bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The expression and function of midkine in the vertebrate retina
Authors: Gramage E , Li J , Hitchcock P 
Published: January 2014

The functional role of midkine during development, following injury and in disease has been studied in a variety of tissues. In this review, we summarize what is known about midkine in the vertebrate retina, focusing largely on recent studies utilizing the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an animal model. Zebrafish are a valuable animal model for studying the retina, due to its very rapid development and amazing ability for functional neuronal regeneration following neuronal cell death. The zebrafish genome harbours two midkine paralogues, midkine‐a (mdka) and midkine‐b (mdkb), which, during development, are expressed in nested patterns among different cell types. mdka is expressed in the retinal progenitors and mdkb is expressed in newly post‐mitotic cells. Interestingly, studies of loss‐ and gain‐of‐function in zebrafish larvae indicate that midkine‐a regulates cell cycle kinetics. Moreover, both mdka and mdkb are expressed in different cell types in the normal adult zebrafish retina, but after light‐induced death of photoreceptors, both are up‐regulated and expressed in proliferating Müller glia and photoreceptor progenitors, suggesting an important and (perhaps) coincident role for these cytokines during stem cell‐based neuronal regeneration. Based on its known role in other tissues and the expression and function of the midkine paralogues in the zebrafish retina, we propose that midkine has an important functional role both during development and regeneration in the retina. Further studies are needed to understand this role and the mechanisms that underlie it.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Midkine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐4
Midkine in repair of the injured nervous system
Authors: Yoshida Yoshihiro , Sakakima Harutoshi , Matsuda Fumiyo , Ikutomo Masako 
Published: January 2014

Midkine (MK) is a growth factor with neurotrophic and neurite outgrowth activities. It was expressed in the peri‐ischaemic area in the acute phase of cerebral infarction in rat brains. Astrocytes were the origin of MK in this occasion. MK has been assessed in terms of its effects on neural injury. The administration of MK into the lateral ventricle immediately prior to ischaemia prevented cell death in the hippocampal CA1 neurons degenerated by transient forebrain ischaemia in gerbils. MK administration was also beneficial in rats with neural injury, especially after kainic acid‐induced seizures. Gene therapy with mouse MK cDNA using an adenovirus was effective in reducing the cerebral infarction volume and in increasing the number of neuronal precursor cells in the subventricular zone of the rat brain. MK mRNA and MK protein were found in spinal cord motor neurons of the anterior horn in both the acute phase of sciatic nerve injury and 3 weeks later. MK immunoreactivity was also found in the proximal side of a sciatic nerve‐injured site in sciatic nerve axons. MK receptors were expressed in Schwann cells after injury, suggesting crosstalk between axons and Schwann cells. MK was also present in nerve terminals and influenced ACh receptor clustering during neuromuscular development in Xenopus. Thus, MK may also be involved in reinforcing and maintaining the synapse. All these findings indicate the therapeutic potential of MK for promoting repair of the nervous system after injury.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Midkine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐4
Association between BACH2 expression and clinical prognosis in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Ichikawa Satoshi , Fukuhara Noriko , Katsushima Hiroki , Takahashi Taro , Yamamoto Joji , Yokoyama Hisayuki , Sasaki Osamu , Fukuhara Osamu , Nomura Jun , Ishizawa Kenichi , Ichinohasama Ryo , Muto Akihiko , Igarashi Kazuhiko , Harigae Hideo 
Published: January 2014

BACH2, a B cell‐specific transcriptional repressor, plays a significant role in B cell maturation. Despite a number of previous studies, the clinicopathological significance of BACH2 expression in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains to be established. The present study was performed to validate the significance of BACH2 expression as a predictor of prognosis in DLBCL. A total of 94 DLBCL cases were included in the present study. All were diagnosed between 2008 and 2011, and thorough clinical and pathological investigations were possible, including immunohistochemical analysis of BACH2. Eighteen cases were selected by positive MYC gene alteration (MYC+ group) according to cytogenetic study. The remaining 76 cases were subclassified into germinal center B cell phenotype (GCB group, 38 cases) or non‐GCB phenotype (non‐GCB group, 38 cases). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to clinical characteristics and outcomes. In the GCB group, 21 cases were judged to have high BACH2 expression, with 19 cases in the non‐GCB group. In cases with high BACH2 expression in GCB and non‐GCB groups, the 3‐year overall survival (OS) rate was significantly shorter than that with low expression (71.7% vs 91.3%, P = 0.0256). In the MYC+ group, 15 cases had high BACH2 expression levels. Although overall the MYC+ group showed short survival time (3‐year OS 35.0%), 3 out of 4 cases with low BACH2 expression are alive without disease relapse at the time of publication of this paper. In conclusion, BACH2 expression level is a promising predictor of prognosis for DLBCL.
Language Evolution Can Be Shaped by the Structure of the World
Authors: Perfors Andrew , Navarro Daniel J. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractHuman languages vary in many ways but also show striking cross‐linguistic universals. Why do these universals exist? Recent theoretical results demonstrate that Bayesian learners transmitting language to each other through iterated learning will converge on a distribution of languages that depends only on their prior biases about language and the quantity of data transmitted at each point; the structure of the world being communicated about plays no role (Griffiths & Kalish, , ). We revisit these findings and show that when certain assumptions about the relationship between language and the world are abandoned, learners will converge to languages that depend on the structure of the world as well as their prior biases. These theoretical results are supported with a series of experiments showing that when human learners acquire language through iterated learning, the ultimate structure of those languages is shaped by the structure of the meanings to be communicated.
Undirected Dependency Parsing
Authors: Gómez‐Rodríguez Carlos , Fernández‐González Daniel , Bilbao Víctor Manuel Darriba 
Published: January 2014

Dependency parsers, which are widely used in natural language processing tasks, employ a representation of syntax in which the structure of sentences is expressed in the form of directed links (dependencies) between their words. In this article, we introduce a new approach to transition‐based dependency parsing in which the parsing algorithm does not directly construct dependencies, but rather undirected links, which are then assigned a direction in a postprocessing step. We show that this alleviates error propagation, because undirected parsers do not need to observe the single‐head constraint, resulting in better accuracy.Undirected parsers can be obtained by transforming existing directed transition‐based parsers as long as they satisfy certain conditions. We apply this approach to obtain undirected variants of three different parsers (the Planar, 2‐Planar, and Covington algorithms) and perform experiments on several data sets from the CoNLL‐X shared tasks and on the Wall Street Journal portion of the Penn Treebank, showing that our approach is successful in reducing error propagation and produces improvements in parsing accuracy in most of the cases and achieving results competitive with state‐of‐the‐art transition‐based parsers.
An Infrastructure for Argumentative Agents
Authors: Jordán Jaume , Heras Stella , Valero Soledad , Julián Vicente 
Published: January 2014

AbstractMultiagent systems are suitable for providing a framework that allows agents to perform collaborative processes in a social context. Furthermore, argumentation is a natural way of reaching agreements between several parties. However, it is difficult to find infrastructures of argumentation offering support for agent societies and their social context. Offering support for agent societies allows representation of more realistic environments to have argumentation dialogues. We propose an infrastructure to develop and execute argumentative agents in an open multiagent system. It offers tools to develop agents with argumentation capabilities. It also offers support for agent societies and their social context. The infrastructure is publicly available. Also, it has been implemented in an application scenario where argumentative agents try to reach an agreement about the best solution to solve a problem reported to the system.
Strengthening Community Involvement in Grant Review: Insights from the Community–University Research Partnership (CURES) Pilot Review Process
Authors: Paberzs Adam , Piechowski Patricia , Warrick Debra , Grawi Carolyn , Choate Celeste , Sneed Glenda , Carr Diane , Lota Kanchan , Key Kent , Alexander Valerie , Ghosh Pratik , Sampselle Carolyn 
Published: January 2014

AbstractIn 2007, the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) at the University of Michigan received a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Within MICHR, the Community Engagement (CE) program supports partnership efforts between researchers, practitioners, and community‐based organizations in specific focal communities throughout Michigan. A key component of the CE program is the Community Engagement Coordinating Council, a group that provides input and guidance on program priorities, strategic planning, and reviews pilot funding proposals for community–academic partnerships. This paper will describe a unique MICHR pilot funding mechanism for Community–University Research Partnerships (CURES) with an emphasis on the ways that community partners are involved in the review process, as well as the benefits, challenges, and insights gained over 5 years of pilot review. There is a growing need for community involvement and expertise in review of funding proposals for community‐engaged research at both institutional and federal levels. The CURES pilot review process is one example of an institutional effort to engage community partners in university funding decisions and has demonstrated clear benefit toward accomplishing the aims of the CTSA.
Privatisation of the Royal Mail: Third Time Lucky?
Authors: Parker David 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe Conservatives privatised most of the UK's state‐owned industries during the 1980s and 1990s, but the Royal Mail remained under public ownership. It was privatised through a public flotation in early October 2013 when around 70 per cent of the company's shares were sold by the government. This paper looks at the reasons why the enterprise was not sold earlier. It especially focuses on the failed attempt to privatise it in 1993/4, although other occasions when privatisation was contemplated are mentioned. The discussion draws on government papers that are closed to the public under the 30‐year rule but to which the author had access as the UK government's Official Historian of Privatisation. The study demonstrates that in the past a combination of lukewarm support for privatisation at the prime ministerial level, concerns about the political consequences (including a possible revolt in Parliament), and trade union opposition proved decisive in preventing privatisation of the Royal Mail.
The Media's Role in Influencing Perceptions of Housing Values and the Resulting Impact on the Macroeconomy
Authors: McCollough John , Karani Komal 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe housing market is a major component of the economy and persistent negative media reports can adversely affect perceptions and expectations of homeowners as to the value of their home. As a result, households reduce their expenditures and increase their savings in an effort to rebuild lost wealth. In the short run the economy suffers and the recession is magnified. This paper demonstrates, through an empirical study, how negative media reports regarding the deteriorating conditions of the national housing market affects what households feel their housing is worth.
Merging National Insurance Contributions and Income Tax: Lessons of History
Authors: Peacock Alan , Peden George 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThis paper is a response to the British Chancellor of the Exchequer's consultation on closer integration of the operation of National Insurance contributions and income tax. Our historical research on proposals for a complete merger of the two systems enables people interested in tax reform to draw on experience and ideas of officials who grappled with issues similar to those facing us today. We show that officials identified the problem of maintaining increasing numbers of elderly people as long ago as 1950, and identify when and why the British government adopted a pay‐as‐you‐go basis for the National Insurance Fund. We conclude that the advantages of National Insurance contributions separate from income tax are not negligible, but that a merger would be fairer than the present system. Our principal concern is that the contributory principle may raise unrealistic expectations regarding state pensions as it encourages a mistaken belief that these are paid from contributions made by pensioners in the past. We therefore recommend that the government should produce an annual statement showing how state pension liabilities are to be met.
Two‐Dimensional Tissue Tracking: A Novel Echocardiographic Technique to Measure Left Atrial Volume: Comparison with Biplane Area Length Method and Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography
Authors: Li Shi‐Yan , Zhang Li , Zhao Bo‐Wen , Yu Chan , Xu Li‐Long , Li Peng , Xu Ke , Pan Mei , Wang Bei 
Published: January 2014

Enlargement of the left atrium is an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and an accurate, convenient imaging modality is necessary for clinical practice. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of a novel imaging technique, two‐dimensional tissue tracking (2DTT), for assessment of left atrial (LA) volume and function and to compare its correlation and agreement with biplane area length (AL) method and real time three‐dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE). A total of 105 patients prospectively underwent 2DTT, AL and RT3DE. The LA volume index (LAVI) and emptying fraction were measured. In addition, intra‐ and inter‐observer agreement were calculated by using the intraclass correlation coefficient. There were no significant differences in LAVI and emptying fraction measured by 2DTT in comparison with those made by AL or RT3DE, furthermore Bland–Altman analysis showed that 2DTT had significantly better agreement for LAVI and emptying fraction with AL and RT3DE. 2DTT also exhibited smaller intra‐ and inter‐observer variability as compared with AL or RT3DE. Furthermore, the time to measure LA volume and acquire time–volume curve was significantly less by 2DTT than that by RT3DE (U = 49.00, P < 0.001). These observations suggest that the 2DTT could provide valuable information which is consistent with the standard AL and RT3DE measurements for LAVI and function with potentially lower intra‐ and inter‐observer variability.
Assessment of Aortic Arch Stiffness Using Pulse‐Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging: A Transesophageal Echocardiographic Comparison Study of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients and Stroke‐Free Patients
Authors: Kaneko Kazuyoshi , Takahashi Tetsuya , Saito Hiroki , Kiribayashi Nobuyuki , Omi Koki , Sasaki Toshiki , Niizeki Takeshi , Sugawara Shigeo 
Published: January 2014

BackgroundElevated aortic stiffness determined by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and presence of complicated aortic plaque provide prognostic information about cerebrovascular disease risk. Recently, pulse‐wave tissue Doppler imaging (PW‐TDI) has offered a new technique for assessing aortic wall stiffness.MethodsThe following aortic long‐axis view TEE measurements were carried out in 103 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients and 72 controls (stroke‐free patients requiring TEE for conditions such as atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease): (a) PW‐TDI motion velocities measured as expansion peak velocity during systole (Vs) and contraction peak velocity during diastole (Vd); (b) aortic arch stiffness parameter β (Aoβ), defined as β = ln (systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure)/([Dmax − Dmin]/Dmin), where ln is the natural logarithm, Dmax is maximum aortic lumen diameter, and Dmin is minimum aortic lumen diameter. The PW‐TDI of Vs and Vd was compared with conventional vessel parameters brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and cardio‐ankle vascular index (CAVI, calculated from blood pressure and PWV).ResultsComparing acute ischemic stroke patients versus controls, Vs and Vd were significantly decreased (3.3 ± 1.6 vs. 3.9 ± 2.0 cm/sec, P < 0.05; 1.7 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.8 cm/sec, P < 0.01, respectively), and Aoβ and aortic arch intima‐media thickness (AoIMT) were significantly increased (15.3 ± 12.5 vs. 11.6 ± 6.5, P < 0.05; 3.2 ± 2.5 vs. 2.4 ± 2.1 mm, P < 0.05; respectively). Furthermore, Vs and Vd were significantly negatively correlated with age, Aoβ, AoIMT, CAVI, and baPWV in all cases.ConclusionsThe use of aortic arch wall PW‐TDI for Vs and Vd evaluation constitutes an easily and readily assessed parameter for evaluating aortic arch stiffness.
Australian/New Zealand Bachelor of Oral Health students: sociodemographics and career decisions
Authors: Mariño R. J. , Barrow S. L. , Morgan M. V. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThis article describes the sociodemographic profile and factors affecting career decisions of Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) students in Australia and New Zealand. Data were collected during the 2009 and 2011 academic years via online. A total of 271 students participated. The majority were female (87.8%), single (74.5%) and of Anglo‐Saxon background (59.4%), and the average age was 23.7 years. The majority indicated that their fathers had at least secondary school education. The majority (52.8%) decided to study BOH after high school, and of those who commence after high school, 53.7% worked as a dental assistant/auxiliary. Career selection was self‐motivated (70.2%) and a career to ‘care for and help other people’ (59.6%). Most respondents wished to work in a city (59.8%), in both the public and the private sectors (47.2%). This study represents a comprehensive assessment of BOH student profile in Australia and New Zealand. Findings indicate an overall different BOH student profile compared with other oral health profession students in Australia. A significant proportion had previous employment as a dental auxiliary staff and an increasing number of male students. Findings are relevant to educators, recruitment administrators and policy makers in the way the BOH profession is presented as a career option.
Thermocline deepening and mixing alter zooplankton phenology, biomass and body size in a whole‐lake experiment
Authors: Gauthier Joanna , Prairie Yves T. , Beisner Beatrix E. 
Published: January 2014

Summary

Summer thermal stratification is thought to be one of the key structuring physical factors for north temperate lake zooplankton. Shifts associated with climate change may lead to altered thermocline depths in stratified lakes through changes to (i) wind stress and associated water column mixing or (ii) air temperature and precipitation. The effects of thermocline deepening through these two scenarios were simulated in a whole‐lake experiment to assess the effects on the phenology, biomass and mean body size of the zooplankton.

The thermocline of a three‐basin dimictic lake was deepened to 7–8 m in one basin using a lake mixer. Through heat transfer, the thermocline of the adjacent basin was deepened to 6–7 m, while the third basin served as an unmanipulated control (4–5 m deep thermocline). Zooplankton community dynamics were followed weekly in a control year and in two experimental years. A before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) statistical protocol was used to assess the effects of two treatments: Deepening and Deepening+Mixing.

Thermocline depth was the main factor influencing zooplankton changes. The biomass and late‐season dominance by smaller‐bodied and more fish‐evasive species were favoured by deepening, leading to a decline in mean community body size, but an increase in total biomass.

While many effects could be attributed to thermocline deepening, additional or exacerbated responses were observed when mixing was also present. This resulted mostly from a loss of the hypolimnetic refuge for zooplankton, which accentuated predation effects by warm‐water fish on larger cladocerans. Overall, our treatments promoted top‐down (predation) effects that increased over the 2 years of the experiment.
Use of alfacalcidol in osteoporotic patients with low muscle mass might increase muscle mass: An investigation using a patient database
Authors: Ito Sadayuki , Harada Atsushi , Kasai Takehiro , Sakai Yoshihito , Takemura Marie , Matsui Yasumoto , Hida Tetsuro , Ishiguro Naoki 
Published: January 2014

AimSarcopenia causes a decline in physical performance and decreased quality of life. However, there is little evidence for effective treatments. Because of the similarities between osteoporosis and sarcopenia, alfacalcidol used for osteoporosis might be beneficial for low muscle mass. Therefore, we investigated the effect of alfacalcidol on muscle mass in patients with low muscle mass.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort analysis, patients from an osteoporosis database were divided into two groups: alfacalcidol‐treated patients (vitamin D group; n = 156) and a control group without drug treatment (n = 233). Muscle mass was evaluated in terms of the skeletal muscle index (SMI; kg/m2) obtained from dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry measurements that were taken at the start and end of a 1‐year period. Low muscle mass was determined using specific SMI cut‐offs for Japanese individuals.ResultsBoth the vitamin D group (mean age 73.7 ± 9.8 years) and the control group (mean age 72.3 ± 11.9 years) were primarily women (n = 141, 90.4%; n = 189, 81.1%, respectively). Low muscle mass was identified in 32.7% (n = 51) of the vitamin D group and 32.2% (n = 75) of the control group. The mean appendicular SMI in the vitamin D group did not change significantly over the 1‐year period. The change was significant among the patients with low muscle mass (5.30 kg/m2 vs 5.49 kg/m2). The mean appendicular SMI in the control group decreased significantly over the 1‐year period (6.09 kg/m2 vs 5.99 kg/m2). The change in the patients with low muscle mass was not significant.ConclusionsThe vitamin D group maintained muscle mass, and the SMI increased in patients with low muscle mass. Thus, the use of alfacalcidol might be effective in osteoporotic patients with low muscle mass. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14 (Suppl. 1): 122–128.