bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterising seedling and adult plant resistance to Puccinia hordei in Hordeum vulgare
Authors: Sandhu K.S. , Singh D. , Park R.F. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractA set of 113 genotypes of barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare), along with the susceptible control genotype Gus, was tested for response to the barley leaf rust pathogen Puccinia hordei in the greenhouse (as seedlings) and field (as adult plants). The tests revealed that 68 lines carried adult plant resistance (APR), 23 lines carried uncharacterised seedling resistance (USR) and that three lines carried the seedling resistance gene Rph3. Nineteen lines lacked detectable seedling resistance and were also susceptible in the field at adult plant growth stages. The presence of marker bPb‐0837, linked to the APR gene Rph20, in 35 of the 68 lines carrying APR, suggested they carry this gene. The remaining 33 lines, which lacked the Rph20 linked marker, are likely sources of new uncharacterised APR. Pedigree analysis of the 68 lines found to carry APR revealed that 32 were related to cv. Gull and to Hordeum laevigatum; two were related to cv. Bavaria and one related to cvv. Manchuria and Taganrog, suggesting that these genotypes may be the ancestral sources of the APR carried by each.
Low effective population sizes and limited connectivity in xerothermic beetles: implications for the conservation of an endangered habitat
Authors: Kajtoch Ł. , Mazur M. , Kubisz D. , Mazur M. A. , Babik W. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractFragmentation and isolation may have detrimental effects on the viability of populations. Xerothermic grasslands, which are extra‐zonal analogues of steppes, are among Europe's most endangered natural environments. Information about connectivity between the remaining habitat patches is critical for effective conservation planning. However, very little is known about the actual levels of isolation of individual xerothermic patches at the inter‐regional and local scale. In this study, 16 microsatellite loci were used to investigate genetic diversity, structuring, effective sizes (Ne), and connectivity among populations of the weevil Centricnemus leucogrammus at various geographic scales. Analysis of 22 populations from three geographic regions, differing in the time of origin and the degree of geographic isolation of the populations, showed that the isolated populations from northern Poland showed the least variability, whereas those from central Poland and Ukraine sustained a similar level of microsatellite variability and were moderately connected within regions. Very low effective sizes (Ne = 14–44) were estimated, and signatures of bottlenecks were detected in all populations. Effective sizes were generally higher in larger xerothermic patches, which constitute a good quality habitat, and in populations sampled in nature reserves, as opposed to unprotected turfs. Such information is useful for the design of conservation and management plans. As C. leucogrammus is characteristic of xerothermic and steppic habitats in central and eastern Europe, it may be considered an excellent target species for assessing the quality of xerothermic habitats as well as estimating and monitoring their connectivity.
Systematic review: faecal microbiota transplantation therapy for digestive and nondigestive disorders in adults and children
Authors: Sha S. , Liang J. , Chen M. , Xu B. , Liang C. , Wei N. , Wu K. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryBackgroundThere has been growing interest in the use of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for the treatment of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal diseases.AimTo review systematically the reported efficacy and safety of FMT in the management of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal disorders in adults and children.MethodsThe systematic review followed Cochrane and PRISMA recommendations. Available articles were identified using three electronic databases in addition to hand searching and contacting experts. Inclusion criteria were any reports of FMT therapy written in English.ResultsA total of 844 patients who had undergone FMT were identified from 67 published studies. The most common indications were refractory/relapsing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) (76.3%) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (13.2%). There has been only one placebo‐controlled trial, a successful trial in 43 patients with recurrent CDI. Seven publications report FMT in paediatric patients with a total of 11 treated, 3 with chronic constipation and the remainder with recurrent CDI or ulcerative colitis (UC). 90.7% of patients with refractory/relapsing CDI were cured and 78.4% of patients with IBD were in remission after FMT. FMT therapy could also be effective in treatment of some nongastrointestinal disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome. The only reported serious adverse event attributed to the therapy was a case of suspected peritonitis.ConclusionsAlthough more controlled trials are needed, faecal microbiota transplantation therapy shows promise in both adults and children with gastrointestinal diseases such as CDI and IBD.
Review article: integrating budesonide‐MMX into treatment algorithms for mild‐to‐moderate ulcerative colitis
Authors: Danese S. , Siegel C. A. , Peyrin‐Biroulet L. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryBackground5‐Aminosalicylates (5‐ASA) are first‐line treatment for mild–moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC). When 5‐ASAs fail, systemic corticosteroids have been the standard next step. Due to the significant side effect profile of systemic corticosteroids, alternative options in the treatment algorithm after 5‐ASA failures are needed. Budesonide‐Multi‐Matrix System (MMX) is a novel oral formulation of budesonide that uses colonic release MMX technology to extend release of the drug to the colon. Now that budesonide‐MMX has been approved for use in some countries, and pending in others we need to understand its position in the treatment algorithm for UC.AimTo review the available literature for budesonide‐MMX and incorporate it into the treatment algorithm for mild–moderate UC.MethodsThe available efficacy and safety literature regarding budesonide‐MMX was reviewed, and compared to 5‐ASAs and systemic corticosteroids.ResultsIn two large studies referred to as CORE (Colonic Release Budesonide trial), budesonide‐MMX 9 mg daily was significantly more effective in achieving a combined end point of clinical and endoscopic remission than placebo in patients with mild–moderately active UC. Safety data are reassuring, with no clinically relevant differences between budesonide‐MMX and placebo, including steroid‐related side effects.ConclusionsBudesonide‐MMX 9 mg daily is an effective and safe treatment for induction in patients with mild–moderately active UC. At the current time, it should be considered in patients after 5‐ASA failure and before systemic corticosteroids. Data are still needed to understand its role and dose beyond 8 weeks, and if it should be considered first line before 5‐ASAs.
Single‐incision laparoscopy: A review of the indications, techniques and results after more than 700 procedures
Authors: Dapri Giovanni 
Published: March 2014

AbstractSingle‐incision laparoscopy (SIL) gained in popularity in the last 5–7 years, as a new philosophy has emerged to reduce the invasiveness of minimally invasive surgery. Various abdominal procedures using fewer and smaller trocars in order to obtain pure SIL have been described. To overcome some known problems of SIL, such as establishing the conventional multiport laparoscopic working triangulation, the non‐ergonomic positioning of the surgeon, and the increased cost of each procedure, a particular SIL technique has been developed. The technique involves reusable trocars along with specially designed DAPRI curved reusable instruments introduced through the same incision but laterally to the optical system. Hence, the main principle of conventional multiport laparoscopy – working in an appropriate triangulation while maintaining the scope in the center – is respected. The final scar is 15 mm and the cost of the procedure remains unchanged because reusable materials are used. All the abdominal procedures, including upper and lower gastrointestinal, colorectal, hepatobiliopancreatic, solid organs, gynecologic and abdominal wall hernia repair, are here reported, as are the indications for and the results after 740 procedures. In conclusion, SIL has to be considered as one of the most attractive techniques of the new minimally invasive era.
The Emergence of Prosocial Behavior: Why Do Infants and Toddlers Help, Comfort, and Share?
Authors: Paulus Markus 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe early development of prosocial behavior has become a major topic in developmental psychology. Although findings on the early presence of prosocial tendencies in infants and toddlers have received much attention and the examination of their subsequent developmental pathways has fostered ample research, little is known about the mechanisms and motives that bring about the first emergence of these prosocial actions. In this article, I introduce and review theoretical approaches, then evaluate them in light of recent findings. I conclude that the forms of early prosocial behavior are related to different social‐cognitive mechanisms and underpinned by various motives.
Does levodopa improve vision in albinism? Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial
Authors: Summers C Gail , Connett John E , Holleschau Ann M , Anderson Jennifer L , De Becker Inge , McKay Brian S , Brilliant Murray H 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackgroundDopamine is an intermediate product in the biosynthesis of melanin pigment, which is absent or reduced in albinism. Animal research has shown that supplying a precursor to dopamine, levodopa, may improve visual acuity in albinism by enhancing neural networks. This study examines the safety and effectiveness of levodopa on best‐corrected visual acuity in human subjects with albinism.DesignProspective, randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐masked clinical trial conducted at the University of Minnesota.ParticipantsForty‐five subjects with albinism.MethodsSubjects with albinism were randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms: levodopa 0.76 mg/kg with 25% carbidopa, levodopa 0.51 mg/kg with 25% carbidopa, or placebo and followed for 20 weeks, with best‐corrected visual acuity measured at enrollment, and at weeks 5, 10, 15, and 20 after enrollment. Side‐effects were recorded with a symptom survey. Blood was drawn for genotyping.Main Outcome MeasuresSide‐effects and best‐corrected visual acuity 20 weeks after enrolment.ResultsAll subjects had at least one mutation found in a gene known to cause albinism. Mean age was 14.5 years (range: 3.5 to 57.8 years). Follow up was 100% and compliance was good. Minor side‐effects were reported; there were no serious adverse events. There was no statistically significant improvement in best‐corrected visual acuity after 20 weeks with either dose of levodopa.ConclusionsLevodopa, in the doses used in this trial and for the time course of administration, did not improve visual acuity in subjects with albinism.
Influence of mechanical instruments on the biocompatibility of titanium dental implants surfaces: a systematic review
Authors: Louropoulou Anna , Slot Dagmar E. , Van der Weijden Fridus 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of mechanical instruments on the biocompatibility of titanium dental implant surfaces.Materials and methodsMEDLINE, Cochrane‐CENTRAL and EMBASE databases were searched up to December 2013, to identify controlled studies on the ability of cells to adhere and colonize non‐contaminated and contaminated, smooth and rough, titanium surfaces after instrumentation with different mechanical instruments.ResultsA comprehensive search identified 1893 unique potential papers. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this review. All studies were in vitro studies. Most studies used titanium discs, strips and cylinders. The air abrasive was the treatment mostly evaluated. The available studies had a high heterogeneity which precluded any statistical analysis of the data. Therefore, the conclusions are not based on quantitative data. Instrumentation seems to have a selective influence on the attachment of different cells. In the presence of contamination, plastic curettes, metal curettes, rotating titanium brushes and an ultrasonic scaling system with a carbon tip and polishing fluid seem to fail to restore the biocompatibility of rough titanium surfaces. The air‐powder abrasive system with sodium bicarbonate powder does not seem to affect the fibroblast–titanium surface interaction after treatment of smooth or rough surfaces, even in the presence of contamination.ConclusionThe available data suggest that treatment with an air‐powder abrasive system with sodium bicarbonate powder does not seem to adversely affect the biocompatibility of titanium dental implant surfaces. However, the clinical impact of these findings requires further clarification.
Gem Depletion: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Crossover
Authors: Cauchi Ruben J. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryThe determining factor of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the most common motor neuron degenerative disease of childhood, is the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMN and its Gemin associates form a complex that is indispensible for the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), which constitute the building blocks of spliceosomes. It is as yet unclear whether a decreased capacity of SMN in snRNP assembly, and, hence, transcriptome abnormalities, account for the specific neuromuscular phenotype in SMA. Across metazoa, the SMN‐Gemins complex concentrates in multiple nuclear gems that frequently neighbour or overlap Cajal bodies. The number of gems has long been known to be a faithful indicator of SMN levels, which are linked to SMA severity. Intriguingly, a flurry of recent studies have revealed that depletion of this nuclear structure is also a signature feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common adult‐onset motor neuron disease. This review discusses such a surprising crossover in addition to highlighting the most recent work on the intricate world of spliceosome building, which seems to be at the heart of motor neuron physiology and survival.
Analyzing the Rate at Which Languages Lose the Influence of a Common Ancestor
Authors: Rafferty Anna N. , Griffiths Thomas L. , Klein Dan 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAnalyzing the rate at which languages change can clarify whether similarities across languages are solely the result of cognitive biases or might be partially due to descent from a common ancestor. To demonstrate this approach, we use a simple model of language evolution to mathematically determine how long it should take for the distribution over languages to lose the influence of a common ancestor and converge to a form that is determined by constraints on language learning. We show that modeling language learning as Bayesian inference ofnbinary parameters or the ordering ofnconstraints results in convergence in a number of generations that is on the order ofn log n. We relax some of the simplifying assumptions of this model to explore how different assumptions about language evolution affect predictions about the time to convergence; in general, convergence time increases as the model becomes more realistic. This allows us to characterize the assumptions about language learning (given the models that we consider) that are sufficient for convergence to have taken place on a timescale that is consistent with the origin of human languages. These results clearly identify the consequences of a set of simple models of language evolution and show how analysis of convergence rates provides a tool that can be used to explore questions about the relationship between accounts of language learning and the origins of similarities across languages.
The Effects of Prior Learned Strategies on Updating an Opponent's Strategy in the Rock, Paper, Scissors Game
Authors: Stöttinger Elisabeth , Filipowicz Alex , Danckert James , Anderson Britt 
Published: March 2014

AbstractTo explore how model building adapts to changing environments, we had participants play “rock‐paper‐scissors” against a computer that played a frequency bias or a player‐dependent bias and then switched. Participants demonstrated their use of prior experience in how quickly they recognized and exploited changes in the computer's play strategy; in general, the more similar the strategies, the more efficient the updating. These findings inform our understanding of previously reported updating impairments in right‐brain damaged patients.
Identification of novel kinase inhibitors by targeting a kinase‐related apoptotic protein–protein interaction network in HeLa cells
Authors: Shi Z. , An N. , Lu B. M. , Zhou N. , Yang S. L. , Zhang B. , Li C. Y. , Wang Z. J. , Wang F. , Wu C. F. , Bao J. K. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectivesProtein kinases orchestrate activation of signalling cascades in response to extra‐ and intracellular stimuli for regulation of cell proliferation. They are directly involved in a variety of diseases, particularly cancers. Systems biology approaches have become increasingly important in understanding regulatory frameworks in cancer, and thus may facilitate future anti‐cancer discoveries. Moreover, it has been suggested and confirmed that high‐throughput virtual screening provides a novel, effective way to reveal small molecule protein kinase inhibitors. Accordingly, we aimed to identify kinase targets and novel kinase inhibitors.Materials and methodsA series of bioinformatics methods, such as network construction, molecular docking and microarray analyses were performed.ResultsIn this study, we computationally constructed the appropriate global human protein–protein interaction network with data from online databases, and then modified it into a kinase‐related apoptotic protein–protein interaction network. Subsequently, we identified several kinases as potential drug targets according to their differential expression observed by microarray analyses. Then, we predicted relevant microRNAs, which could target the above‐mentioned kinases. Ultimately, we virtually screened a number of small molecule natural products from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)@Taiwan database and identified a number of compounds that are able to target polo‐like kinase 1, cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 and cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells.ConclusionsTaken together, all these findings might hopefully facilitate discovery of new kinase inhibitors that could be promising candidates for anti‐cancer drug development.
Incorporating spatial population structure in gap analysis reveals inequitable assessments of species protection
Authors: Santini L. , Di Marco M. , Boitani L. , Maiorano L. , Rondinini C. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAimGap analysis measures the percentage of protected species distribution and generally compares it to a representation target (i.e. minimum area to be protected). The results are used to identify species that need further protection, providing a quantitative baseline to address a possible expansion of a given protected area (PA) systems. However, the achievement of the same representation target may have different implications in terms of species persistence depending on population spatial structure and conservation needs. The aim was to investigate to what extent and why gap analysis may provide inequitable assessments of species protection.LocationEurope.MethodsWe performed three gap analyses on 27 European species of carnivores and ungulates, measuring the level of protection according to three different types of distribution data: geographical ranges, habitat suitability models and habitat suitability models that incorporate the potential spatial structuring in populations withinPAs.ResultsThe estimated degree of species protection depends on the distribution proxy and the target adopted. When the analyses are based on areas able to support viable populations (irrespective of how these areas are quantified), the perceived relative protection of different species changes considerably. The ability of different species to persist inPAsystems mostly depends on their population density and dispersal abilities, as well as the interaction between these two features, which eventually determines the number and relative size of the populations.Main conclusionsThe achievement of the same representation target for different species may imply protecting different numbers of individuals in populations having different spatial structures and may consequently lead to different probabilities of persistence across species. If species spatial structuring is disregarded, gap analysis may thus lead to inequitable assessments ofPAcoverage.
Does early treatment improve outcomes in N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor encephalitis?
Authors: Byrne Susan , McCoy Blathanid , Lynch Bryan , Webb David , King Mary D 
Published: March 2014

N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is a treatable cause of autoimmune encephalitis in both children and adults. It is still unclear if the natural history of the condition in children is altered by early treatment with immunosuppressive therapy. We looked at the outcomes of five children (two males, three females; mean age 6y 9mo, range 4–8y) who were treated empirically for autoimmune encephalitis within a brief period of presentation. Features that led clinicians to suspect autoimmune encephalitis included prominent neuropsychiatric features, movement disorder, seizures, and dysautonomic features. Immunosuppressive therapy was carried out in all cases. In this series of children, in whom the median time from symptom onset to treatment was 5 days and median length of time for follow‐up was 24 months, four out of the five (80%) recovered to their baseline. Early initiation of immunosuppressive therapy may result in improved clinical outcomes.
Stability of motor function and associated impairments between childhood and adolescence in young people with cerebral palsy in Europe
Authors: Nystrand Malin , Beckung Eva , Dickinson Heather , Colver Allan 
Published: March 2014

AimThe aim of the study was to investigate whether impairments associated with cerebral palsy were stable between childhood and adolescence.MethodThe Study of Participation of Children with Cerebral Palsy Living in Europe (SPARCLE) longitudinal study was conducted in nine European regions. In total, 818 children aged 8 to 12 years were randomly selected from population‐based registers; 594 (73%) were followed up at the age of 13 to 17 years (344 males, 250 females; median age 10y 4mo) Research associates visited them in their homes and recorded their motor function and additional impairments. Stability of impairment was assessed using the weighted kappa coefficient.ResultsThe proportion of participants whose level of impairment remained unchanged varied from 63% for fine motor function to 98% for hearing. For gross motor function, communication, and cognitive level, the kappa and the lower bound of its 95% confidence interval (CI) were above 0.75, indicating stability between childhood and adolescence; for fine motor function and feeding, the kappa was above 0.75 but the lower bound of the 95% CI was below 0.75, indicating probable stability; for seizures and vision, the kappa was below 0.75, although the upper bound of the 95% CI was above 0.75, indicating possible change; for hearing the kappa and its entire CI were below 0.75, indicating change. Overall, 81% of participants had no seizures in childhood, of whom 93% were seizure‐free in adolescence.InterpretationMotor function and additional impairments were generally stable between childhood and adolescence.