future Natura 2000 sites in Serbia.
ON THE MODE OF ACTION OF ISOVALERIC ACID IN STIMULATING THE GERMINATION OF AGARICUS BISPORUS SPORES
Authors: RAST DORA , STÄUBLE E. J. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryIsovaleric acid and isoamyl alcohol have been identified as metabolites of Agaricus bisporus. They are produced in all its developmental stages. These observations relate two earlier reports on germination in this fungus, namely, the stimulation of germination by mushroom hyphae growing in the neighbourhood of A. bisporus spores, and the promotion of germination in this species by application of isovalerate or isoamyl alcohol. The physiological effect of this acid is, at least partly, brought about by metabolic events. Mushroom spores readily convert [14C]‐isovalerate into cell constituents. After an incubation period of 1 day, approximately 12% of the radioactivity of the non‐volatile water‐soluble fraction was localized in succinate, fumarate, malate and citrate; 85% was found in glutamate, pyrrolidone carboxylate, γ‐aminobutyrate, proline, alanine, aspartate, glycine and serine. Only 3% of the carbon of the labelled isovalerate was used for glyconeogenesis. One of the first steps of isovalerate metabolism in the spores is a CO2 fixation reaction (carboxylation of β‐methylcrotonyl‐CoA, formed from isovaleryl‐CoA). The ‘triggering’ reaction of isovalerate in germination of mushroom spores probably consists in a removal of the CO2‐self‐inhibitor by participation of β‐methylcrotonyl‐CoA carboxylase. The possibility of additional metabolic effects of exogenous isovalerate relevant to its germination‐stimulating activity is noted.