bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Focused ion beam fabrication of solidified ferritin into nanoscale volumes for compositional analysis using atom probe tomography
Authors: GREENE M.E. , KELLY T.F. , LARSON D.J. , PROSA T.J. 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe purpose of this investigation was to conduct atom probe tomography (APT) analyses on ferritin specimens prepared with focused ion beam (FIB) to assess whether this approach can be used to effectively characterize biomaterials. Soft matter is particularly sensitive to ion beam exposure which can induce physical and chemical changes. We employ protective metal films and low‐energy ion fluence to mitigate potential problems that may be introduced by FIB. This study had two major objectives: (1) to qualitatively assess the viability of the specimens when subjected to the unique physical conditions of APT analysis, namely ultrahigh vacuum, high electric field, and thermal pulsing using a laser and (2) to quantitatively assess the data from such specimens under various experimental parameters and compare the results with appropriate control specimens. For the first objective, a range of experimental parameters were determined that met the basic criteria necessary to validate that ferritin‐based specimens prepared with FIB can retain structural integrity during APT analysis. Initial field evaporation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (TOF‐MS) data show that the specimens fabricated with FIB are capable of emitting ions under various laser pulsing conditions with a high electric field applied. For the second objective, the experimental parameter space was narrowed to a range that yielded data quality sufficient to produce meaningful comparison between the ferritin‐based specimens and the salt‐only controls.
When less means more: evolutionary and developmental hypotheses in rodent molars
Authors: Labonne G. , Laffont R. , Renvoise E. , Jebrane A. , Labruere C. , Chateau‐Smith C. , Navarro N. , Montuire S. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractTooth number in rodents is an example of reduction in evolution. All rodents have a toothless diastema lacking canine and most premolars present in most other mammals. Whereas some rodent lineages retained one premolar (p4), many others lost it during evolution. Recently, an ‘inhibitory cascade’ developmental model (IC) has been used to predict how the first molar (m1) influences the number and relative sizes of the following distal molars (m2 and m3). The model does not, however, consider the presence of premolars, and here we examine whether the premolar could influence and constrain molar proportions during development and evolution. By investigating a large data set of both extinct and extant rodent families over more than 40 million years, we show that the basal phenotype is characterized by the presence of premolars together with equally sized molars. More recent rodent families, with and without premolar, show more unequal molar sizes. Analysing molar areas, we demonstrated that (i) rodents harbour almost all the molar proportions known in mammals, and the IC model can explain about 80% of taxa in our data set; (ii) proportions of molars are influenced by the presence or absence of p4; and (iii) the most variable teeth in the dental row are m1 and m3, whether p4 is present or not. Moreover, m1 can represent up to half of the total molar area when p4 is absent. We hypothesize that p4 loss during evolution released the constraint on m1 development, resulting in a more variable size of m1 and thereby having an indirect effect on the evolution of the whole molar row.
Variation in infectivity and aggressiveness in space and time in wild host–pathogen systems: causes and consequences
Authors: Tack A. J. M. , Thrall P. H. , Barrett L. G. , Burdon J. J. , Laine A.‐L. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractVariation in host resistance and in the ability of pathogens to infect and grow (i.e. pathogenicity) is important as it provides the raw material for antagonistic (co)evolution and therefore underlies risks of disease spread, disease evolution and host shifts. Moreover, the distribution of this variation in space and time may inform us about the mode of coevolutionary selection (arms race vs. fluctuating selection dynamics) and the relative roles ofG × Ginteractions, gene flow, selection and genetic drift in shaping coevolutionary processes. Although variation in host resistance has recently been reviewed, little is known about overall patterns in the frequency and scale of variation in pathogenicity, particularly in natural systems. Using 48 studies from 30 distinct host–pathogen systems, this review demonstrates that variation in pathogenicity is ubiquitous across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Quantitative analysis of a subset of extensively studied plant–pathogen systems shows that the magnitude of within‐population variation in pathogenicity is large relative to among‐population variation and that the distribution of pathogenicity partly mirrors the distribution of host resistance. At least part of the variation in pathogenicity found at a given spatial scale is adaptive, as evidenced by studies that have examined local adaptation at scales ranging from single hosts through metapopulations to entire continents and – to a lesser extent – by comparisons of pathogenicity with neutral genetic variation. Together, these results support coevolutionary selection through fluctuating selection dynamics. We end by outlining several promising directions for future research.
The learning advantage: bird species that learn their song show a tighter adjustment of song to noisy environments than those that do not learn
Authors: Ríos‐Chelén A. A. , Salaberria C. , Barbosa I. , Macías Garcia C. , Gil D. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractSong learning has evolved within several avian groups. Although its evolutionary advantage is not clear, it has been proposed that song learning may be advantageous in allowing birds to adapt their songs to the local acoustic environment. To test this hypothesis, we analysed patterns of song adjustment to noisy environments and explored their possible link to song learning. Bird vocalizations can be masked by low‐frequency noise, and birds respond to this by singing higher‐pitched songs. Most reports of this strategy involve oscines, a group of birds with learning‐based song variability, and it is doubtful whether species that lack song learning (e.g. suboscines) can adjust their songs to noisy environments. We address this question by comparing the degree of song adjustment to noise in a large sample of oscines (17 populations, 14 species) and suboscines (11 populations, 7 species), recorded in Brazil (Manaus, Brasilia and Curitiba) and Mexico City. We found a significantly stronger association between minimum song frequency and noise levels (effect size) in oscines than in suboscines, suggesting a tighter match in oscines between song transmission capacity and ambient acoustics. Suboscines may be more vulnerable to acoustic pollution than oscines and thus less capable of colonizing cities or acoustically novel habitats. Additionally, we found that species whose song frequency was more divergent between populations showed tighter noise–song frequency associations. Our results suggest that song learning and/or song plasticity allows adaptation to new habitats and that this selective advantage may be linked to the evolution of song learning and plasticity.
Appraisal of diagnosis and surgical approach for Mirizzi syndrome
Authors: Cui Yunfeng , Liu Yong , Li Zhonglian , Zhao Erpeng , Zhang Hongtao , Cui Naiqiang 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBackgroundMirizzi syndrome is an important and rare complication of gallstone disease. This study aims to evaluate the treatment approach by analysing the diagnostic method and the outcome of surgical treatment in our hospital.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed the data of 198 patients with Mirizzi syndrome between January 2004 and January 2010. The records were reviewed for demography, clinical presentation, diagnostic method, operative procedure, postoperative complication and follow‐up.ResultsThe incidence of Mirizzi syndrome was 0.66% of 29 875 patients who underwent cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis. The incidence of types I, II, III and IV was 59.1%, 24.7%, 13.1% and 3.1%, respectively. In this study, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) could have the suspicion of Mirizzi syndrome in 77.8% and 82.3% of cases. Cholecystectomy also has been shown to be effective for type I Mirizzi syndrome. Our common surgical approach in Mirizzi syndrome types II and III was partial cholecystectomy without removal of the portion of gallbladder around the fistula margin. For some cases, choledochoplasty was needed. For Mirizzi syndrome type IV, we performed hepaticojejunostomy for all patients.ConclusionUltrasound, MRCP and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in combination with choledochoscope procedure in operation could improve the diagnostic sensitivity of Mirizzi syndrome. Intraoperative choledochoscope is effective to confirm Mirizzi syndrome during operation. Open surgery is the current standard for managing patients with Mirizzi syndrome. Laparoscopic surgery should be confined to Mirizzi syndrome type I and patients should be selected very strictly.
Digital Terrain Model Resolution and its Influence on Estimating the Extent of Rockfall Areas
Authors: Zieher Thomas , Formanek Tobias , Bremer Magnus , Meissl Gertraud , Rutzinger Martin 
Published: August 2012

AbstractAs rockfall can cause a great deal of damage, it is essential to know its spatial propagation. Rockfall models are sensitive to the resolution of input data, i.e. the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) used. Nowadays, high resolution elevation data are available area‐wide from airborne laser scanning (ALS). However, rockfall models are designed for analysis on a certain scale, which means that high resolution input might not necessarily improve model results (e.g. for regional scale studies). Our aim is to estimate the reach of rockfall by analysing different input resolutions of an ALS DTM. The presented empirically–based model, implemented in Python 2.7, is a modified version of the zenital method including an iterative random walk trajectory model, which is designed for rockfall hazard assessment at the regional scale. Trajectories and rockfall probability maps are generated for selected DTM input resolutions. The comparison shows that high resolution DTMs do consider local topography better and thus lead to more realistic results than low resolution DTMs.
Sleep matters in Parkinson's disease: use of a priority list to assess the presence of sleep disturbances
Authors: Louter M. , van der Marck M. A. , Pevernagie D. A. A. , Munneke M. , Bloem B. R. , Overeem S. 
Published: August 2012

Background and purposeDespite their high prevalence and clinical impact, sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease appear to receive insufficient attention in clinical practice. We compared the importance of sleep disorders relative to other symptoms and daily issues. Furthermore, we determined whether relevance as perceived by patients correlated with the subjective presence of sleep disruption scored with a rating scale.MethodsWe studied a cohort of 153 consecutive patients (95 men) who were referred for problems other than sleep to our referral center. Prior to their visit, patients ranked their individual top five clinical priorities (of 23 items), indicating the most problematic domains for which they requested medical attention. Additionally, nocturnal sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) were assessed with validated questionnaires.ResultsThe top three important domains according to the patient were movement (79.9%), medication (73.2%), and physical condition (63.4%). Sleep was the sixth most frequently reported item, marked by 37.9% of the patients. Amongst the patients who scored sleep as a priority, 47 (81%) had a poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5). Although EDS was present in almost 30% of patients, a minority of them put it on their priority list.ConclusionA priority list can be used to prioritize patient‐centered quality of life issues. Our results show that sleep is a clinical priority for about one‐third of patients. Surprisingly, EDS was usually not prioritized by patients during the consultation, underscoring the need to use ratings scales alongside subjective priorities.
EFNS task force: the use of neuroimaging in the diagnosis of dementia
Authors: Filippi M. , Agosta F. , Barkhof F. , Dubois B. , Fox N. C. , Frisoni G. B. , Jack C. R. , Johannsen P. , Miller B. L. , Nestor P. J. , Scheltens P. , Sorbi S. , Teipel S. , Thompson P. M. , Wahlund L.‐O. 
Published: August 2012

Background and purposeThe European Federation of the Neurological Societies (EFNS) guidelines on the use of neuroimaging in the diagnosis and management of dementia are designed to revise and expand previous EFNS recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to provide an overview of the evidence for the use of neuroimaging techniques in non‐AD dementias, as well as general recommendations that apply to all types of dementia in clinical practice.MethodsThe task force working group reviewed evidence from original research articles, meta‐analyses and systematic reviews, published before April 2012. The evidence was classified, and consensus recommendations were given and graded according to the EFNS guidance regulations.ResultsStructural imaging, which should be performed at least once in the diagnostic work‐up of patients with cognitive impairment, serves to exclude other potentially treatable diseases, to recognize vascular lesions and to identify specific findings to help distinguish different forms of neurodegenerative types of dementia. Although typical cases of dementia may not benefit from routine functional imaging, these tools are recommended in those cases where diagnosis remains in doubt after clinical and structural imaging work‐up and in particular clinical settings. Amyloid imaging is likely to find clinical utility in several fields, including the stratification of patients with mild cognitive impairment into those with and without underlying AD and the evaluation of atypical AD presentations.ConclusionsA number of recommendations and good practice points are made to improve the diagnosis of AD and other dementias.
Impact of maternal body mass index on the antenatal detection of congenital anomalies
Authors: Best KE , Tennant PWG , Bell R , Rankin J 
Published: August 2012

Please cite this paper as: Best K, Tennant P, Bell R, Rankin J. Impact of maternal body mass index on the antenatal detection of congenital anomalies. BJOG 2012;119:1503–1511.Objective  To investigate the association between maternal body mass index (BMI) and antenatal ultrasound detection of congenital anomalies.Design  Population‐based register study.Setting  North of England (UK).Population  All pregnancies (n = 3096) associated with a congenital anomaly notified to the Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey (NorCAS) during 2006–2009. Cases with chromosomal and teratogenic anomalies (n = 611) or without information on antenatal scanning (n = 4) were excluded.Methods  Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for antenatal detection according to maternal BMI categories were estimated using logistic regression.Main outcome measures  For all anomalies combined, cases were defined as ‘detected’ if any congenital anomaly was suspected antenatally. Organ system‐specific anomalies were defined as detected if an anomaly of the correct system was suspected.Results  Antenatal detection of any anomaly occurred in 1146 of 2483 (46.2%) cases with normal karyotype. The odds of detection were significantly decreased in obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) women compared with women of recommended BMI (18.5–24.9 kg/m2; aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60–0.99; P = 0.046). Cardiovascular system anomalies were suspected antenatally in 109 of 945 (11.5%) cases. The odds of detecting a cardiovascular anomaly were significantly greater in underweight women (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) than in women of recommended BMI (aOR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.13–7.70; P = 0.027). There was no association between BMI and detection in any other organ system or between BMI and termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly.Conclusions  Antenatal ultrasound detection of a congenital anomaly is decreased in obese pregnant women. This has implications for the scanning and counselling of obese women.
Reduced soluble receptor for advanced glycation end‐products (sRAGE) scavenger capacity precedes pre‐eclampsia in Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Yu Y , Hanssen KF , Kalyanaraman V , Chirindel A , Jenkins AJ , Nankervis AJ , Torjesen PA , Scholz H , Henriksen T , Lorentzen B , Garg SK , Menard MK , Hammad SM , Scardo JA , Stanley JR , Wu M , Basu A , Aston CE , Lyons TJ 
Published: August 2012

Please cite this paper as: Yu Y, Hanssen K, Kalyanaraman V, Chirindel A, Jenkins A, Nankervis A, Torjesen P, Scholz H, Henriksen T, Lorentzen B, Garg S, Menard M, Hammad S, Scardo J, Stanley J, Wu M, Basu A, Aston C, Lyons T. Reduced soluble receptor for advanced glycation end‐products (sRAGE) scavenger capacity precedes pre‐eclampsia in Type 1 diabetes. BJOG 2012;119:1512–1520.Objective  Increased advanced glycation end‐products (AGEs) and their soluble receptors (sRAGE) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia (PE). However, this association has not been elucidated in pregnancies complicated by diabetes. We aimed to investigate the serum levels of these factors in pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), a condition associated with a four‐fold increase in PE.Design  Prospective study in women with T1DM at 12.2 ± 1.9, 21.6 ± 1.5 and 31.5 ± 1.7 weeks of gestation [mean ± standard deviation (SD); no overlap] before PE onset.Setting  Antenatal clinics.Population  Pregnant women with T1DM (n = 118; 26 developed PE) and healthy nondiabetic pregnant controls (n = 21).Methods  Maternal serum levels of sRAGE (total circulating pool), Nε‐(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), hydroimidazolone (methylglyoxal‐modified proteins) and total AGEs were measured by immunoassays.Main outcome measures  Serum sRAGE and AGEs in pregnant women with T1DM who subsequently developed PE (DM PE+) versus those who remained normotensive (DM PE−).Results  In DM PE+ versus DM PE−, sRAGE was significantly lower in the first and second trimesters, prior to the clinical manifestation of PE (P < 0.05). Further, reflecting the net sRAGE scavenger capacity, sRAGE:hydroimidazolone was significantly lower in the second trimester (P < 0.05) and sRAGE:AGE and sRAGE:CML tended to be lower in the first trimester (P < 0.1) in women with T1DM who subsequently developed PE versus those who did not. These conclusions persisted after adjusting for prandial status, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), duration of diabetes, parity and mean arterial pressure as covariates.Conclusions  In the early stages of pregnancy, lower circulating sRAGE levels, and the ratio of sRAGE to AGEs, may be associated with the subsequent development of PE in women with T1DM.
Vaccination against H1N1 influenza with Pandemrix® during pregnancy and delivery outcome: a Swedish register study
Authors: Källén B , Olausson PO 
Published: August 2012

Please cite this paper as: Källén B, Olausson P. Vaccination against H1N1 influenza with Pandemrix® during pregnancy and delivery outcome: a Swedish register study. BJOG 2012;119:1583–1590.Objective  To describe a large study on pregnancy outcome after vaccination against H1N1 during the 2009/10 pandemic.Design  A cohort study of women vaccinated with Pandemrix® during pregnancy.Setting  The Swedish Medical Birth Register was used for the analysis. Information on vaccination and pregnancy week when vaccination was made was obtained from antenatal care documents.Population  All women who gave birth during 2009 and 2010 in Sweden.Methods  Characteristics of the vaccinated women and their delivery outcome were compared with two groups of women: women without a known vaccination who gave birth in 2009/10 after 1 October 2009, and women who gave birth during 2009 before 1 October. Adjustment was made for year of delivery, maternal age, parity, smoking habits and body mass index.Outcome measures  Stillbirth, congenital malformations, preterm birth, low birthweight, small for gestational age.Results  A total of 18 612 vaccinated women having 18 844 infants were studied. The risk for stillbirth, preterm birth and low birthweight was lower than in the comparison groups whereas the risk for small for gestational age and a congenital malformation (after vaccination during the first trimester) did not differ from the comparison groups. No clear‐cut explanation to the ‘protective’ effect of vaccination was found.Conclusions  Vaccination during pregnancy with Pandemrix® appeared to have no ill effects on the pregnancy. On the contrary, the rate of preterm birth and low birthweight was lower than expected, which agrees with some previous results.
Sodium channels and the neurobiology of epilepsy
Authors: Oliva Megan , Berkovic Samuel F. , Petrou Steven 
Published: August 2012

SummaryVoltage‐gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are integral membrane proteins. They are essential for normal neurologic function and are, currently, the most common recognized cause of genetic epilepsy. This review summarizes the neurobiology of VGSCs, their association with different epilepsy syndromes, and the ways in which we can experimentally interrogate their function. The most important sodium channel subunit of relevance to epilepsy is SCN1A, in which over 650 genetic variants have been discovered. SCN1A mutations are associated with a variety of epilepsy syndromes; the more severe syndromes are associated with truncation or complete loss of function of the protein. SCN2A is another important subtype associated with epilepsy syndromes, across a range of severe and less severe epilepsies. This subtype is localized primarily to excitatory neurons, and mutations have a range of functional effects on the channel. SCN8A is the other main adult subtype found in the brain and has recently emerged as an epilepsy gene, with the first human mutation discovered in a severe epilepsy syndrome. Mutations in the accessory β subunits, thought to modulate trafficking and function of the α subunits, have also been associated with epilepsy. Genome sequencing is continuing to become more affordable, and as such, the amount of incoming genetic data is continuing to increase. Current experimental approaches have struggled to keep pace with functional analysis of these mutations, and it has proved difficult to build associations between disease severity and the precise effect on channel function. These mutations have been interrogated with a range of experimental approaches, from in vitro, in vivo, to in silico. In vitro techniques will prove useful to scan mutations on a larger scale, particularly with the advance of high‐throughput automated patch‐clamp techniques. In vivo models enable investigation of mutation in the context of whole brains with connected networks and more closely model the human condition. In silico models can help us incorporate the impact of multiple genetic factors and investigate epistatic interactions and beyond.