bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outpatient Home‐based Wet Wrap Dressings with Topical Steroids with Children with Severe Recalcitrant Atopic Dermatitis: A Feasibility Pilot Study
Authors: Leloup Pauline , Stalder Jean‐François , Barbarot Sébastien 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWet wrapping (WW) appears to be effective in severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in children resistant to topical treatment. Seventeen children were included and were directed to use WW every night (≥6 hr) until lesions disappeared, followed by maintenance treatment of two to three treatments per week. The mean Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score at baseline was 48.9. After 1 month of treatment the mean SCORAD score was 18.9, and efficacy was maintained after 3 months of treatment. The majority of patients were satisfied (91.7%) with the WW treatment; 92% considered it to be much more effective than the previous treatments received. WW was easy to perform for 75% of patients, 83% of patients stated that it was better tolerated, and 17% considered it to be tolerated equally to dermatologic corticosteroids without WW. The home WW program was continued on a maintenance basis for 75% of patients. This open‐label study showed that this program was a feasible and well‐tolerated alternative for the treatment of severe, refractory AD in children and adolescents.
How inappropriate high‐pass filters can produce artifactual effects and incorrect conclusions in ERP studies of language and cognition
Authors: Tanner Darren , Morgan‐Short Kara , Luck Steven J. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAlthough it is widely known that high‐pass filters can reduce the amplitude of slow ERP components, these filters can also introduce artifactual peaks that lead to incorrect conclusions. To demonstrate this and provide evidence about optimal filter settings, we recorded ERPs in a typical language processing paradigm involving syntactic and semantic violations. Unfiltered results showed standard N400 and P600 effects in the semantic and syntactic violation conditions, respectively. However, high‐pass filters with cutoffs at 0.3 Hz and above produced artifactual effects of opposite polarity before the true effect. That is, excessive high‐pass filtering introduced a significant N400 effect preceding the P600 in the syntactic condition, and a significant P2 effect preceding the N400 in the semantic condition. Thus, inappropriate use of high‐pass filters can lead to false conclusions about which components are influenced by a given manipulation. The present results also lead to practical recommendations for high‐pass filter settings that maximize statistical power while minimizing filtering artifacts.
Exon sequencing identifies a novel CHRNA3‐CHRNA5‐CHRNB4 variant that increases the risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Zhao Zhuxiang , Peng Fang , Zhou Yumin , Hu Guoping , He Hua , He Fang , Zou Weifeng , Zhao Ziwen , Li Bing , Ran Pixin 
Published: April 2015

AbstractBackground and objectiveRecent genome‐wide association studies have established that single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CHRNA3‐CHRNA5‐CHRNB4 genes are susceptibility loci for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. However, further effort is still required to reveal their genetic contribution to COPD, considering the existence of ‘missing heritability’, which may be mediated by variants that are of a low frequency or rare. Here we aimed to identify genetic variants in the coding regions of the CHRNA3‐CHRNA5‐CHRNB4 genes and determine their associations with COPD risk in Chinese.MethodsWe directly sequenced the coding regions of the CHRNA3‐CHRNA5‐CHRNB4 genes in 160 Chinese subjects, and then genotyped the missense or synonymous variants that have previously been reported to be associated with COPD risk in a two‐stage case–control study involving 1013 COPD cases and 1030 controls of southern Chinese.ResultsWe found nine variants, three of which were missense variations (Ser140Gly, His462Gln and Asp398Asn), while two were synonymous variants (Tyr215Tyr and Val53Val). The variants Ser140Gly, Tyr215Tyr and Asp398Asn were significantly associated with COPD risk. By combining these variants, the number of risk genotypes significantly increased the risk for COPD in a dose‐dependent manner (Ptrend = 5.00 × 10−4). The risk genotype number was also significantly correlated with several lung function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1% predicted, FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio and peak expiratory flow.ConclusionsThe present study identified a novel exon variant Ser140Gly, and two previously reported variants Tyr215Tyr and Asp398Asn are significantly associated with COPD risk in Chinese. These variants may be genetic biomarkers for predicting COPD risk in Chinese. Validation in other ethnicities is warranted.
Molecular evidence places the swallow bug genus Oeciacus Stål within the bat and bed bug genus Cimex Linnaeus (Heteroptera: Cimicidae)
Authors: BALVÍN ONDŘEJ , ROTH STEFFEN , VILÍMOVÁ JITKA 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe genera Cimex Linnaeus and Oeciacus Stål (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) are common haematophagous ectoparasites of bats or birds in the Holarctic region. Both their phylogenetic relationship and the systematics of the entire family previously were based on data from morphology and host relationships. Relationships among nine species of the genus Cimex and three species of the genus Oeciacus were analysed here using two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Cimex was shown to be paraphyletic with respect to Oeciacus. Oeciacus is thus proposed as a synonym of Cimex. The characteristic phenotype of Oeciacus results from the specific host association with different species of swallows (Hirundinidae). The morphological characters that have been used as diagnostic for the genera were shown to be valid and can be further used for determination at species level. The present analyses recovered the four traditional morphologically defined species groups of the genus Cimex. However, their relationships were poorly resolved – only the C. hemipterus group showed a well‐supported relationship to the C. pipistrelli group. The molecular differentiation within the Palaearctic C. pipistrelli and the Nearctic C. pilosellus species groups correlates with their karyotype differentiation. Furthermore, the analyses suggest poly‐ or paraphyly of the former genus Oeciacus. Either way this indicates there is a large amount of host‐associated phenotypic convergence in either bat‐ or bird‐associated groups of species. The probability of host choice and subsequent switch in Cimicidae are discussed and possible scenarios of the evolution of host association in species of Cimex are suggested.
Chromatin remodelling during male gametophyte development
Authors: Borg Michael , Berger Frédéric 
Published: April 2015

SummaryThe plant life cycle alternates between a diploid sporophytic phase and haploid gametophytic phase, with the latter giving rise to the gametes. Male gametophyte development encompasses two mitotic divisions that results in a simple three‐celled structure knows as the pollen grain, in which two sperm cells are encased within a larger vegetative cell. Both cell types exhibit a very different type of chromatin organization – highly condensed in sperm cell nuclei and highly diffuse in the vegetative cell. Distinct classes of histone variants have dynamic and differential expression in the two cell lineages of the male gametophyte. Here we review how the dynamics of histone variants are linked to reprogramming of chromatin activities in the male gametophyte, compaction of the sperm cell genome and zygotic transitions post‐fertilization.
Head‐to‐head comparison between two screening systems for HBsAG, anti‐HBc, anti‐HCV and HIV combination immunoassays in an international, multicentre evaluation study
Authors: Schmidt M. , Jimenez A. , Mühlbacher A. , Oota S. , Blanco L. , Sakuldamrongpanich T. , Schennach H. , Seifried E. 
Published: April 2015

BackgroundMandatory screening of blood donations for hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses and human immunodeficiency viruses 1 and 2 requires assays with exceptional sensitivity and specificity. This study reports the results from a direct head‐to‐head comparison of the Elecsys HBsAG II, Elecsys Anti‐HBc, Elecsys Anti‐HCV II and Elecsys HIV combi PT immunoassays with the respective ABBOTT PRISM/Architect instrument immunoassays in a multicentre blood bank evaluation study.Study Design and MethodsAssay validation was performed in the blood screening laboratories of four blood bank centres in Austria, Germany, Spain and Thailand, where both first‐time donor samples (approximately 6000 donors) and repeat donor samples (approximately 14 000 donors) were screened.ResultsOf all screened donor samples, 93 (0·46%) were confirmed to be positive using assays from both manufacturers. The specificity of all immunoassays was >99·5% and was comparable between first‐time and multiple‐time donors. A direct comparison between the assays from Roche and ABBOTT according to Bland and Altman analysis demonstrated equivalent quality.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the Elecsys immunoassays for HBV, HCV and HIV infection, with a comparative sensitivity of 100% and a specificity exceeding the common technical specification threshold of >99·5%, meet the stringent performance criteria stipulated for blood donor screening for these infectious agents. Significant differences in the specificity between first‐time and repeat donors were not detectable.
A localized Richardson–Lucy algorithm for fiber orientation estimation in high angular resolution diffusion imaging
Authors: Liu Xiaozheng , Yuan Zhenming , Guo Zhongwei , Xu Dongrong 
Published: April 2015

Purpose:Diffusion tensor imaging is widely used for studying neural fiber trajectories in white matter and for quantifying changes in tissue using diffusion properties at each voxel in the brain. To better model the nature of crossing fibers within complex architectures, rather than using a simplified tensor model that assumes only a single fiber direction at each image voxel, a model mixing multiple diffusion tensors is used to profile diffusion signals from high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data. Based on the HARDI signal and a multiple tensors model, spherical deconvolution methods have been developed to overcome the limitations of the diffusion tensor model when resolving crossing fibers. The Richardson–Lucy algorithm is a popular spherical deconvolution method used in previous work. However, it is based on a Gaussian distribution, while HARDI data are always very noisy, and the distribution of HARDI data follows a Rician distribution. This current work aims to present a novel solution to address these issues.Methods:By simultaneously considering both the Rician bias and neighbor correlation in HARDI data, the authors propose a localized Richardson–Lucy (LRL) algorithm to estimate fiber orientations for HARDI data. The proposed method can simultaneously reduce noise and correct the Rician bias.Results:Mean angular error (MAE) between the estimated Fiber orientation distribution (FOD) field and the reference FOD field was computed to examine whether the proposed LRL algorithm offered any advantage over the conventional RL algorithm at various levels of noise. Normalized mean squared error (NMSE) was also computed to measure the similarity between the true FOD field and the estimated FOD filed. For MAE comparisons, the proposed LRL approach obtained the best results in most of the cases at different levels of SNR and b‐values. For NMSE comparisons, the proposed LRL approach obtained the best results in most of the cases at b‐value = 3000 s/mm2, which is the recommended schema for HARDI data acquisition. In addition, the FOD fields estimated by the proposed LRL approach in regions of fiber crossing regions using real data sets also showed similar fiber structures which agreed with common acknowledge in these regions.Conclusions:The novel spherical deconvolution method for improved accuracy in investigating crossing fibers can simultaneously reduce noise and correct Rician bias. With the noise smoothed and bias corrected, this algorithm is especially suitable for estimation of fiber orientations in HARDI data. Experimental results using both synthetic and real imaging data demonstrated the success and effectiveness of the proposed LRL algorithm.
Breast Cancer Detection by B7-H3–Targeted Ultrasound Molecular Imaging
Authors: Bachawal Sunitha V. , Jensen Kristin C. , Wilson Katheryne E. , Tian Lu , Lutz Amelie M. , Willmann Jürgen K. 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Ultrasound complements mammography as an imaging modality for breast cancer detection, especially in patients with dense breast tissue, but its utility is limited by low diagnostic accuracy. One emerging molecular tool to address this limitation involves contrast-enhanced ultrasound using microbubbles targeted to molecular signatures on tumor neovasculature. In this study, we illustrate how tumor vascular expression of B7-H3 (CD276), a member of the B7 family of ligands for T-cell coregulatory receptors, can be incorporated into an ultrasound method that can distinguish normal, benign, precursor, and malignant breast pathologies for diagnostic purposes. Through an IHC analysis of 248 human breast specimens, we found that vascular expression of B7-H3 was selectively and significantly higher in breast cancer tissues. B7-H3 immunostaining on blood vessels distinguished benign/precursors from malignant lesions with high diagnostic accuracy in human specimens. In a transgenic mouse model of cancer, the B7-H3–targeted ultrasound imaging signal was increased significantly in breast cancer tissues and highly correlated with ex vivo expression levels of B7-H3 on quantitative immunofluorescence. Our findings offer a preclinical proof of concept for the use of B7-H3–targeted ultrasound molecular imaging as a tool to improve the diagnostic accuracy of breast cancer detection in patients. Cancer Res; 75(12); 2501–9. ©2015 AACR.
Glycodelin: A New Biomarker with Immunomodulatory Functions in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Schneider Marc A. , Granzow Martin , Warth Arne , Schnabel Philipp A. , Thomas Michael , Herth Felix J.F. , Dienemann Hendrik , Muley Thomas , Meister Michael 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
Purpose: In recent years, immune therapeutic strategies against non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on tissue-derived biomarkers, for example PD1/PD-L1 (CD274), have evolved as novel and promising treatment options. However, the crosstalk between tumor and immune cells is poorly understood. Glycodelin (gene name PAEP), initially described in the context of pregnancy and trophoblastic implantation, is a secreted immunosuppressive glycoprotein with an as-of-yet largely unknown function in lung cancer.
Experimental Design: In this study, we characterized the expression and role of glycodelin in NSCLC through mRNA and protein expression analyses, functional knockdown experiments, and correlations with clinicopathologic parameters.
Results: Glycodelin mRNA expression was significantly elevated in tumors (n = 336) compared with matched normal tissue (P &lt; 0.0001). Overall survival (OS) was significantly reduced in NSCLC with high glycodelin mRNA levels in women but not in men. Glycodelin was detected in the sera of patients, and the levels correlated with recurrence and metastatic disease. Knockdown of glycodelin with siRNAs in NSCLC cell lines resulted in significant upregulation of immune system modulatory factors such as PDL1, CXCL5, CXCL16, MICA/B, and CD83 as well as proliferation stimulators EDN1 and HBEGF. Furthermore, decreased migration of tumor cells was observed.
Conclusions: Altogether, the comprehensive characterization of glycodelin in NSCLC provides strong support for its use as a biomarker with immune modulatory function. Clin Cancer Res; 21(15); 3529–40. ©2015 AACR.
Prognostic Significance of Depression in Blacks With Heart Failure
Authors: Mentz Robert J. , Babyak Michael A. , Bittner Vera , Fleg Jerome L. , Keteyian Steven J. , Swank Ann M. , Piña Ileana L. , Kraus William E. , Whellan David J. , O’Connor Christopher M. , Blumenthal James A. 
Published: April 2015

Background—
Although studies have shown that depression is associated with worse outcomes in patients with heart failure, most studies have been in white patients. The impact of depression on outcomes in blacks with heart failure has not been studied.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed 747 blacks and 1420 whites enrolled in Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training, which randomized 2331 patients with ejection fraction ≤35% to usual care with or without exercise training. We examined the association between depressive symptoms assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and after 3 months with all-cause mortality/hospitalization. A race by baseline BDI-II interaction was observed (
P
=0.003) in which elevated baseline scores were associated with worse outcomes in blacks versus whites. In blacks, the association was nonlinear with a hazard ratio of 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 1.24–1.68) when comparing the 75th and 25th percentile of BDI-II (score of 15 and 5, respectively). No race interaction was observed for mortality (
P
=0.34). There was no differential association between BDI-II change and outcomes in blacks versus whites. In blacks, an increase in BDI-II score from baseline to 3 months was associated with increased mortality/hospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–1.57 per 10 point increase), whereas a decrease was not related to outcomes.

Conclusions—
In blacks with heart failure, baseline symptoms of depression and worsening of symptoms over time are associated with increased all-cause mortality/hospitalization. Routine assessment of depressive symptoms in blacks with heart failure may help guide management.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00047437.
Design and Validation of a Prehospital Scale to Predict Stroke Severity
Authors: Katz Brian S. , McMullan Jason T. , Sucharew Heidi , Adeoye Opeolu , Broderick Joseph P. 
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose—
We derived and validated the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity Scale (CPSSS) to identify patients with severe strokes and large vessel occlusion (LVO).

Methods—
CPSSS was developed with regression tree analysis, objectivity, anticipated ease in administration by emergency medical services personnel and the presence of cortical signs. We derived and validated the tool using the 2 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) tissue-type plasminogen activator Stroke Study trials and Interventional Management of Stroke III (IMS III) Trial cohorts, respectively, to predict severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≥15) and LVO. Standard test characteristics were determined and receiver operator curves were generated and summarized by the area under the curve.

Results—
CPSSS score ranges from 0 to 4; composed and scored by individual NIHSS items: 2 points for presence of conjugate gaze (NIHSS ≥1); 1 point for presence of arm weakness (NIHSS ≥2); and 1 point for presence abnormal level of consciousness commands and questions (NIHSS level of consciousness ≥1 each). In the derivation set, CPSSS had an area under the curve of 0.89; score ≥2 was 89% sensitive and 73% specific in identifying NIHSS ≥15. Validation results were similar with an area under the curve of 0.83; score ≥2 was 92% sensitive, 51% specific, a positive likelihood ratio of 3.3, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.15 in predicting severe stroke. For 222 of 303 IMS III subjects with LVO, CPSSS had an area under the curve of 0.67; a score ≥2 was 83% sensitive, 40% specific, positive likelihood ratio of 1.4, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.4 in predicting LVO.

Conclusions—
CPSSS can identify stroke patients with NIHSS ≥15 and LVO. Prospective prehospital validation is warranted.
Evaluating the Impact of Improvements in the Boundary Layer Parameterization on Hurricane Intensity and Structure Forecasts in HWRF
Authors: Zhang Jun A. , Nolan David S. , Rogers Robert F. , Tallapragada Vijay 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
As part of the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP), recent boundary layer physics upgrades in the operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) Model have benefited from analyses of in situ aircraft observations in the low-level eyewall region of major hurricanes. This study evaluates the impact of these improvements to the vertical diffusion in the boundary layer on the simulated track, intensity, and structure of four hurricanes using retrospective HWRF forecasts. Structural metrics developed from observational composites are used in the model evaluation process. The results show improvements in track and intensity forecasts in response to the improvement of the vertical diffusion. The results also demonstrate substantial improvements in the simulated storm size, surface inflow angle, near-surface wind profile, and kinematic boundary layer heights in simulations with the improved physics, while only minor improvements are found in the thermodynamic boundary layer height, eyewall slope, and the distributions of vertical velocities in the eyewall. Other structural metrics such as warm core anomaly and warm core height are also explored. Reasons for the structural differences between the two sets of forecasts with different physics are discussed. This work further emphasizes the importance of aircraft observations in model diagnostics and development, endorsing a developmental framework for improving physical parameterizations in hurricane models.
What is the Role of the Sea Surface Temperature Uncertainty in the Prediction of Tropical Convection Associated with the MJO?
Authors: Wang Wanqiu , Kumar Arun , Fu Joshua Xiouhua , Hung Meng-Pai 
Published: April 2015

Abstract
This study investigated the influence of the uncertainty in the sea surface temperature (SST) on the representation of the intraseasonal rainfall variability associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and how this influence varies with convection parameterization. The study was motivated by the fact that there exist substantial differences in observational SST analyses, and by the possibility that lacking sufficient accuracy for SSTs in dynamical models may degrade the MJO simulation and prediction. Experiments for the DYNAMO intensive observing period were carried out using the NCEP atmospheric Global Forecast System (GFS) with three convection schemes forced by three SST specifications. The SST specifications included the widely used National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) daily SST analysis, the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) SST retrieval, and an SST climatology that only contains climatological seasonal cycle.
The experiments show that for all convection schemes, the advantage of using observed (TMI and NCDC) SSTs over the climatology SSTs can be seen as early as 5 days to 1 week after the start of the forecast. Further, the prediction with TMI SSTs was more skillful than that with the NCDC SSTs, indicating that the current level of SST uncertainties in the observational analyses can lead to large differences when they are used as the lower boundary conditions. The results suggest that the simulation and prediction can be improved with an atmosphere-only model forced by more accurate SSTs, or with a coupled atmosphere–ocean model that has a more realistic representation of the SST variability. Differences in the prediction among the convection schemes are also presented and discussed.