bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Frequency analysis, causes and impacts of flooding in the Bagmati River Basin, Nepal
Authors: Dhital Y.P. , Kayastha R.B. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe Bagmati River, which lies in central Nepal, originates in Bagdwar at an altitude of 2690 m and flows south through the Kathmandu valley. The river basin covers an area of 3750 sq. km and includes eight districts of Nepal. Flooding along this river is a common occurrence during the monsoon season. In this study, we compared rainfall events with river discharge, predicted the rate of future flooding events, and assessed the probable causes and socioeconomic impacts of flooding in the Bagmati River Basin. Data used to compare rainfall and discharge were based on rain gauge stations with the highest 24‐h records and also contributed directly to the run‐off at the Pandhera Dobhan discharge station, the lowest elevation water discharge gauge, in order to facilitate a direct comparison between basin rainfall and river discharge. Future trends in extreme 24‐h rainfall events and peak flood values were calculated for 2‐, 5‐, 10‐, 25‐, 50‐ and 100‐year recurrence intervals. Extreme 24‐h rainfall events varied between 195 mm to 552 mm among the different rain gauges, corresponding to a peak discharge at Pandhera Dobhan of 16 523 m3/s for the 100‐year return interval. We also elaborate on the probable causes of flooding in the central basin and summarise major past flood events and their impacts.
Liver involvement in Turner syndrome
Authors: Roulot Dominique 
Published: November 2012

AbstractLiver test abnormalities are frequent in adult patients with Turner syndrome, corresponding to various pathophysiological mechanisms. Steatosis, steatofibrosis and steatohepatitis are the most frequently reported lesions, caused by metabolic disorders, which are commonly related to overweight. Marked architectural changes, including nodular regenerative hyperplasia, multiple focal nodular hyperplasia and cirrhosis, found in some patients, are associated with a risk of severe liver‐related complications. Architectural changes are often observed and are associated with vascular disorders caused by congenitally abnormal vessels. Finally, small bile duct alterations resembling sclerosing cholangitis occur in several patients. Oestrogen replacement therapy does not cause liver toxicity in patients with Turner syndrome and is not contraindicated in case of elevated liver enzymes. Moreover, in recent studies, oestrogen therapy was reported to improve liver function tests. Because of the wide spectrum of potential liver injuries that may occur in Turner syndrome patients, a regular screening of liver enzymes is recommended for early detection and treatment.
Cytoprotective Signaling and Gene Expression in Endothelial Cells and Macrophages—Lessons for Atherosclerosis
Authors: Haskard Dorian O. , Boyle Joseph J. , Evans Paul C. , Mason Justin. C. , Randi Anna M. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractAtherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the medium and large arteries driven in large part by the accumulation of oxidized low‐density lipoproteins and other debris at sites rendered susceptible because of the geometry of the arterial tree. As lesions develop, they acquire a pathologic microcirculation that perpetuates lesion progression, both by providing a means for further monocyte and T‐lymphocyte recruitment into the arterial wall and by the physical and chemical stresses caused by micro‐hemorrhage. This review summarizes work performed in our department investigating the roles of signaling pathways, alone and in combination, that lead to specific programs of gene expression in the atherosclerotic environment. Focusing particularly on cytoprotective responses that might be enhanced therapeutically, the work has encompassed the anti‐inflammatory effects of arterial laminar shear stress, mechanisms of induction of membrane inhibitors that prevent complement‐mediated injury, homeostatic macrophage responses to hemorrhage, and the transcriptional mechanisms that control the stability, survival, and quiescence of endothelial monolayers. Lastly, while the field has been dominated by investigation into the mechanisms of DNA transcription, we consider the importance of parallel post‐transcriptional regulatory mechanisms for fine‐tuning functional gene expression repertoires.
Redox status‐mediated regulation of gene expression and virulence in the brown rot pathogen Monilinia fructicola
Authors: Chiu C.‐M. , You B.‐J. , Chou C.‐M. , Yu P.‐L. , Yu F.‐Y. , Pan S.‐M. , Bostock R. M. , Chung K.‐R. , Lee M.‐H. 
Published: November 2012

The MfCUT1 gene encoding the major cutinase of Monilinia fructicola, a causal agent of blossom blight and fruit rot of stone fruits, is a virulence factor of the pathogen. The pathogen remains quiescent on stage II fruit, which contain high levels of chlorogenic acid, a quinate ester of caffeic acid (CA). A medium shift system was established to show that MfCUT1 expression is down‐regulated by CA, consistent with previous findings in continuous culture, and by the antioxidants glutathione (GSH), N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine and ascorbic acid. However, MfCUT1 expression is up‐regulated by the superoxide‐generating oxidant menadione and by the GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulphoximine (BSO). The changes in MfCUT1 transcript levels induced by CA or BSO are related to the levels of intracellular GSH and H2O2. In addition, GSH reductase activity was increased by CA. Monilinia fructicola genes encoding enzymes that may contribute to redox homeostasis (GSH reductase and GSH peroxidase) were cloned and their expression was found to be slightly affected following exposure of cultures to CA. The hybrid tea rose cv. Flaming Peace was identified as an alternative host to complement pathogenicity assays of M. fructicola on stone fruits, which are seasonally restricted. Pathogenicity assays on detached peach fruit and rose petals revealed that CA suppresses and H2O2 enhances formation of brown rot lesions. The results indicate that changes in cellular redox status impact MfCUT1 expression and virulence in M. fructicola, and suggest that redox cycling of GSH is related to this regulation.
Biochemical responses to ultraviolet‐C radiation and methyl jasmonate in Pinus radiata seedlings that accompany induced resistance to Diplodia pinea
Authors: Reglinski T. , Taylor J. T. , Ah Chee A. , Northcott G. , Spiers M. 
Published: November 2012

Irradiation of Pinus radiata seedlings with ultraviolet‐C (UV‐C) radiation or spray application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) each resulted in induced resistance to subsequent wound inoculation with Diplodia pinea. Induced resistance was expressed by lower incidence of disease and by reduced size of stem lesions than in untreated seedlings. UV‐C was more effective than MeJA and the induced resistance was greatest in seedlings that were irradiated with UV‐C for 60 min, 1 week before pathogen inoculation. Induced resistance in the UV‐C treated stems was concomitant with increases in peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity but showed no correlation with concentrations of α‐pinene and β‐pinene or total phenolics. Furthermore, POX induction in stem tissue was cumulative and was greatest after three repeat treatments with UV‐C at 6, 3 and 1 week before inoculation. In contrast to UV‐C, MeJA induced a significant increase in β‐pinene concentration in stem tissue but did not affect PPO activity. POX activity was induced by MeJA in stems, although to a lesser extent than by UV‐C, but was not affected in needles. This appears to be the first report demonstrating the use of UV‐C radiation to induce resistance to fungal infection in a coniferous species. The implications of the underlying differences between UV‐C‐ and MeJA‐mediated resistance to D. pinea are discussed.
Pretend play, deferred imitation and parent‐child interaction in speaking and non‐speaking children with autism
Authors: STRID KARIN , HEIMANN MIKAEL , TJUS TOMAS 
Published: November 2012

Strid, K., Heimann, M. & Tjus T. (2013). Pretend play, deferred imitation and parent‐child interaction in speaking and non‐speaking children with autism. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 54, 26–32.This study investigates spontaneous pretend play during a parent‐child free play observation, and deferred imitation observed in an experimental setting in speaking and non‐speaking children with autism in comparison to children with typical development. Both groups of children with autism showed a reduced level of deferred imitation compared to the typically developing group, but only the non‐speaking children with autism spent significantly less time in pretend play compared to children with typical development. Deferred imitation was related to parents’ verbal interaction in both groups. An analysis of the parent‐child interaction revealed that parents of children with autism used less synchronized comments compared to parents of typically developing children. Parents of the speaking group with autism used more synchronized than unsynchronized comments, while parents of the non‐speaking group used the same amount of synchronized and unsynchronized comments. These findings are discussed in terms of how the developmental level affects behavior and interaction in autism.
Goals influence memory and imitation for dynamic human action in 36‐month‐old children
Authors: LOUCKS JEFF , MELTZOFF ANDREW N. 
Published: November 2012

Loucks, J. & Meltoff, A. N. (2013). Goals influence memory and imitation for dynamic human action in 36‐month‐old children.Scandinavian Journal of Psychology54, 41–50.Adults’ memory for action is organized according to a hierarchy of goals. Little previous research has examined whether goals also play a crucial role in young children’s memory for action, and particularly whether goal information is privileged over veridical sequential order information. The current experiment investigated 3‐year‐old children’s (N = 40) memory for naturally occurring interleaved action sequences: Sequences in which an actor switched back and forth between carrying out actions related to two distinct goals. Such sequences allowed a test of whether children’s action representations prioritize a goal interpretation over veridical sequential information. Children’s memory for the action events was assessed by deferred imitation, 5‐min after the demonstration had ceased. Results indicated that children’s memory prioritizes goals over veridical sequential order – even to the extent that the actual sequential order is distorted in memory. These findings deepen our understanding of action processing and memory with implications for social‐cognitive development.
Fecal microbiota transplantation for fulminant Clostridium difficile infection in an allogeneic stem cell transplant patient
Authors: Neemann K. , Eichele D.D. , Smith P.W. , Bociek R. , Akhtari M. , Freifeld A. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWe present a case of severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in a non‐neutropenic allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient who was treated successfully with fecal microbiota therapy after standard pharmacologic therapy had failed. Following naso‐jejunal instillation of donor stool, the patient's symptoms resolved within 48 h. Bowel resection was averted. This is the first case in the literature, to our knowledge, to describe fecal microbiota therapy in a profoundly immunocompromised host with severe CDI. We propose that fecal microbiota therapy be considered as a therapeutic option in immunosuppressed patients with refractory severe CDI.
Conjugate vaccine introduction in the African meningitis belt: meeting surveillance objectives
Authors: Mueller Judith E. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe epidemiology of bacterial meningitis will change with introduction of meningococcal and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in the African meningitis belt. The principal objectives of surveillance are to evaluate the impact of vaccination, to detect and investigate epidemics and provide material for research. The capacity of existing surveillance activities in the meningitis belt to meet these objectives varies due to infrastructural and financial constraints. Impact assessment of conjugate vaccine against meningococcal serogroup A will be limited to comparing incidence trends from a few surveillance sites with data obtained before vaccine introduction and to comparing trends in the incidence of suspected cases or localised epidemics in most other settings. The timeliness of detection of epidemics and identification of epidemic meningococcal serogroups could be improved in most countries by analysing suspected case data in health centre level resolution and by investigating outbreaks with mobile teams. For research and impact assessment of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, several surveillance sites covering at least 0.5 million inhabitants should be maintained which undertake exhaustive case finding and systematic laboratory confirmation of meningitis and pneumonia. Molecular diagnostics will facilitate surveillance in remote areas, but the available techniques should be evaluated for diagnostic performance in the field and long‐term sustainability.
High‐resolution positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of the mouse heart
Authors: Greco Adelaide , Fiumara Giovanni , Gargiulo Sara , Gramanzini Matteo , Brunetti Arturo , Cuocolo Alberto 
Published: November 2012

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?To discuss the mouse models of myocardial ischaemia and infarction and the applications of dedicated hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) systems technology for small laboratory animals, including radiotracers and image postprocessing.
What advances does it highlight?In a mouse model of coronary occlusion, non‐invasive measurement of infarct size with high‐resolution PET/CT systems has excellent reproducibility and high accuracy, supporting the use of this non‐invasive methodology in longitudinal studies to monitor cardiac biochemical parameters and to assess the effect of different interventions after acute myocardial ischaemia.
Different animal models have been used to reproduce coronary heart disease, but in recent years mice have become the animals of choice, because of their short life cycle and the possibility of genetic manipulation. Various techniques are currently used for cardiovascular imaging in mice, including high‐resolution ultrasound, X‐ray computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine procedures. In particular, molecular imaging with cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) allows non‐invasive evaluation of changes in myocardial perfusion, metabolism, apoptosis, inflammation and gene expression or measurement of changes in left ventricular functional parameters. With technological advances, dedicated small laboratory PET/CT imaging has emerged in cardiovascular research, providing in vivo a non‐invasive, serial and quantitative assessment of left ventricular function, myocardial perfusion and metabolism at a molecular level. This non‐invasive methodology might be useful in longitudinal studies to monitor cardiac biochemical parameters and might facilitate studies to assess the effect of different interventions after acute myocardial ischaemia.
A fully 3D approach for metal artifact reduction in computed tomography
Authors: Kratz Bärbel , Weyers Imke , Buzug Thorsten M. 
Published: November 2012

Purpose:In computed tomography imaging metal objects in the region of interest introduce inconsistencies during data acquisition. Reconstructing these data leads to an image in spatial domain including star‐shaped or stripe‐like artifacts. In order to enhance the quality of the resulting image the influence of the metal objects can be reduced. Here, a metal artifact reduction (MAR) approach is proposed that is based on a recomputation of the inconsistent projection data using a fully three‐dimensional Fourier‐based interpolation. The success of the projection space restoration depends sensitively on a sensible continuation of neighboring structures into the recomputed area. Fortunately, structural information of the entire data is inherently included in the Fourier space of the data. This can be used for a reasonable recomputation of the inconsistent projection data.Methods:The key step of the proposed MAR strategy is the recomputation of the inconsistent projection data based on an interpolation using nonequispaced fast Fourier transforms (NFFT). The NFFT interpolation can be applied in arbitrary dimension. The approach overcomes the problem of adequate neighborhood definitions on irregular grids, since this is inherently given through the usage of higher dimensional Fourier transforms. Here, applications up to the third interpolation dimension are presented and validated. Furthermore, prior knowledge may be included by an appropriate damping of the transform during the interpolation step. This MAR method is applicable on each angular view of a detector row, on two‐dimensional projection data as well as on three‐dimensional projection data, e.g., a set of sequential acquisitions at different spatial positions, projection data of a spiral acquisition, or cone‐beam projection data.Results:Results of the novel MAR scheme based on one‐, two‐, and three‐dimensional NFFT interpolations are presented. All results are compared in projection data space and spatial domain with the well‐known one‐dimensional linear interpolation strategy.Conclusions:In conclusion, it is recommended to include as much spatial information into the recomputation step as possible. This is realized by increasing the dimension of the NFFT. The resulting image quality can be enhanced considerably.
Characterization of lung tumors motion baseline using cone‐beam computed tomography
Authors: Gauthier Jean‐François , Varfalvy Nicolas , Tremblay Daniel , Cyr Marc‐François , Archambault Louis 
Published: November 2012

Purpose:To characterize the interfractional variability in lung tumor volume, position, and tumor boundaries.Methods:Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were acquired weekly during the course of treatment for 34 lung cancer patients (1–20 scans) with large tumors. Spatial registration based on bones was performed between contoured planning CT and CBCT. Gross tumor volume (GTV) on each CBCT was then contoured. Tumor volume, centroid, and boundaries variability were quantified. A commercial deformable registration software was tested and results were compared to manual contours.Results:Mean volume reduction was 41 ± 32% (p < 0.001) after an average time of 51 days. Tumor centroid drifts were 0.03, 0.14, and −0.13 cm in right–left (RL), anterior–posterior (AP), and superior–inferior (SI) directions with standard deviations of 0.55, 0.50, and 0.51 cm. GTV boundaries displacements were −0.27, −0.14, and −0.16 cm with standard deviations of 0.64, 0.57, and 0.59 cm in RL, AP, and SI directions. Relative error between deformed and manual contours with the commercial deformable registration software rose up exponentially with the GTV decrease.Conclusions:GTV size changes for large lung tumors are similar to those for standard tumors. Magnitude absolute values of displacement vector for centroid and boundaries shifts show that there is not a preferred direction for the drifts but shrinkage.
Bicycling to school improves the cardiometabolic risk factor profile: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Østergaard Lars , Børrestad Line A B , Tarp Jakob , Andersen Lars Bo 
Published: November 2012

ObjectivesTo investigate whether bicycling to school improves cardiometabolic risk factor profile and cardiorespiratory fitness among children.DesignProspective, blinded, randomised controlled trial.SettingSingle centre study in Odense, DenmarkParticipants43 children previously not bicycling to school were randomly allocated to control group (n=20) (ie, no change in lifestyle) or intervention group (ie, bicycling to school) (n=23).Primary and secondary outcome measuresChange in cardiometabolic risk factor score and change in cardiorespiratory fitness.ResultsAll participants measured at baseline returned at follow-up. Based upon intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors was lowered by 0.58 SD (95% CI −1.03 to −0.14, p=0.012) in the bicycling group compared to the control group. Cardiorespiratory fitness (l O2/min) per se did not increase significantly more in the intervention than in the control group (β=0.0337, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.12, p=0.458).ConclusionsBicycling to school counteracted a clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors and should thus be recognised as potential prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The intervention did, however, not elicit a larger increase in cardiorespiratory fitness in the intervention group as compared with the control group.Trial registrationRegistered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01236222).
Using simple telehealth in primary care to reduce blood pressure: a service evaluation
Authors: Cottrell Elizabeth , Chambers Ruth , O'Connell Phil 
Published: November 2012

ObjectivesThis service evaluation examines how efficiently an innovative, simple and interactive blood pressure (BP) management intervention improves BP control in general practice.DesignProspective service evaluation.SettingTen volunteer general practitioner (GP) practices in Stoke on Trent, UK.ParticipantsPractice staff identified 124 intervention patients and invited them to participate based on two inclusion criteria: (1) patient has chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 or 4 with BP persistently >130/85 mm Hg or (2) patient is >50 years-old (without CKD stages 3–5) with BP persistently >140/90 mm Hg despite prescribed antihypertensive medication. Three selected hypertensive control patients per intervention patient underwent usual clinical care (n=364).InterventionsIntervention patients used ‘Florence’, a simple, interactive mobile phone texting service with BP management intervention for 3 months, or for less time if their BP became controlled. Patients measured their BP, text their readings to Florence, received an immediate automatic response and had results reviewed by their GP/practice nurse at least weekly.Main outcome measuresBaseline data including recent BP readings and medications were collected; similar information was obtained for 6 months for both control and intervention patients. Average BP readings and medication usage were determined.ResultsAt final data collection, five intervention patients had not yet completed the full programme. Control and intervention patients were well matched except that intervention patients had significantly greater baseline BP. Greatest BP reductions were among hypertensive intervention patients without CKD stages 3–5. Intervention patients had significantly more BP readings and more changes in medication over the 3-month data collection period.ConclusionsSimple telehealth is acceptable and effective in reducing patients’ BP. In future, poorly controlled patients could be targeted to maximise BP reductions or broader use could improve diagnostic accuracy and accessibility for patients who struggle to regularly attend their GP surgery.