bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy With Strain and Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Shah Anoop S.V. , Chin Calvin W.L. , Vassiliou Vassilis , Cowell S. Joanna , Doris Mhairi , Kwok T’ng Choong , Semple Scott , Zamvar Vipin , White Audrey C. , McKillop Graham , Boon Nicholas A. , Prasad Sanjay K. , Mills Nicholas L. , Newby David E. , Dweck Marc R. 
Published: August 2014

Background—
ECG left ventricular hypertrophy with strain is associated with an adverse prognosis in aortic stenosis. We investigated the mechanisms and outcomes associated with ECG strain.

Methods and Results—

One hundred and two patients (age, 70 years [range, 63–75 years]; male, 66%; aortic valve area, 0.9 cm
2
[range, 0.7–1.2 cm
2
]) underwent ECG, echocardiography, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance. They made up the mechanism cohort. Myocardial fibrosis was determined with late gadolinium enhancement (replacement fibrosis) and T1 mapping (diffuse fibrosis). The relationship between ECG strain and cardiovascular magnetic resonance was then assessed in an external validation cohort (n=64). The outcome cohort was made up of 140 patients from the Scottish Aortic Stenosis and Lipid Lowering Trial Impact on Regression (SALTIRE) study and was followed up for 10.6 years (1254 patient-years). Compared with those without left ventricular hypertrophy (n=51) and left ventricular hypertrophy without ECG strain (n=30), patients with ECG strain (n=21) had more severe aortic stenosis, increased left ventricular mass index, more myocardial injury (high-sensitivity plasma cardiac troponin I concentration, 4.3 ng/L [interquartile range, 2.5–7.3 ng/L] versus 7.3 ng/L [interquartile range, 3.2–20.8 ng/L] versus 18.6 ng/L [interquartile range, 9.0–45.2 ng/L], respectively;
P
<0.001) and increased diffuse fibrosis (extracellular volume fraction, 27.4±2.2% versus 27.2±2.9% versus 30.9±1.9%, respectively;
P
<0.001). All patients with ECG strain had midwall late gadolinium enhancement (positive and negative predictive values of 100% and 86%, respectively). Indeed, late gadolinium enhancement was independently associated with ECG strain (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–2.77;
P
=0.02), a finding confirmed in the validation cohort. In the outcome cohort, ECG strain was an independent predictor of aortic valve replacement or cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 2.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.35–5.27;
P
<0.01).

Conclusion—
ECG strain is a specific marker of midwall myocardial fibrosis and predicts adverse clinical outcomes in aortic stenosis.
External Validation of the Boston Acute Stroke Imaging Scale and M1-BASIS in Thrombolyzed Patients
Authors: Yeo Leonard L.L. , Paliwal Prakash R. , Wakerley Benjamin , Khoo Chin M. , Teoh Hock L. , Ahmad Aftab , Ting Eric Y. , Seet Raymond C. , Ong Venetia , Chan Bernard P. , Yohanna Kusama , Gopinathan Anil , Rathakrishnan Rahul , Sharma Vijay K. 
Published: August 2014

Background and Purpose—
Radiological findings play an essential role in therapeutic decision making and prognostication in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The Boston Acute Stroke Imaging Scale (BASIS) and Middle Cerebral Artery-BASIS (M1-BASIS) methodologies are rapid purely radiological instruments and easily applicable for patients with AIS. We validated these methods in patients with AIS treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator.

Methods—
For BASIS, patients were labeled as having major stroke if there was occlusion of distal internal carotid artery, proximal (both M1 and M2 segments) of middle cerebral artery or the basilar artery, or an Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≤7. M1-BASIS differs from BASIS by classifying AIS patients with M2 occlusion as a minor stroke. We evaluated these classification systems for predicting functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score 0–1) at 3 months.

Results—

Two hundred sixty-five consecutive AIS patients treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator were included. On multivariate analysis, younger age (odds ratio, 1.039, 95% confidence interval, 1.009–1.070;
P
=0.011), lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (odds ratio, 1.140; 95% confidence interval, 1.073–1.210;
P
<0.001), and minor stroke by M1-BASIS (odds ratio, 2.376; 95% confidence interval, 1.047–5.393;
P
=0.039) were independent predictors of good functional outcome. When compared with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the receiver operating characteristic curves for both BASIS (area under the curve, 0.721) and M1-BASIS (area under the curve, 0.795) correlated well with clinical severity scores. M1-BASIS has an additive effect with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score to predict good outcomes.

Conclusions—
The purely radiological M1-BASIS correlates well with the clinical severity of stroke and can be a reliable prognostication tool in thrombolyzed AIS patients. This system might find an important place in the current era of telestroke.
Sensory Processing and the Rubber Hand Illusion—An Evoked Potentials Study
Authors: Zeller Daniel , Litvak Vladimir , Friston Karl J. , Classen Joseph 
Published: August 2014

Abstract
The rubber hand illusion (RHI) paradigm—in which illusory bodily ownership is induced by synchronous tactile stimulation of a participant's (hidden) hand and a (visible) surrogate—allows one to investigate how the brain resolves conflicting multisensory evidence during perceptual inference. To identify the functional anatomy of the RHI, we used multichannel EEG, acquired under three conditions of tactile stimulation. Evoked potentials were averaged from EEG signals registered to the timing of brushstrokes to the participant's hand. The participant's hand was stroked either in the absence of an artificial hand (REAL) or synchronously with an artificial hand, which either lay in an anatomically plausible (CONGRUENT) or impossible (INCONGRUENT) position. The illusion was reliably elicited in the CONGRUENT condition. For right-hand stimulation, significant differences between conditions emerged at the sensor level around 55 msec after the brushstroke at left frontal and right parietal electrodes. Response amplitudes were smaller for illusory (CONGRUENT) compared with nonillusory (INCONGRUENT and REAL) conditions in the contralateral perirolandic region (pre- and postcentral gyri), superior and inferior parietal lobule, whereas veridical perception of the artificial hand (INCONGRUENT) amplified responses at a scalp region overlying the contralateral postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule compared with the remaining two conditions. Left-hand stimulation produced similar contralateral patterns. These results are consistent with predictive coding models of multisensory integration and may reflect the attenuation of somatosensory precision that is required to resolve perceptual hypotheses about conflicting multisensory input.
The Role of Dopamine in Motor Flexibility
Authors: Bestmann Sven , Ruge Diane , Rothwell John , Galea Joseph M. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractHumans carry out many daily tasks in a seemingly automatic fashion. However, when unexpected changes in the environment occur, we have the capacity to inhibit prepotent behavior and replace it with an alternative one. Such behavioral flexibility is a hallmark of executive functions. The neurotransmitter dopamine is known to be crucial for fast, efficient, and accurate cognitive flexibility. Despite the perceived similarities between cognitive and motor flexibility, less is known regarding the role of dopamine within the motor domain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the role of dopamine in motor flexibility. In a double-blind, five-session, within-subject pharmacological experiment, human participants performed an RT task within a probabilistic context that was either predictable or unpredictable. The probabilistic nature of the predictable context resulted in prediction errors. This required participants to replace the prepotent or prepared action with an unprepared action (motor flexibility). The task was overlearned, and changes in context were explicitly instructed, thus controlling for contributions from other dopamine-related processes such as probabilistic or reversal learning and interactions with other types of uncertainty. We found that dopamine receptor blockade by high-dose haloperidol (D1/D2 dopamine receptors) impaired participants' ability to react to unexpected events occurring in a predictable context, which elicit large prediction errors and necessitate motor flexibility. This effect was not observed with selective D2 receptor blockade (sulpiride), with a general increase in tonic dopamine levels (levodopa), or during an unpredictable context, which evoked minimal prediction error. We propose that dopamine is vital in responding to low-level prediction errors about stimulus outcome that requires motor flexibility.
Introduction: From Affect to Exegesis
Authors: Koosed Jennifer L. , Moore Stephen D. 
Published: August 2014

This article introduces a thematic issue of Biblical Interpretation on the high-profile field of affect theory as it relates to biblical studies. Affect theory analyzes emotions and still more elemental forces that are rooted in bodies and pass between them. In addition to previewing the six articles in the issue – three of which grapple with Hebrew Bible texts and three with early Christian texts – this introduction provides a brief history of affect theory and maps its main variants. The article also reflects on the challenges of turning a body of theory largely uninterested in literary interpretation into a set of strategies for reading biblical texts.
Botanical advances in Southwestern Amazonia: The flora of Acre (Brazil) five years after the first Catalogue
Authors: Medeiros Herison , Obermuller Flávio Amorim , Daly Douglas , Silveira Marcos , Castro Wendeson , Forzza Rafaela Campostrini 
Published: August 2014

Even though it is well known that the flora of Amazonia is severely under-documented, botanical research in the region has been stagnant for the past two decades or more. An exception to this trend has been the international collaboration in the state of Acre, Brazil. The objective of this study was to assess botanical progress in Southwestern Amazonia, specifically the evolution of our knowledge of the flora of the state of Acre five years after production of the first catalogue of its flora. Between 2006-2011, the Acre data-base recorded 2,110 determinations, and among these were 347 new records for Acre, representing an increase of 8.6% in the known flora, which as of 2011 comprised 4351 species. Of the new records, 6.6% (23) were new records for Brazil and 14.4% (50) represented genera new to Acre. The new records comprised 322 species of vascular plants and 22 of non-vascular plants. The most significant finding was that one of every six identifications was a new record for Acre; the total flora of Acre is estimated to be at about 8,000 species. Advances in documentation of the Acre flora have been achieved through institutional partnerships, attention to rescuing and “cleaning” data, mobilizing taxonomic specialists, distributing duplicates to herbaria with significant Amazon collections, and undertaking expeditions to regions of the state that were poorly known or unknown. Indeed, the botanical inventory of Amazonia overall and the management and conservation of the Amazon flora can be realized only through programs that are systematic, integrative and participatory. Every effort must be made to guarantee that the inventory of Amazonia proceeds at least as rapidly as deforestation and development. This necessarily means far greater investment in training, employing, and supporting the field work of productive taxonomists.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Children With Tinnitus
Authors: Levi Eric , Bekhit Elhamy K. , Berkowitz Robert G. 
Published: August 2014

Objective: Tinnitus in adults is generally investigated by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out the diagnosis of acoustic neuroma. Acoustic neuroma is rare in children and, therefore, the role of MRI in children with tinnitus is unclear. This study was undertaken to determine the value of MRI in the investigation of tinnitus in children. Methods: Retrospective study of children younger than 18 years who underwent MRI for the investigation of tinnitus over a 10-year period. Results: Sixty-five patients were identified, but there were only 34 who had also undergone audiologic assessment. Among the 25 patients with normal audiology, MRI abnormalities were present in 9, but these were all thought to be nonspecific. Nine patients had abnormal audiograms and the MRI was abnormal in 4 of these cases, which included 3 children who were found to have multiple sclerosis. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging would appear to be mandatory in the investigation of tinnitus in children who are found to have sensorineural hearing loss, particularly to rule out the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Although our study does not support the routine use of MRI in children with normal audiology, the numbers in our series are too small for a conclusive recommendation.
The identification of elevated urinary kisspeptin-immunoreactivity during pregnancy
Authors: Jayasena Channa N , Comninos Alexander N , Narayanaswamy Shakunthala , Abbara Ali , Nijher Gurjinder MK , Cheema Mansimran , Malik Zainab , Ghatei Mohammad A , Bloom Stephen R , Dhillo Waljit S 
Published: August 2014

Background Kisspeptin is an arginine-phenylalanine amide peptide hormone critical for reproductive function. Kisspeptin is also abundantly expressed in the placenta, where it has an important physiological role in regulating placental invasion. Accordingly, plasma kisspeptin concentrations rise dramatically during normal pregnancy. However, lower plasma concentrations of kisspeptin are associated with obstetric complications such as pre-eclampsia. It is not currently known whether kisspeptin-immunoreactivity (IR) can be detected in bodily fluids not requiring invasive collection such as saliva or urine. Aim To determine the clinical utility of urinary and salivary kisspeptin measurement in healthy pregnant women. Methods Forty-nine healthy third trimester pregnant women (gestational age 34 ± 0.6 w) from a single maternity unit and 50 healthy non-pregnant women were recruited. Urine, saliva and blood were simultaneously collected from all volunteers. Kisspeptin concentrations were determined by in-house manual radioimmunoassay. Results Mean concentrations of plasma kisspeptin-IR were over 200-fold greater in third trimester pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women (13,783 ± 864 pmol/L, pregnant; 65 ± 13 pmol/L, non-pregnant; p < 0.0001). The urine kisspeptin:creatinine ratio was greater in pregnant women when compared with non-pregnant women (urine kisspeptin:creatinine: 37 ± 6 pmol/ µmol, pregnant; 7 ± 1 pmol/ µmol, non-pregnant; p < 0.0001). Mean concentrations of salivary kisspeptin-IR were not statistically different between pregnant and non-pregnant women (123 ± 34 pmol/L, pregnant; 83 ± 33 pmol/L, non-pregnant; p = 0.2). Conclusion We demonstrate for the first time that kisspeptin-IR is elevated in urine during pregnancy. Urinary measurement of kisspeptin-IR may, therefore, offer a non-invasive and simple method of screening for pregnancy and obstetric complications.
Predicting Postsurgery Nasal Physiology with Computational Modeling: Current Challenges and Limitations
Authors: Frank‐Ito Dennis O. , Kimbell Julia S. , Laud Purushottam , Garcia Guilherme J. M. , Rhee John S. 
Published: August 2014

IntroductionHigh failure rates for surgical treatment of nasal airway obstruction (NAO) indicate that better diagnostic tools are needed to improve surgical planning. This study evaluates whether computer models based on a surgeon's edits of presurgery scans can accurately predict results from computer models based on postoperative scans of the same patient using computational fluid dynamics.Study DesignProspective study.SettingAcademic medical center.MethodsThree‐dimensional nasal models were reconstructed from computed tomographic scans of 10 patients with NAO presurgery and 5 to 8 months postsurgery. To create transcribed‐surgery models, the surgeon digitally modified the preoperative reconstruction in each patient to represent physical changes expected from surgery and healing. Steady‐state, laminar, inspiratory airflow was simulated in each model under physiologic, pressure‐driven conditions.ResultsTranscribed‐surgery and postsurgery model variables were statistically different from presurgery variables at α = 0.05. Unilateral nasal resistance and airflow were not statistically different between transcribed‐surgery and postsurgery models, but bilateral resistance was significantly different. Cross‐sectional average pressures in transcribed surgery trended with postsurgery. Transcribed‐surgery prediction errors of postsurgery bilateral resistance were within 10% to 20% and 20% to 30% in 5 and 4 subjects, respectively. Prediction errors for unilateral resistance were <10%, 10% to 20%, and 20% to 30% in 1, 2, and 4 subjects, respectively.ConclusionsComputational models with modifications mimicking actual surgery and healing have the potential to predict postoperative outcomes. However, software to effectively translate virtual surgery steps into computational models is lacking. The ability to account for healing factors and the current limited virtual surgery tools are challenges that need to be overcome for greater accuracy.
Candidate-gene association study searching for genetic factors involved in migraine chronification
Authors: Louter MA , Fernandez-Morales J , de Vries B , Winsvold B , Anttila V , Fernandez-Cadenas I , Vila-Pueyo M , Sintas C , van Duijn CM , Cormand B , Álvarez-Sabin J , Montaner J , Ferrari MD , van den Maagdenberg AMJM , Palotie A , Zwart JA , Macaya A , Terwindt GM , Pozo-Rosich P 
Published: August 2014

Introduction Chronic migraine (CM) is at the severe end of the clinical migraine spectrum, but its genetic background is unknown. Our study searched for evidence that genetic factors are involved in the chronification process. Methods We initially selected 144 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 48 candidate genes, which we tested for association in two stages: The first stage encompassed 262 CM patients, the second investigated 226 patients with high-frequency migraine (HFM). Subsequently, SNPs with p values < 0.05 were forwarded to the replication stage containing 531 patients with CM or HFM. Results Eight SNPs were significantly associated with CM and HFM in the two-stage phase. None survived replication in the third stage. Discussion We present the first comprehensive genetic association study for migraine chronification. There were no significant findings. Future studies may benefit from larger, genome-wide data sets or should use other genetic approaches to identify genetic factors involved in migraine chronification.
Presence of external carotid artery plaque independently predicts mortality in patients without internal carotid artery atherosclerosis
Authors: Kim Esther SH , Marycz Damien M , Archinal Devon , Gornik Heather L , Shishehbor Mehdi H , Bartholomew John R 
Published: August 2014

Background: The presence of plaque in the external carotid artery (ECA) detected on carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) is of unknown clinical significance and may not be reported in routine clinical practice. We hypothesize that ECA plaque in the absence of plaque in the other cervical vessels is a risk factor for increased all-cause mortality. Objectives: To determine the significance of ECA plaque on all-cause mortality in the absence of internal carotid artery (ICA) or common carotid artery (CCA) plaque. Methods: We queried the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory database for all CDUs performed between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005. All images were reviewed for the presence of plaque. Studies were included if plaque was absent in both the CCA and the ICA. Chart review was performed to obtain demographic and clinical information. All-cause mortality was determined using the Social Security Death Index. Results: A total of 500 patient studies met the inclusion criteria; 64 patients (12.8%) had plaque in one or both ECAs. There was no significant difference in age (mean 58.1 ± 14.8 years), race (82.5% white), or sex (64.4% male) between those with and without ECA plaque. There was a significant difference in all-cause mortality between patients with and without isolated ECA plaque after adjustment for age, sex, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, and surgery within 30 days of CDU (adjusted hazard ratio 2.60, 95% CI 1.46–4.66, p<0.001). Conclusions: The presence of plaque isolated to the ECA is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and may impart important prognostic information for patients referred for CDU.
Chebulagic acid from Terminalia chebula causes G1 arrest, inhibits NFκB and induces apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells
Authors: Kumar Naresh , D Gangappa , Gupta Geetika , Karnati Roy 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackgroundPlants are the valuable source of natural products with important medicinal properties. Most of the approved anti cancer drugs have a natural product origin or are natural products. Retinoblastoma is the most common ocular cancer of children. Although chemotherapy is the preferred mode of therapy, a successful treatment for retinoblastoma requires enucleation. Chebulagic acid (CA) fromTerminalia chebulawas shown to have anti-proliferative properties in the studies on cancerous cell lines. Due to anti cancer properties of CA and due to limitation in treatment options for retinoblastoma, the present study is undertaken to understand the role of CA on the proliferation of retinoblastoma cells.MethodsAnti proliferative potential of CA was determined by MTT assay. The expression levels of various cell death mediators in retinoblastoma cells with CA treatment were assessed by Western blotting. Flowcytometer analysis was used to estimate the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and to determine the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis.ResultsThe present study showed CA inhibited the proliferation of retinoblastoma cells in a dose dependent manner. CA modulated MMP, induced release of Cytochromec, activated caspase 3 and shifted the ratio of BAX and Bcl2 towards cell death. G1 arrest, noticed in CA treated cells, is mediated by the increase in the expression of CDK inhibitor p27. CA treatment also decreased the levels of NFκB in the nucleus. This decrease is mediated by suppression in degradation of IκBα.ConclusionCA has shown significant anti proliferative potential on retinoblastoma cells. Our findings clearly demonstrate that CA induces G1 arrest, inhibits NFκB and induces apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells.
Synthesis of stable ACC using mesoporous silica gel as a support
Authors: Fu Fen , Tian Liang Guang , Xu Sheng , Xu Xian Gang , Hu Xiao Bo 
Published: August 2014

AbstractStable amorphous calcium carbonate supported by mesoporous silica gel was successfully synthesized. The silica gel support is prepared through the hydrolytic polycondensation of ethyl silicate under suitable conditions. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) observations reveal that the morphology of the products is branched with cruciform-like and flower-like structure. Raman spectroscopic analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation of the products confirm the combination of stable amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) nanoparticles and mesoporous silica gel. A possible growth mechanism for the branched structure has been proposed. Results indicate potential application of this work to ACC storage, crystal engineering, biomimetic synthesis, etc.