bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phonological events
Authors: Ladd D. Robert 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe concept of the speech segment, which is central to IPA transcription and most theories of phonology, is difficult to define, and segments are often difficult to identify in speech. Some theorists therefore reject the segment as an unnecessary artefact of alphabetic writing. Work in cognitive psychology on the identification and segmentation of ‘events’ in continuous voluntary action may provide a good theoretical basis for reconciling the apparent need for a segmented representation of linguistic sound structure and the continuous physical reality of speech. Pursuing this idea entails abandoning the idea of universal systematic phonetics, but potentially allows us to understand phonological structure beyond segments by investigating the cognitive status of simultaneous communicative events such as co-occurring words and intonation, or speech and gesture
Impartial Benevolence and Partial Love
Authors: Chappell Sophie Grace 
Published: May 2014

AbstractIt is a necessary condition on any adequate approach to the problems of demandingness and partiality that it should recognize and represent the differences between impartial benevolence and partial love, between third-personal and second-personal reasons, and the space in the ethical life that, intuitively, is available for both. The argument brings out how moral theories like utilitarianism struggle to satisfy this necessary condition. It also shows something more about the diversity of reasons argued for in Chapter 3; and it foregrounds the notions of the personal, and of persons.
Internal Reasons and the Heart’s Desire
Authors: Chappell Sophie Grace 
Published: May 2014

AbstractPace Mackie, there is nothing necessarily ‘queer’ about the idea of intrinsically motivating or justifying reasons. Williams’ internal reasons thesis, even if true, does not exclude anything like as much as it is often thought to. Williams himself admits that Kantianism is not excluded by his internal reasons thesis; neither is a Thomistic natural-law account of our reasons, nor a phenomenological account of the type that can be found in Augustine’s Confessions, in Dante, and in Tal Brewer’s recent work on the dialectical conception of desire.
Glory as an Ethical Idea
Authors: Chappell Sophie Grace 
Published: May 2014

AbstractChapter 7 is a case study of how far actual ethical reflection diverges from moral theory; the case which it looks at in detail is the notion of glory, a notion which everybody recognizes as of key practical and motivational importance, but no one makes room for in moral theory. This divergence tells against moral theory, and in favour of less constricted and more flexible modes of ethical reflection.
Identification of chromosomal translocation hotspots via scan statistics
Authors: Silva Israel T. , Rosales Rafael A. , Holanda Adriano J. , Nussenzweig Michel C. , Jankovic Mila 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Motivation: The detection of genomic regions unusually rich in a given pattern is an important undertaking in the analysis of next-generation sequencing data. Recent studies of chromosomal translocations in activated B lymphocytes have identified regions that are frequently translocated to c-myc oncogene. A quantitative method for the identification of translocation hotspots was crucial to this study. Here we improve this analysis by using a simple probabilistic model and the framework provided by scan statistics to define the number and location of translocation breakpoint hotspots. A key feature of our method is that it provides a global chromosome-wide nominal control level to clustering, as opposed to previous methods based on local criteria. While being motivated by a specific application, the detection of unusual clusters is a widespread problem in bioinformatics. We expect our method to be useful in the analysis of data from other experimental approaches such as of ChIP-seq and 4C-seq.
Results: The analysis of translocations from B lymphocytes with the method described here reveals the presence of longer hotspots when compared with those defined previously. Further, we show that the hotspot size changes substantially in the absence of DNA repair protein 53BP1. When 53BP1 deficiency is combined with overexpression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, the hotspot length increases even further. These changes are not detected by previous methods that use local significance criteria for clustering. Our method is also able to identify several exclusive translocation hotspots located in genes of known tumor supressors.
Availability and implementation: The detection of translocation hotspots is done with hot_scan , a program implemented in R and Perl. Source code and documentation are freely available for download at https://github.com/itojal/hot_scan .
Contact: isilva@rockefeller.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Zinc Finger Protein Regulates Flowering Time and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Chrysanthemum by Modulating Gibberellin Biosynthesis
Authors: Yang Yingjie , Ma Chao , Xu Yanjie , Wei Qian , Imtiaz Muhammad , Lan Haibo , Gao Shan , Cheng Lina , Wang Meiyan , Fei Zhangjun , Hong Bo , Gao Junping 
Published: May 2014

AbstractFlowering time and an ability to tolerate abiotic stresses are important for plant growth and development. We characterized BBX24, a zinc finger transcription factor gene, from Chrysanthemum morifolium and found it to be associated with both flowering time and stress tolerance. Transgenic lines with suppressed expression of Cm-BBX24 (Cm-BBX24-RNAi) flowered earlier than wild-type plants and showed decreased tolerance to freezing and drought stresses. Global expression analysis revealed that genes associated with both photoperiod and gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathways were upregulated in Cm-BBX24-RNAi lines, relative to the wild type. By contrast, genes that were upregulated in overexpressing lines (Cm-BBX24-OX), but downregulated in Cm-BBX24-RNAi lines (both relative to the wild type), included genes related to compatible solutes and carbohydrate metabolism, both of which are associated with abiotic stress. Cm-BBX24 expression was also influenced by daylength and GA4/7 application. Under long days, changes in endogenous GA1, GA4, GA19, and GA20 levels occurred in young leaves of transgenic lines, relative to the wild type. Regulation of flowering involves the FLOWERING TIME gene, which integrates photoperiod and GA biosynthesis pathways. We postulate that Cm-BBX24 plays a dual role, modulating both flowering time and abiotic stress tolerance in chrysanthemum, at least in part by influencing GA biosynthesis.
SAUR Inhibition of PP2C-D Phosphatases Activates Plasma Membrane H+-ATPases to Promote Cell Expansion inArabidopsis
Authors: Spartz Angela K. , Ren Hong , Park Mee Yeon , Grandt Kristin N. , Lee Sang Ho , Murphy Angus S. , Sussman Michael R. , Overvoorde Paul J. , Gray William M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe plant hormone auxin promotes cell expansion. Forty years ago, the acid growth theory was proposed, whereby auxin promotes proton efflux to acidify the apoplast and facilitate the uptake of solutes and water to drive plant cell expansion. However, the underlying molecular and genetic bases of this process remain unclear. We have previously shown that the SAUR19-24 subfamily of auxin-induced SMALL AUXIN UP-RNA (SAUR) genes promotes cell expansion. Here, we demonstrate that SAUR proteins provide a mechanistic link between auxin and plasma membrane H+-ATPases (PM H+-ATPases) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants overexpressing stabilized SAUR19 fusion proteins exhibit increased PM H+-ATPase activity, and the increased growth phenotypes conferred by SAUR19 overexpression are dependent upon normal PM H+-ATPase function. We find that SAUR19 stimulates PM H+-ATPase activity by promoting phosphorylation of the C-terminal autoinhibitory domain. Additionally, we identify a regulatory mechanism by which SAUR19 modulates PM H+-ATPase phosphorylation status. SAUR19 as well as additional SAUR proteins interact with the PP2C-D subfamily of type 2C protein phosphatases. We demonstrate that these phosphatases are inhibited upon SAUR binding, act antagonistically to SAURs in vivo, can physically interact with PM H+-ATPases, and negatively regulate PM H+-ATPase activity. Our findings provide a molecular framework for elucidating auxin-mediated control of plant cell expansion.
Habitat‐specific effectiveness of feral cat control for the conservation of an endemic ground‐nesting bird species
Authors: Oppel Steffen , Burns Fiona , Vickery Juliet , George Kevin , Ellick Gavin , Leo Dennis , Hillman Jesse C. 
Published: May 2014

Summary

Invasive non‐native species are one of the greatest drivers of the loss of biodiversity world‐wide. Consequently, removing or controlling invasive predators should generally benefit vulnerable native species. However, especially on islands, where most mammalian predators are introduced, these predators may also prey on other invasive mammals. Removing only apex predators may lead to increases of meso‐predators that may in turn increase predation pressure on native wildlife.

We examined the benefits of a feral cat Felis catus control programme on nest survival of a critically endangered ground‐nesting bird, the St Helena Plover Charadrius sanctaehelenae in two habitat types, harbouring c. 30% of the global population of this species. We monitored nest success and the activity of introduced mammals (cats, rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, rats Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus, and mice Mus musculus) over 2 years, before and after controlling feral cats.

Live trapping removed 56 feral cats from our study areas. In the semi‐desert, rabbit and mouse activity increased, but rat activity remained low after feral cat control. In pastures, rat and mouse activity increased after feral cat control, while rabbit activity remained constant.

Nest survival of plovers increased more than threefold in the semi‐desert, but increased only marginally in pastures. This difference may be due to an increase in rat activity and potentially rat predation following cat control in pastures, whereas no increase in rat activity was observed in the semi‐desert.

Synthesis and applications. Our study shows habitat‐specific consequences of feral cat control on ground‐nesting bird productivity after 1 year, probably mediated by differences in the availability of alternative prey. The results highlight the importance of experimental trials and a thorough understanding of the interactions between multiple invasive species before predator‐control operations are implemented over larger scales. On islands with multiple invasive species, there may not be a simple generic approach to predator management (other than removing all invasive species simultaneously).
Dual effects of amiodarone on pacemaker currents in hypertrophied ventricular myocytes isolated from spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Li Hongxia , Zhou Yafeng , Jiang Bin , Zhao Xin , Li Xun , Yang Xiangjun , Jiang Wenping 
Published: May 2014

SummaryThe pacemaker current If conducted by hyperpolarization‐activated cyclic nucleotide‐gated (HCN) channels plays a critical role in the regulation of cardiac automaticity, with If density increased in hypertrophied ventricular myocytes. Amiodarone, a highly effective anti‐arrhythmic agent, blocks human HCN currents and native If under normal conditions. To determine the effects of amiodarone under pathological conditions, we monitored If under after both acute (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μmol/L) and chronic (10 μmol/L) amiodarone treatment in ventricular myocytes from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with left ventricular hypertrophy using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique. The If current density was significantly greater in SHR ventricular myocytes than in cells from healthy normotensive control Wistar‐Kyoto (WKY) rats. Acute application of amiodarone significantly decreased If density in myocytes from both SHR and WKY rats. The inhibition was concentration dependent with an IC50 of 4.9 ± 1.2 and 6.9 ± 1.3 μmol/L in myocytes from SHR and WKY rats, respectively. Amiodarone increased the activation and deactivation times of If in myocytes from SHR, although it did not alter the relationship of voltage‐dependent activation and the reversal potential of If in myocytes from SHR. Chronic exposure of myocytes from SHR to amiodarone potently inhibited If and downregulated HCN2 and HCN4, the major channel subtypes underlying native If, at both the mRNA and protein level. These findings indicate that amiodarone inhibits If under hypertrophied conditions through dual mechanisms: (i) direct channel blockade of If currents; and (ii) indirect suppression via negative regulation of HCN channel gene expression. These unique properties of amiodarone may contribute to its anti‐arrhythmic properties under pathological conditions.
Metformin may produce antidepressant effects through improvement of cognitive function among depressed patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Guo Min , Mi Jia , Jiang Qiu‐Ming , Xu Jin‐Mei , Tang Ying‐Ying , Tian Geng , Wang Bin 
Published: May 2014

SummaryDiabetes mellitus and depressive disorders are both common chronic diseases that increase functional disability and social burden. Cognitive impairment is a potentially debilitating feature of depression. Previous evidence indicates that the antidiabetic drug metformin could be suitable for diabetic patients with cognitive impairment. However, there is no direct evidence from clinical studies that metformin treatment improves cognitive function in diabetic patients suffering from depression. In the present study, 58 participants diagnosed with depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited and divided into two groups, one treated with metformin and the other treated with placebo for 24 weeks. Cognitive function, depressive behaviour and diabetes improvement were evaluated. Chronic treatment with metformin for 24 weeks improved cognitive performance, as assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised, in depressed patients with T2DM. In addition, metformin significantly improved depressive performance and changed the glucose metabolism in depressed patients with diabetes. Depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with cognitive performance in metformin‐treated participants. Furthermore, associations were observed between the parameters of blood glucose metabolism and the depression phenotype. These findings suggest that chronic treatment with metformin has antidepressant behavioural effects and that improved cognitive function is involved in the therapeutic outcome of metformin. The results of the present study also raise the possibility that supplementary administration of antidiabetic medications may enhance the recovery of depression, comorbid with T2DM, through improvements in cognitive performance.
Assessment of autonomic functions in children with familial Mediterranean fever by using heart rate variability measurements
Authors: Fidanci Kursat , Gulgun Mustafa , Demirkaya Erkan , Acikel Cengizhan , Kilic Ayhan , Gok Faysal , Ozen Seza 
Published: May 2014

AbstractAimThe aim of this study is to analyze possible autonomic nerve system alterations and assess the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis in anticipation of cardiovascular risks in pediatric patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).MethodIn this study, cardiac autonomic functions were investigated in children with FMF by analyzing HRV and its other probable cardiac effects by echocardiography. We studied 70 pediatric patients with FMF and 50 healthy controls.ResultsThe time‐domain parameters of HRV were compared between the FMF and control groups. SDNN (standard deviation of all NN intervals) was significantly decreased in patients with FMF as compared to control subjects. The other time‐domain parameters of HRV and the frequency‐domain parameters of HRV were similar in both groups. Frequency‐dependent HRV parameters were similar in both groups, as were conventional echocardiographic parameters.ConclusionHRV is a convenient and reliable technique for evaluation of autonomic functions. There are only a few studies on the assessment of autonomic functions by means of HRV in adult FMF patients but not in pediatric patients. Further studies are required to assess whether there is autonomic dysfunction in children with FMF.
TLR2 activation causes tachyphylaxis to β2‐agonists in vitro and ex vivo: modelling bacterial exacerbation
Authors: Alkhouri H. , Rumzhum N. N. , Rahman M. M. , FitzPatrick M. , de Pedro M. , Oliver B. G. , Bourke J. E. , Ammit A. J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBackgroundAsthma is a widespread chronic health problem exacerbated by common viral and bacterial infections. Further research is required to understand how infection worsens asthma control in order to advance therapeutic options in the future. Recent research has revealed that β2‐adrenergic receptor (β2‐AR) agonists lose bronchodilatory efficacy because the receptor‐mediated molecular pathways responsible for their beneficial actions are desensitized by infection. To date, most studies have focussed on viral infection, leaving the impact of bacterial infection on β2‐AR desensitization relatively under‐investigated. We address this in this study.Methods and ResultsUtilizing an in vitro model of bacterial exacerbation in airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells, we show that activation of toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2; mimicking bacterial infection) in the presence of an inflammatory stimulus leads to β2‐AR desensitization. This occurs via TLR2‐dependent upregulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2) mRNA expression and increased secretion of PGE2. Importantly, PGE2 causes heterologous β2‐AR desensitization and reduces cAMP production in response to short‐acting (salbutamol) and long‐acting (formoterol) β2‐agonists. Thus, bacterial infectious stimuli act in a PGE2‐dependent manner to severely curtail the beneficial actions of β2‐agonists. The impact of β2‐AR desensitization is demonstrated by reduced gene expression of the critical anti‐inflammatory molecule MKP‐1 in response to β2‐agonists, as well as impaired bronchodilation in a mouse lung slices.ConclusionsTaken together, our results show that, like viruses, bacteria induce prostanoid‐dependent β2‐AR desensitization on ASM cells. Notably, COX‐2 inhibition with the specific inhibitor celecoxib represses PGE2 secretion, presenting a feasible pharmacological option for treatment of infectious exacerbation in asthma in the future.
A comparison of total intravenous anaesthesia using propofol with sevoflurane or desflurane in ambulatory surgery: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kumar G. , Stendall C. , Mistry R. , Gurusamy K. , Walker D. 
Published: May 2014

SummaryWith the popularity of ambulatory surgery ever increasing, we carried out a systematic review and meta‐analysis to determine whether the type of anaesthesia used had any bearing on patient outcomes. Total intravenous propofol anaesthesia was compared with two of the newer inhalational agents, sevoflurane and desflurane. In total, 18 trials were identified; only trials where nitrous oxide was administered to, or omitted from, both groups were included. A total of 1621 patients were randomly assigned to either propofol (685 patients) or inhalational anaesthesia (936 patients). If surgical causes of unplanned admissions were excluded, there was no difference in unplanned admission to hospital between propofol and inhalational anaesthesia (1.0% vs 2.9%, respectively; p = 0.13). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower with propofol than with inhalational agents (13.8% vs 29.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). However, no difference was noted in post‐discharge nausea and vomiting (23.9% vs 20.8%, respectively; p = 0.26). Length of hospital stay was shorter with propofol, but the difference was only 14 min on average. The use of propofol was also more expensive, with a mean (95% CI) difference of £6.72 (£5.13–£8.31 (€8.16 (€6.23−€10.09); $11.29 ($8.62–$13.96))) per patient‐anaesthetic episode (p < 0.001). Therefore, based on the published evidence to date, maintenance of anaesthesia using propofol appeared to have no bearing on the incidence of unplanned admission to hospital and was more expensive, but was associated with a decreased incidence of early postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with sevoflurane or desflurane in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery.
Functional bowel disorders in pregnancy: effect on quality of life, evaluation and management
Authors: Johnson Payton , Mount Kristy , Graziano Scott 
Published: May 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize functional bowel disorders in a population of pregnant women, evaluating effects on quality of life, management and follow up.DesignProspective cohort.SettingUniversity center, USA.PopulationWomen in the first trimester (n = 104).MethodsAfter enrollment evaluations, measures were repeated in the third trimester. Overall bowel function was assessed using the Rome III Questionnaire for Functional Bowel Disorders. Quality of life symptoms were assessed with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Measure. Physician documentation of bowel symptoms and subsequent treatment in pregnancy were ascertained by retrospective chart review.Main outcome measureQuality of life in first trimester.ResultsA majority (75%) of the women at the first trimester evaluation reported having one or more functional bowel disorders. The overall quality of life status was rated highly functional, with a total average score of 94.9. Of the 75 women reporting functional bowel disorders, only 18 (24%) were identified in the medical record. Overall documentation of any bowel function was identified in the majority (64%) of cases. Most commonly, no discussion of treatment was documented, and follow up was recorded in only 27% of women with dysfunction.ConclusionsNearly three‐quarters of women in the first trimester report symptoms consistent with functional bowel disorders. Overall quality of life measures are highly rated. There is a discrepancy between what women report regarding bowel dysfunction and what is documented by providers within the medical record.
Recurrence risk of low Apgar score among term singletons: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Ensing Sabine , Schaaf Jelle M. , Abu‐Hanna Ameen , Mol Ben W.J. , Ravelli Anita C.J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the risk of recurrence of low Apgar score in a subsequent term singleton pregnancy.DesignPopulation‐based cohort study.SettingThe Netherlands.PopulationA total of 190 725 women with two subsequent singleton term live births between 1999 and 2007.MethodsWe calculated the recurrence risk of low Apgar score after adjustment for possible confounders. Women with an elective cesarean delivery, fetus in breech presentation or a fetus with congenital anomalies were excluded. Results were reported separately for women with a vaginal delivery or a cesarean delivery at first pregnancy.Main outcome measuresPrevalence of birth asphyxia, a 5‐min Apgar score <7.ResultsThe risk for an Apgar score of <7 in the first pregnancy was 0.99% and overall halved in the subsequent pregnancies (0.50%). For those with asphyxia in the first pregnancy, the risk of recurrence of a low Apgar score in the subsequent pregnancy was 1.1% (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4–3.3). This recurrence risk was present in women with a previous vaginal delivery (odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2–3.5) and in women with a previous cesarean delivery (odds ratio 3.8, 95% confidence interval 1.7–8.5). Among women with a small‐for‐gestational‐age infant in the subsequent pregnancy and a previous vaginal delivery, the recurrence risk was 4.8% (adjusted odds ratio 5.8, 95% confidence interval 2.0–16.5).ConclusionWomen with birth asphyxia of the first born have twice the risk of renewed asphyxia at the next birth compared to women without birth asphyxia of the first born. This should be incorporated in the risk assessment of pregnant women.