bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of muscarinic receptor modulators on ocular biometry of guinea pigs
Authors: Fang Fang , Huang Furong , Xie Ruozhong , Li Cheng , Liu Yin , Zhu Ying , Qu Jia , Zhou Xiangtian 
Published: November 2014

AbstractPurposeThis study investigated whether pilocarpine and cyclopentolate induce changes in ocular biometry of guinea pigs, in order to understand if guinea pigs have a similar response to these two agents as humans do.MethodsUnder general anaesthesia, refraction, axial components and surface curvature in various optical interfaces of the eye were measured in 10 guinea pigs (age of 2 weeks) at baseline (0 min) and different time points (5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 min) after topical administration of pilocarpine or cyclopentolate. The interval between the two drug treatments for the same animals was at least 24 h.ResultsEyes treated with pilocarpine developed approximately 6D myopia (p < 0.001 from 0 to 90 min) with a decrease in anterior lens radius of curvature (ALRC) (p < 0.001 from 0 to 90 min, repeated measures anova). This myopic shift was moderately correlated to the decreased ALRC (r2 = 0.48, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a small but significant increase in the VCD (p < 0.001 from 0 to 30 min, repeated measures anova) with an unchanged AL (p = 0.85 from 0 to 90 min, repeated measures anova) after the drug treatment suggested a transient and mild forward movement of the lens. Cyclopentolate dilated the pupil in all eyes (p < 0.001 from 0 to 90 min, repeated measures anova) but did not change other ocular parameters.ConclusionsThe muscarinic agonist, pilocarpine induced a myopic shift mainly due to a decrease in ALRC, suggesting that guinea pigs have an accommodative mechanism similar to that in humans. The minimal changes produced by cyclopentolate could be due to the use of general anaesthesia, which may have reduced the susceptibility of the eye to topical cyclopentolate in the induction of cycloplegia.
An observational, real‐life safety study of a 5‐grass pollen sublingual tablet in children and adolescents
Authors: Eberle Peter , Brueck Helmut , Gall Ralph , Hadler Meike , Sieber Jochen , Karagiannis Efstrathios 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe safety and efficacy of pre‐ and coseasonal sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) with a 5‐grass pollen sublingual tablet have been demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial (RCT) in children and adolescents. Observational, ‘real‐life’ studies can usefully complement the results of RCTs.MethodsA prospective, open‐label, observational, multicentre post‐marketing study of children and adolescents (aged 5–17, with grass pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis) treated with the 5‐grass pollen sublingual tablet was performed between June 2009 and January 2011 in Germany. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded during consultations with the investigating physicians; AEs judged to have at least a possible causal link to the tablet were classified as adverse drug reactions (ADRs).ResultsEight hundred and forty‐nine patients were enrolled (by 207 investigating physicians), 829 (mean ± s.d. age: 10.9 ± 3.3 yr) completed the study without major protocol deviations, and 796 were fully documented with respect to AEs. Ninety‐four of the 796 patients (11.8%) experienced at least one ADR on the first day of SLIT and 218 (27.4%) experienced at least one ADR during the study. Four hundred and sixty‐six of the 596 ADRs (78.2%) were mild or moderate. The most common ADRs were throat irritation (19.1% of the reactions), oral paresthesia (8.2%), oral pruritus (6.5%) and oedema mouth (6.2%). Serious ADRs occurred in five patients. No epinephrine use was reported. Seventy‐six of the 829 patients (9.2%) discontinued SLIT due to AEs. Tolerability was judged to be good or very good by patients (84.7%), parents (87.0%) and investigators (89.7%).ConclusionsIn clinical practice, pre‐ and coseasonal treatment with a 5‐grass pollen sublingual tablet is safe and well tolerated in children and adolescents.
Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 sensitization predicts peanut allergy in Mediterranean pediatric patients
Authors: Agabriel Chantal , Ghazouani Ouafeh , Birnbaum Joëlle , Liabeuf Valérie , Porri Françoise , Gouitaa Marion , Cleach Isabelle , Grob Jean‐Jacques , Bongrand Pierre , Sarles Jacques , Vitte Joana 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBackgroundPeanut allergy (PA) management was improved by the introduction of molecular allergology, but guidelines for Mediterranean patients are lacking. We aimed at evaluating peanut component‐resolved diagnosis as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in children from Southern France.MethodsIn 181 pediatric patients, PA diagnosis was founded on medical history, skin prick testing, serum‐specific IgE to Arachis hypogea extract and components, Pru p 4, and plant carbohydrates, and oral food challenge. Allergen microarray was also performed in 68 of these patients.ResultsIn peanut‐allergic children (n = 117), IgE to Ara h 6 were most prevalent (64%), followed by Ara h 2 (63%), Ara h 1 (60%), and Ara h 9 (52%). Ara h 6 was the best predictor of PA. The second best predictor was the ratio of Ara h 2 IgE to peanut IgE (cutoff 0.113). Persistent childhood PA was associated with complex molecular profiles. Comparison of singleplex and microarray results showed poor concordance for Ara h 2 and Ara h 9.ConclusionAra h 6 and Ara h 2 are the best predictors of PA at diagnosis in Mediterranean pediatric patients. Ara h 1, Ara h 8, and molecular complexity are associated with PA persistence.
The Meanings of “Imagine” Part II: Attitude and Action
Authors: Van Leeuwen Neil 
Published: November 2014

AbstractIn this Part II, I investigate different approaches to the question of what makes imagining different from belief. I find that the sentiment‐based approach of David Hume falls short, as does the teleological approach, once advocated by David Velleman. I then consider whether the inferential properties of beliefs and imaginings may differ. Beliefs, I claim, exhibit an anti‐symmetric inferential governance over imaginings: they are the background that makes inference from one imagining to the other possible; the reverse is not true, and this allows us to distinguish the two attitudes. I then go on to consider the action theory of imagining and the role that imaginings play in generating emotion.
The Kantian (Non)‐conceptualism Debate
Authors: McLear Colin 
Published: November 2014

AbstractOne of the central debates in contemporary Kant scholarship concerns whether Kant endorses a “conceptualist” account of the nature of sensory experience. Understanding the debate is crucial for getting a full grasp of Kant's theory of mind, cognition, perception, and epistemology. This paper situates the debate in the context of Kant's broader theory of cognition and surveys some of the major arguments for conceptualist and non‐conceptualist interpretations of his critical philosophy.
Dehumanization, Essentialism, and Moral Psychology
Authors: Smith David Livingstone 
Published: November 2014

AbstractDespite its importance, the phenomenon of dehumanization has been neglected by philosophers. Since its introduction, the term “dehumanization” has come to be used in a variety of ways. In this paper, I use it to denote the psychological stance of conceiving of other human beings as subhuman creatures. I draw on an historical example – Morgan Godwyn's description of 17th century English colonists' dehumanization of African slaves and use this to identify three explanatory desiderata that any satisfactory theory of dehumanization needs to address. I then summarize and criticize the theories of dehumanization developed by Jacques‐Philippe Leyens and Nicholas Haslam, focusing on what I take to be their misappropriation of the theory of psychological essentialism, and show that both of these approaches suffer from major difficulties. I finish with an assessment of the degree to which Leyens' and Haslam's theories satisfy the three desiderata mentioned earlier, conclude that they fail to address them, and offer a brief sketch of a more satisfactory approach to understanding dehumanization.
Vitamin D and Skin Cancer
Authors: Burns Erin M. , Elmets Craig A. , Yusuf Nabiha 
Published: November 2014

AbstractVitamin D signaling plays a key role in many important processes, including cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, immune regulation, hormone secretion and skeletal health. Furthermore, vitamin D production and supplementation have been shown to exert protective effects via an unknown signaling mechanism involving the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in several diseases and cancer types, including skin cancer. With over 3.5 million new diagnoses in 2 million patients annually, skin cancer is the most common cancer type in the United States. While ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is the main etiologic factor for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), UVB also induces cutaneous vitamin D production. This paradox has been the subject of contradictory findings in the literature in regards to amount of sun exposure necessary for appropriate vitamin D production, as well as any beneficial or detrimental effects of vitamin D supplementation for disease prevention. Further clinical and epidemiological studies are necessary to elucidate the role of vitamin D in skin carcinogenesis.
ß‐Ga2O3 Nanorod Synthesis with a One‐step Microwave Irradiation Hydrothermal Method and its Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation for Perfluorooctanoic Acid
Authors: Zhao Baoxiu , Li Xiang , Yang Long , Wang Fen , Li Jincheng , Xia Wenxiang , Li Weijiang , Zhou Li , Zhao Colin 
Published: November 2014

Abstractß‐Ga2O3 nanorod was first directly prepared by the microwave irradiation hydrothermal way without any subsequent heat treatments, and its characterizations were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy techniques, and also its photocatalytic degradation for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was investigated. XRD patterns revealed that ß‐Ga2O3 crystallization increased with the enhancement of microwave power and the adding of active carbon (AC). PFOA, as an environmental and persistent pollutant, is hard decomposed by hydroxyl radicals (HO·); however, it is facilely destroyed by ß‐Ga2O3 photocatalytic reaction in an anaerobic atmosphere. The important factors such as pH, ß‐Ga2O3 dosage and bubbling atmosphere were researched, and the degradation and defluorination was 98.8% and 56.2%, respectively. Reductive atmosphere reveals that photoinduced electron may be the major reactant for PFOA. Furthermore, the degradation kinetics for PFOA was simulated and constant and half‐life was calculated, respectively.
Qualitative and quantitative aspects of information processing in first psychosis: Latent class analyses in patients, at‐risk subjects, and controls
Authors: van Tricht Mirjam J. , Bour Lo J. , Koelman Johannes H. T. M. , Derks Eske M. , Braff David L. , de Wilde Odette M. , Boerée Thijs , Linszen Don H. , de Haan Lieuwe , Nieman Dorien H. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractWe aimed to determine profiles of information processing deficits in the pathway to first psychosis. Sixty‐one subjects at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for psychosis were assessed, of whom 18 converted to a first episode of psychosis (FEP) within the follow‐up period. Additionally, 47 FEP and 30 control subjects were included. Using 10 neurophysiological parameters associated with information processing, latent class analyses yielded three classes at baseline. Class membership was related to group status. Within the UHR sample, two classes were found. Transition to psychosis was nominally associated with class membership. Neurophysiological profiles were unstable over time, but associations between specific neurophysiological components at baseline and follow‐up were found. We conclude that certain constellations of neurophysiological variables aid in the differentiation between controls and patients in the prodrome and after first psychosis.
Group Bound: Confidence Intervals for Groups of Variables in Sparse High Dimensional Regression Without Assumptions on the Design
Authors: Meinshausen Nicolai 
Published: November 2014

SummaryIt is in general challenging to provide confidence intervals for individual variables in high dimensional regression without making strict or unverifiable assumptions on the design matrix. We show here that a ‘group bound’ confidence interval can be derived without making any assumptions on the design matrix. The lower bound for the regression coefficient of individual variables can be derived via linear programming. The idea also generalizes naturally to groups of variables, where we can derive a one-sided confidence interval for the joint effect of a group. Although the confidence intervals of individual variables are by the nature of the problem often very wide, it is shown to be possible to detect the contribution of groups of highly correlated predictor variables even when no variable individually shows a significant effect. The assumptions that are necessary to detect the effect of groups of variables are shown to be weaker than the weakest known assumptions that are necessary to detect the effect of individual variables.
Institutional Investors' Trading in Speculation: Evidence from China
Authors: Kong Gaowen , Kong Dongmin 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe trading behaviour of institutional investors has attracted much attention. However, many issues related to their trading behaviour cannot be addressed without high‐frequency changes in institutional ownership. Based on a measure of the trading behaviour of institutional investors by using an institutional account dataset from China, we find that (i) active institutions trade speculatively by taking advantage of individual investors; (ii) individuals buying high and selling low offer liquidity only on average; (iii) foreign investors do not show significant patterns in speculation; and (iv) trading of active institutions significantly affects price. This study casts doubt on the conventional wisdom that institutional or sophisticated investors improve market efficiency by correcting mispricing, and provides direct evidence for institutional investors' speculation behaviour and their destabilising effect on the stock market. Results suggest that regulators in emerging markets should monitor institutions' speculation to bring fairness and justice to the stock market.
Feeling an outsider left in uncertainty – a phenomenological study on the experiences of older hospital patients
Authors: van der Meide Hanneke , Olthuis Gert , Leget Carlo 
Published: November 2014

This paper starts from a care ethical perspective on care and reports on a phenomenological study into older patients’ experiences of hospitalisation. Although hospital care for older patients is at the centre of attention, questions what is at stake and what defines quality of care are rarely discussed with a view to the perspective of older patients themselves. The qualitative observational method of shadowing was used. Ten patients of 75 years old or older were shadowed from admission until discharge. The reflective lifeworld approach, based on phenomenological philosophy, was used to analyse the collected data. For the older patients included in the study, the essential meaning of hospitalisation can be described as feeling an outsider left in uncertainty. The word ‘left’ reveals how hospitalisation is experienced as a solitary struggle with various uncertainties that are related both to the hospital environment and to the patient's personal situation. The essential meaning is composed of the following three constituents: (i) staying in an inhospitable place, (ii) feeling constrained and (iii) experiencing disruption. The busy walking back and forth of care professionals and the functional character of involvement, restrain older patients from participating and make them feel abandoned. Feeling constrained reveals the feelings brought on by the ageing body which are emphasised by hospitalisation but often neglected by hospital staff. The failure of healthcare professionals to recognise and respond to who older patients are aside from their illness exacerbate the experience of disruptions. To improve care, hospital staff must be more sensitive to older patients’ uncertainties. Also, hospital staff should provide older patients with understandable information and explanation which besides offering patients the possibility to feel involved, meets their need for recognition.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Testosterone among Patients with End‐Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Bao Yeran , Johansen Kirsten L. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe prevalence of low testosterone level is particularly high among patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) and has been associated with mortality. In populations without ESRD, low testosterone level has also been associated with a number of morbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, low muscle mass, low bone mass, low physical performance, and frailty. However, there is controversy regarding what constitutes low testosterone level in the aging population and at what level replacement therapy with testosterone is indicated. There are no randomized controlled trials investigating long‐term outcomes of testosterone replacement therapy in populations with or without ESRD. Available trial results suggest equivocal improvements in sexual function. Muscle mass and bone mineral density appear to improve, but results in physical function and performance are mixed and there are no data on fracture prevention. Some recent data suggest harm when testosterone was given to men with limited mobility. Finally, there is little evidence that testosterone adds to existing erythropoietin agents in the treatment of anemia in ESRD. Due to lack of evidence supporting long‐term use of testosterone, the authors recommend against the routine use of testosterone in ESRD patients with low testosterone levels. Testosterone treatment can be considered in those with low bone mass and total testosterone level <200 ng/dl, or in younger patients with sexual complaints with total testosterone level lower than the reference range. It is important to engage patients in discussion of risks and benefits before initiating testosterone therapy; testosterone therapy should be discontinued if the intended treatment effect is not observed after short‐term use.
Surface‐Mediated Priming During In Vitro Generation of Monocyte‐Derived Dendritic Cells
Authors: Sauter A. , Mc Duffie Y. , Boehm H. , Martinez A. , Spatz J. P. , Appel S. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractEx vivo‐generated human dendritic cells (DC) are most commonly generated from monocytes using standard cell culture dishes. To elucidate the effect of the plastic surface during the differentiation process, we compared a standard adhesive plastic dish with four different mainly non‐adherent surfaces. Untouched monocytes were cultured for 3 days in the presence of IL‐4 and GM‐CSF. Time‐lapse videos were recorded, and the phenotype of the cells was analysed by flow cytometry. The cytokine profiles were analysed using a 25‐plex cytokine assay. The use of non‐adherent surfaces led to a significant reduction in expression of CD14 and CD38, and a significant increase in expression of CD86 compared to standard culture dishes. Expression levels of DC‐SIGN and PD‐L2 were reduced significantly on cells cultured on non‐adherent surfaces. The cytokine production was independent on the surface used. The surface‐mediated priming should therefore be considered when aiming to induce specific immune responses. This is especially important with regard to DC‐based immunotherapy, where an adjustment of the surface during the DC generation process might have highly beneficial effects.
DOWNY MILDEW RESISTANT 6 and DMR6‐LIKE OXYGENASE 1 are partially redundant but distinct suppressors of immunity in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zeilmaker Tieme , Ludwig Nora R. , Elberse Joyce , Seidl Michael F. , Berke Lidija , Van Doorn Arjen , Schuurink Robert C. , Snel Berend , Van den Ackerveken Guido 
Published: November 2014

SummaryArabidopsis downy mildew resistant 6 (dmr6) mutants have lost their susceptibility to the downy mildew Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis. Here we show that dmr6 is also resistant to the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae and the oomycete Phytophthora capsici. Resistance is accompanied by enhanced defense gene expression and elevated salicylic acid levels. The suppressive effect of the DMR6 oxygenase was confirmed in transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing DMR6 that show enhanced susceptibility to H. arabidopsidis, P. capsici, and P. syringae. Phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily of 2‐oxoglutarate Fe(II)‐dependent oxygenases revealed a subgroup of DMR6‐LIKE OXYGENASEs (DLOs). Within Arabidopsis, DMR6 is most closely related to DLO1 and DLO2. Overexpression of DLO1 and DLO2 in the dmr6 mutant restored the susceptibility to downy mildew indicating that DLOs negatively affect defense, similar to DMR6. DLO1, but not DLO2, is co‐expressed with DMR6, showing strong activation during pathogen attack and following salicylic acid treatment. DMR6 and DLO1 differ in their spatial expression pattern in downy mildew‐infected Arabidopsis leaves; DMR6 is mostly expressed in cells that are in contact with hyphae and haustoria of H. arabidopsidis, while DLO1 is expressed mainly in the vascular tissues near infection sites. Strikingly, the dmr6‐3_dlo1 double mutant, that is completely resistant to H. arabidopsidis, showed a strong growth reduction that was associated with high levels of salicylic acid. We conclude that DMR6 and DLO1 redundantly suppress plant immunity, but also have distinct activities based on their differential localization of expression.
Immunogenicity of a Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Glycoprotein D DNA Vaccine Complexed with Bovine Neutrophil Beta-Defensin 3
Authors: Mackenzie-Dyck Sarah , Latimer Laura , Atanley Ethel , Kovacs-Nolan Jennifer , Attah-Poku Sam , Babiuk Lorne A. , van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk Sylvia 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTProtective efficacy against bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) has been demonstrated to be induced by a plasmid encoding bovine neutrophil beta-defensin 3 (BNBD3) as a fusion construct with truncated glycoprotein D (tgD). However, in spite of the increased cell-mediated immune responses induced by this DNA vaccine, the clinical responses of BoHV-1-challenged cattle were not reduced over those observed in animals vaccinated with the plasmid encoding tgD alone; this might have been because the vaccine failed to improve humoral responses. We hypothesized that an alternative vaccine design strategy that utilized the DNA vaccine pMASIA-tgD as a complex with BNBD3 might improve humoral responses while maintaining robust Th1-type cell-mediated responses. C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated with pMASIA-tgD complexed with 0, 0.01875, 0.1875, or 1.875 nmol of a stable synthesized analog of BNBD3 (aBNBD3). The best results were seen in mice immunized with the vaccine composed of pMASIA-tgD complexed to 0.1875 nmol aBNBD3. In this group, humoral responses were improved, as evidenced by increased virus neutralization, tgD-specific early IgG1, and later IgG2a titers, while the strong cell-mediated immune responses, measured based on specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting cells, were maintained relative to pMASIA-tgD. Modulation of the immune response might have been due in part to the effect of BNBD3 on dendritic cells (DCs).In vitrostudies showed that murine bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) pretreated with aBNBD3 were activated, as evidenced by CD11c downregulation, and were functionally mature, as shown by increased allostimulatory ability. Native, synthetic, and analog forms of BNBD3 were equally capable of inducing functional maturation of BMDCs.