bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fetal cardiac catheterization using a percutaneous transhepatic access technique: preliminary experience in a lamb model
Authors: Edwards A. , Menahem S. , Veldman A. , Schranz D. , Chan Y. , Nitsos I. , Wong F. 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTObjectivesHuman fetal cardiac intervention has hitherto typically involved a percutaneous transventricular approach. In fetal lambs, a transhepatic approach to access the fetal intra‐abdominal veins after exteriorization of the uterus by laparotomy has been described. We aimed to develop a percutaneous transhepatic technique for catheterization of the fetal heart at mid‐gestation that avoids maternal laparotomy.MethodsIn 10 fetal lambs (90–97 days' gestation), access to the fetal venous system was attempted by percutaneous puncture with a 5‐F sheath into the umbilical vein (n = 1) or a 16‐gauge IV‐catheter into the hepatic vein (n = 9). This was followed by cardiac catheterization using a 1.8–2.6‐F tapered coronary catheter. Euthanasia and postmortem examination were performed immediately postprocedure in two cases, or after normal term delivery in the remaining cases that survived the procedure.ResultsIn one case fetal position precluded procedural attempts, and in another, the fetus, accessed by a 5‐F sheath, died from umbilical hemorrhage. In eight cases, access to the fetal hepatic vein was achieved. In seven of these cases, the access catheter was advanced into the inferior vena cava, followed by catheterization of the right atrium (all cases) and four cardiac chambers (three cases). One fetus died during cardiac catheterization owing to right ventricle perforation, and the other seven fetuses were alive at the end of the procedure (87.5% survival). Immediate postmortem after euthanasia in two of the fetuses that survived the procedure detected intraperitoneal bleeding (4 mL and 20 mL), while postnatal postmortem examination following uneventful delivery at term in the remaining five fetuses revealed no vascular or cardiac trauma.ConclusionsUltrasound‐guided percutaneous transhepatic cardiac catheterization is feasible in mid‐gestational fetal sheep. This technique has the potential for translation into human fetal cardiac and circulatory interventions. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Interactions between transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and pharmacological interventions in the Major Depressive Episode: Findings from a naturalistic study
Authors: Brunoni A.R. , Ferrucci R. , Bortolomasi M. , Scelzo E. , Boggio P.S. , Fregni F. , Dell’Osso B. , Giacopuzzi M. , Altamura A.C. , Priori A. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackground:Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, neuromodulatory technique with an emerging role for treating major depression.Objective:To investigate the interactions between tDCS and drug therapy in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients who were refractory for at least one pharmacological treatment.Methods:This was a naturalistic study using data from 54 female and 28 male patients (mean age of 54 years) that consecutively visited our psychiatric unit. They received active tDCS (five consecutive days, 2 mA, anodal stimulation over the left and cathodal over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, twice a day, 20 minutes). The outcome variable (mood) was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Predictor variables were age, gender, disorder and pharmacological treatment (seven dummy variables). We performed univariate and multivariate analyses as to identify predictors associated to the outcome.Results:After 5 days of treatment, BDI and HDRS scores decreased significantly (29% ± 36%, 18% ± 9%, respectively, P < 0.01 for both). Benzodiazepine use was independently associated with a worse outcome in both univariate (β = 4.92, P < 0.01) and multivariate (β = 5.8, P < 0.01) analyses; whereas use of dual-reuptake inhibitors positively changed tDCS effects in the multivariate model (β = –4.7, P = 0.02). A similar trend was observed for tricyclics (β = –4, P = 0.06) but not for antipsychotics, non-benzodiazepine anticonvulsants and other drugs.Conclusion:tDCS over the DLPFC acutely improved depressive symptoms. Besides the inherent limitations of our naturalistic design, our results suggest that tDCS effects might vary according to prior pharmacological treatment, notably benzodiazepines and some antidepressant classes. This issue should be further explored in controlled studies.
TOMM40 intron 6 poly‐T length, age at onset, and neuropathology of AD in individuals with APOE ɛ3/ɛ3
Authors: Li Ge , Bekris Lynn M. , Leong Lesley , Steinbart Ellen J. , Shofer Jane B. , Crane Paul K. , Larson Eric B. , Peskind Elaine R. , Bird Thomas D. , Yu Chang‐En 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundThis study investigates the association between TOMM40 poly‐T length, age at onset, and neuropathology in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ3/ɛ3 allele.MethodsThirty‐two presenilin 1 (PSEN1) mutation carriers with AD, 27 presenilin 2 (PSEN2) mutation carriers with AD, 59 participants with late‐onset AD (LOAD), and 168 autopsied subjects from a community‐based cohort were genotyped for TOMM40 intron 6 poly‐T (rs10524523) length using short tandem repeat assays.ResultsAmong AD individuals with PSEN2 mutations, the presence of a long poly‐T was associated with an earlier age at onset, whereas there were no such associations for subjects with PSEN1 mutations or LOAD. In community‐based participants, the presence of a long poly‐T was associated with increased neuritic tangles and a greater likelihood of pathologically diagnosed AD.ConclusionTOMM40 intron 6 poly‐T length may explain some of the variation in age at onset in PSEN2 familial AD and may be associated with AD neuropathology in persons with APOE ɛ3/ɛ3.
Influences of Chronic Pain on Proximal Job Retention Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Issa Hanna , Mpofu Elias , Brock Kaye , Crystal Ralph R. , Lynch Ruth T. 
Published: November 2012

Objective. The study examined the evidence for the influence of chronic pain on proximal work participation behaviours important for job retention such as presenteeism, absenteeism and job satisfaction.Method. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken using various databases including PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus and other sources which resulted in the identification of 353 articles of which 15 articles were chosen for analysis and inclusion. Eligibility was based on a mixed methodological framework using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist.Results. There is evidence to suggest that chronic pain influences work participation qualities including absenteeism, presenteeism and job satisfaction. Personality and work content factors mediate the relationship between chronic pain and the proximal work participation variables.Conclusion. Interventions targeting proximal work context behaviours appear to hold promise for long-term work participation by people with chronic pain. Rehabilitation interventions for job retention with chronic pain will likely be successful with attention to ongoing, changeable work participation behaviours that predict job retention.
BOUNDS ON MINORS OF BINARY MATRICES
Authors: BRENT RICHARD P. , OSBORN JUDY-ANNE H. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWe prove an upper bound on sums of squares of minors of $\{+1, -1\}$-matrices. The bound is sharp for Hadamard matrices, a result due to de Launey and Levin [‘$(1,-1)$-matrices with near-extremal properties’, SIAM J. Discrete Math.23(2009), 1422–1440], but our proof is simpler. We give several corollaries relevant to minors of Hadamard matrices.
Changing Church and State Relations in Contemporary China: The Case of Mindong Diocese, Fujian Province
Authors: Chan Shun-hing 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThis study examines church–state relations in Mindong diocese, Fujian province, from the perspective of state–society relations. The article seeks to identify the salient patterns of church–state relations in Mindong diocese, and the social factors that contribute to the formation of such patterns. I elaborate on the essential characteristics of the Mindong model in the paper. I argue that the three key factors affecting church–state relations in Mindong diocese are the competition between the open and underground churches, the mediating role of the Vatican, and the pragmatism of local government officials. I describe the Mindong model as a “negotiated resistance,” meaning that the underground church resists the control of the government and seeks organizational autonomy through continued negotiation with officials of the government. In conclusion, I discuss the implications of this church–state model in advancing religious freedom in Chinese society.
Nanjing's “Second Cultural Revolution” of 1974
Authors: Dong Guoqiang , Walder Andrew G. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractChina experienced extensive civil strife in 1974, as elite factionalism during the “criticize Lin Biao and Confucius” campaign revived popular contention in the provinces. Past research has characterized these conflicts as a “second Cultural Revolution” – an offensive by resurgent red guards and rebels to resist the restoration of purged civilian officials to powerful posts. In Nanjing, however, the conflicts were of an entirely different nature. Civilian cadres directed the campaign against army officers who still dominated civilian government throughout the province. Popular protests in Nanjing were not led by former rebels, whose ranks had been decimated by unusually harsh military suppression campaigns, but were instead protests by ordinary citizens who had suffered in the purges and rustication campaigns of the late 1960s. While the campaign in cities like Hangzhou and Wuhan was an offensive by resurgent rebels against civilian officials, in Nanjing civilian officials used the campaign to ensure their victory over military rivals. The Hangzhou and Wuhan pattern revived the politics of the 1960s, while the Nanjing pattern anticipated the protests against Cultural Revolution abuses characteristic of the end of the Mao era.
Occurrence of pathogens in wild rodents caught on Swedish pig and chicken farms
Authors: BACKHANS A. , JACOBSON M. , HANSSON I. , LEBBAD M. , LAMBERTZ S. THISTED , GAMMELGÅRD E. , SAAGER M. , AKANDE O. , FELLSTRÖM C. 
Published: November 2012

SUMMARYA total of 207 wild rodents were caught on nine pig farms, five chicken farms and five non-farm locations in Sweden and surveyed for a selection of bacteria, parasites and viruses.Lawsonia intracellulariaand pathogenicYersinia enterocoliticawere only detected in rodents on pig farms (9% and 8% prevalence, respectively) which indicate that these agents are more likely to be transmitted to rodents from pigs or the environment on infected farms.Brachyspira hyodysenteriae(1%),Brachyspira intermedia(2%),Campylobacter jejuni(4%),Campylobacter upsaliensis(2%), leptospires (7%) and encephalomyocarditis virus (9%) were also detected from rodents not in contact with farm animals.GiardiaandCryptosporidiumspp. were common, although no zoonotic types were verified, andSalmonella entericawas isolated from 1/11 mice on one farm but not detected by PCR from any of the rodents.Trichinellaspp. andToxoplasma gondiiwere not detected.
Form, function, and frequency in phonological variation
Authors: Walker James A. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractFormal and usage-based approaches to phonology make competing predictions that can be tested with variationist methodology. This paper investigates formal, functional, and frequency effects on (t/d)-deletion in Canadian English. Although initial results suggest a correlation between lexical frequency and deletion, once interaction and lexical effects are taken into account, only phonological and morphological factor groups are significant. Previous reports of frequency effects may result from different measurements of frequency and the contribution of overlapping factor groups. These results suggest that frequency does not operate monotonically but interacts dynamically with the lexicon.
The diachrony of quotation: Evidence from New Zealand English
Authors: D'Arcy Alexandra 
Published: November 2012

AbstractMuch recent work on English direct quotation assumes that the system is undergoing rapid and large-scale change via the emergence of “innovative” forms such as be like. This view is supported by synchronic evidence, but the dearth of diachronic evidence forces reconsideration of this assumption. Drawing on data representing the full history of New Zealand English, this paper presents a variationist analysis of the quotative system, providing a continuous link between present-day quotation and that of the late 19th century. It reveals a longitudinal and multifaceted trajectory of change, resulting in a highly constrained variable grammar in which language-internal contextual factors have evolved and specialized, the effects of which reverberate throughout the sector.
Compact RF non-linear electro thermal model of SiGe HBT for the design of broadband ADC's
Authors: Saleh Alaa , El Rafei Abdel Kader , Dieng Mountakha , Reveyrand Tibault , Sommet Raphael , Nebus Jean-Michel , Quere Raymond 
Published: November 2012

The design of high speed integrated circuits heavily relies on circuit simulation and requires compact transistor models. This paper presents a non-linear electro-thermal model of SiGe heterojunction-bipolar transistor (HBT). The non-linear model presented in this paper uses a hybrid π topology and it is extracted using IV and S-parameter measurements. The thermal sub-circuit is extracted using low-frequency S-parameter measurements. The model extraction procedure is described in detail. It is applied here to the modeling of npn SiGe HBTs. The proposed non-linear electro-thermal model is expected to be used for the design of high-speed electronic functions such as broadband analog digital converters in which both electrical and thermal aspects are engaged. The main focus and contribution of this paper stands in the fact that the proposed non-linear model covers wideband-frequency range (up to 65 GHz).
Completing the English Vocabulary Profile: C1 and C2 vocabulary
Authors: Capel Annette 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe English Vocabulary Profile is an online vocabulary resource for teachers, teacher trainers, exam setters, materials writers and syllabus designers. It offers extensive information about the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels of words, phrases, phrasal verbs and idioms, and currently includes just under 7,000 headwords. This article reports on the trialling and validation phase of the A1−B2 levels of the resource, as well as outlining the research and completion of the C1 and C2 levels. The project has followed a ‘can-do’ rationale, focusing on what learners actually know rather than prescribing what they should know, and is underpinned by up-to-date corpus evidence, including the 50-million word Cambridge Learner Corpus and the 1.2-billion word Cambridge English Corpus of first language use. At C1 and C2 levels, the English Vocabulary Profile describes both General and Academic English, and the additional sources used to research this area of language learning are described in the article. Polysemous words are treated in depth and the project has sought to determine which meanings of these important words appear to be acquired first; new, less frequent meanings often continue to be learned across all six CEFR levels. Phrases form another substantial part of the resource and this aspect has been guided by expert research (see Martínez 2011).
Mind the gap: diversity and reactivity relationships among multihaem cytochromes of the MtrA/DmsE family
Authors: Bewley Kathryn D. , Firer-Sherwood Mackenzie A. , Mock Jee-Young , Ando Nozomi , Drennan Catherine L. , Elliott Sean J. 
Published: November 2012

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 has the ability to use many external terminal electron acceptors during anaerobic respiration, such as DMSO. The pathway that facilitates this electron transfer includes the decahaem cytochrome DmsE, a paralogue of the MtrA family of decahaem cytochromes. Although both DmsE and MtrA are decahaem cytochromes implicated in the long-range electron transfer across a ~300 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) wide periplasmic ‘gap’, MtrA has been shown to be only 105 Å in maximal length. In the present paper, DmsE is further characterized via protein film voltammetry, revealing that the electrochemistry of the DmsE haem cofactors display macroscopic potentials lower than those of MtrA by 100 mV. It is possible this tuning of the redox potential of DmsE is required to shuttle electrons to the outer-membrane proteins specific to DMSO reduction. Other decahaem cytochromes found in S. oneidensis, such as the outer-membrane proteins MtrC, MtrF and OmcA, have been shown to have electrochemical properties similar to those of MtrA, yet possess a different evolutionary relationship.
Spectroelectrochemical analyses of electroactive microbial biofilms
Authors: Millo Diego 
Published: November 2012

Understanding the mechanism of ET (electron transfer) through electroactive microbial biofilms is a challenge in the field of fundamental and applied life sciences. To date, electrochemical techniques such as CV (cyclic voltammetry) have been applied successfully to study the ET process in intact microbial biofilms on electrodes, providing important insight into their redox properties. However, CV as such does not provide any structural information about the species involved in the redox process. This shortcoming may limit the understanding of the ET process in microbial biofilms. To overcome this restriction, spectroelectrochemical techniques have been designed consisting of a spectroscopic technique performed in combination with electrochemical methods on the same electrode sample. These analytical approaches allow in vivo measurements of microbial biofilms under physiologically relevant conditions and controlled applied potential. The present review describes these spectroelectrochemical methodologies and critically addresses their impact on the understanding of the ET through biofilms.
The role of bacterial membrane proteins in the internalization of microcin MccJ25 and MccB17
Authors: Mathavan Indran , Beis Konstantinos 
Published: November 2012

Microcins are gene-encoded antibacterial peptides of low molecular mass (&lt;10 kDa), produced by Enterobactericeae. They are produced and secreted under conditions of limited essential nutrients and are active against related species. Bacterial strains under starvation conditions can produce and release microcins that can kill microcin-sensitive cells and therefore have more nutrients for survival. The outer-membrane protein OmpF and FhuA TonB-dependent pathways facilitate the internalization of the MccB17 and MccJ25 microcins into the target cell respectively. The inner-membrane protein SbmA transports the microcins through the inner membrane to the cytoplasmic face. Inside the cell, MccB17 targets DNA gyrase, whereas MccJ25 inhibits the bacterial RNA polymerase.
Intrinsically disordered proteins: lessons from colicins
Authors: Hecht Oliver , Macdonald Colin , Moore Geoffrey R. 
Published: November 2012

Defining structural features of IDPs (intrinsically disordered proteins) and relating these to biological function requires characterization of their dynamical properties. In the present paper, we review what is known about the IDPs of colicins, protein antibiotics that use their IDPs to enter bacterial cells. The structurally characterized colicin IDPs we consider contain linear binding epitopes for proteins within their target cells that the colicin hijacks during entry. We show that these binding epitopes take part in intramolecular interactions in the absence of protein partners, i.e. self-recognition, and consider the structural origins of this and its functional implications. We suggest that self-recognition is common in other IDPs that contain similar types of binding epitopes.
DOOSS: a tool for visual analysis of data overlaid on secondary structures
Authors: Golden Michael , Martin Darren 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Motivation: DOOSS (Data Overlaid On Secondary Structures) is a tool for visualizing annotated secondary structures of large single-stranded nucleotide sequences (such as full-length virus genomes). The purpose of this tool is to assist investigators in evaluating the biological relevance of secondary structures within particular sequences.
Availability and implementation: DOOSS is written in Java and is available from: http://dooss.computingforbiology.org
Contact: michaelgolden0@gmail.com
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Intron-centric estimation of alternative splicing from RNA-seq data
Authors: Pervouchine Dmitri D. , Knowles David G. , Guigó Roderic 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Motivation: Novel technologies brought in unprecedented amounts of high-throughput sequencing data along with great challenges in their analysis and interpretation. The percent-spliced-in (PSI, ) metric estimates the incidence of single-exon–skipping events and can be computed directly by counting reads that align to known or predicted splice junctions. However, the majority of human splicing events are more complex than single-exon skipping.
Results: In this short report, we present a framework that generalizes the metric to arbitrary classes of splicing events. We change the view from exon centric to intron centric and split the value of into two indices, and , measuring the rate of splicing at the 5′ and 3′ end of the intron, respectively. The advantage of having two separate indices is that they deconvolute two distinct elementary acts of the splicing reaction. The completeness of splicing index is decomposed in a similar way. This framework is implemented as bam2ssj, a BAM-file–processing pipeline for strand-specific counting of reads that align to splice junctions or overlap with splice sites. It can be used as a consistent protocol for quantifying splice junctions from RNA-seq data because no such standard procedure currently exists.
Availability: The C code of bam2ssj is open source and is available at https://github.com/pervouchine/bam2ssj
Contact: dp@crg.eu