bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low brain iron content in idiopathic restless legs syndrome patients detected by phase imaging
Authors: Rizzo Giovanni , Manners David , Testa Claudia , Tonon Caterina , Vetrugno Roberto , Marconi Sara , Plazzi Giuseppe , Pizza Fabio , Provini Federica , Malucelli Emil , Gramegna Laura Ludovica , Lodi Raffaele 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe objective of this study was to use phase imaging to evaluate brain iron content in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS).MethodsFifteen RLS patients and 15 healthy controls were studied using gradient‐echo imaging. Phase analysis was performed on localized brain regions of interest selected on phase maps, sensitive to paramagnetic tissue. Differences between the 2 subject groups were evaluated using ANCOVA including age as a covariate.ResultsSignificantly higher phase values were present in the RLS patients compared with healthy controls at the level of the substantia nigra, thalamus, putamen, and pallidum, indicating reduced iron content in several regions of the brain of the patients.ConclusionsWe have used MRI phase analysis to study brain iron content in idiopathic RLS in vivo for the first time. Our results support the hypothesis of reduced brain iron content in RLS patients, which may have an important role in the pathophysiology of the disorder. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
How Far Could We Go with Open Data – A Case Study for TRPV1 Antagonists
Authors: Tsareva Daria A. , Ecker Gerhard F. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractPublicly open databases of small compounds have become an indispensable tool for chemoinformaticians for collection and preparation of datasets suitable for drug discovery questions. Since these databases comprise compounds coming from structure‐activity relationship (SAR) studies performed by different research groups, they are very diverse with respect to the biological assays used. In the present study we analyzed the applicability of a thoroughly curated dataset gathered from open sources for ligand‐based studies, using the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) as use case. Thorough curation of compounds according to the biological assay type and conditions led to a dataset of comparable bioactive chemicals. Subsequent exhaustive analysis of the obtained dataset using classification algorithms demonstrated that the models obtained in most of the cases possess reliable quality. Analysis of constantly misclassified compounds showed that they belong to local SAR series, where small changes in structure lead to different class labels. These small structural differences could not be captured by the classification algorithms. However application of the 3D alignment‐independent QSAR technique GRIND for local, structurally related series overcomes this problem.
Closed‐form solutions of a fishery harvesting model with state constraint
Authors: Puchkova Alena , Rehbock Volker , Teo Kok Lay 
Published: June 2013

SUMMARYWe derive a closed‐form solution for a well‐known fisheries harvesting model with an additional state constraint. The problem is linear in the control and previous solutions appearing in the literature have been numerical in nature. The so‐called direct adjoining approach is used in our derivation and the optimal solutions turn out to be a mixture of bang‐bang and boundary arcs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nocturnal Wheeze Measurement in Preschool Children
Authors: Eising Jacobien B. , Uiterwaal Cuno S. P. M. , van der Ent Cornelis K. 
Published: June 2013

SummaryRationaleWheezing is a very common symptom in preschool children. Nocturnal wheezing is present in many asthmatic patients, due to enhanced airflow limitation overnight. We assessed the prevalence of nocturnal wheezing in young children and correlated this with respiratory system resistance and history of wheezing symptoms.MethodsUsing a continuous overnight recording of respiratory sounds we analyzed wheeze rate (ratio between wheezing time and recorded breathing time), oxygen saturation and heart rate during one night in 59 three‐year‐old children of an ongoing birth cohort study, the WHISTLER‐project. We associated the nocturnal measurements with the patient's history of wheezing symptoms and with measurement of respiratory system resistance (Rint).ResultsAnalysis of wheeze rate was successful in 44 children. The overall wheeze rate of these children was low, with the highest wheeze rate of 0.63% measured by the tracheal sensor during expiration. In total, 21/44 children had a wheeze rate of ≥5% during at least 1 min. There was no statistically significant difference in wheeze rate between the children with and without a history of wheezing. The wheeze rate of the tracheal sensor had a significant correlation with Rint (correlation coefficients of inspiration and expiration: 0.308 and 0.382, P‐values 0.05 and 0.01, respectively).ConclusionsOverall, the wheeze rate in young children is low, but seems to increase over nighttime. Almost 50% of the children have sporadic wheeze during the night. Although higher nocturnal wheeze rates are related to increased respiratory system resistance, it is not related to clinical wheezing symptoms. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:257–262. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of the assessment: Evaluation of the model quality estimates in CASP10
Authors: Kryshtafovych Andriy , Barbato Alessandro , Fidelis Krzysztof , Monastyrskyy Bohdan , Schwede Torsten , Tramontano Anna 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTThe article presents an assessment of the ability of the thirty‐seven model quality assessment (MQA) methods participating in CASP10 to provide an a priori estimation of the quality of structural models, and of the 67 tertiary structure prediction groups to provide confidence estimates for their predicted coordinates. The assessment of MQA predictors is based on the methods used in previous CASPs, such as correlation between the predicted and observed quality of the models (both at the global and local levels), accuracy of methods in distinguishing between good and bad models as well as good and bad regions within them, and ability to identify the best models in the decoy sets. Several numerical evaluations were used in our analysis for the first time, such as comparison of global and local quality predictors with reference (baseline) predictors and a ROC analysis of the predictors' ability to differentiate between the well and poorly modeled regions. For the evaluation of the reliability of self‐assessment of the coordinate errors, we used the correlation between the predicted and observed deviations of the coordinates and a ROC analysis of correctly identified errors in the models. A modified two‐stage procedure for testing MQA methods in CASP10 whereby a small number of models spanning the whole range of model accuracy was released first followed by the release of a larger number of models of more uniform quality, allowed a more thorough analysis of abilities and inabilities of different types of methods. Clustering methods were shown to have an advantage over the single‐ and quasi‐single‐ model methods on the larger datasets. At the same time, the evaluation revealed that the size of the dataset has smaller influence on the global quality assessment scores (for both clustering and nonclustering methods), than its diversity. Narrowing the quality range of the assessed models caused significant decrease in accuracy of ranking for global quality predictors but essentially did not change the results for local predictors. Self‐assessment error estimates submitted by the majority of groups were poor overall, with two research groups showing significantly better results than the remaining ones. Proteins 2014; 82(Suppl 2):112–126. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transitioning the SWFTS Program Combat System Product Family from Traditional Document‐Centric to Model‐Based Systems Engineering
Authors: Mitchell Steven W. 
Published: June 2013

ABSTRACTOver the past four years, the Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical Systems (SWFTS) Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) program has shifted from traditional document‐centric systems engineering to a model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) process for managing the evolution and support of the common combat system used by most submarines in the U.S. and Royal Australian Navies. At the beginning of this transition a pilot study established technical feasibility, and projected a 13% reduction in the cost of processing a baseline if MBSE were applied to support the SWFTS system of systems baseline development process. Over the course of two years of development new modeling techniques were invented, and a large‐scale system of systems model was designed, implemented, and populated.Now the transition to operations has begun. In early 2012 SWFTS SE&I produced its first new generation of combat system interface baselines using MBSE. The technical foundation has been established, and the workforce transition is under way. Anticipated cost reductions are still a year away as the workforce ascends the learning curve, but the program is already seeing improvements in the quality and consistency of engineering products.This paper summarizes this document‐centric to model‐based SE transition, describes the accomplishments and observations to date, and describes the metrics being collected to quantify the achieved return on investment once the transition is complete.
Climate change negotiations—legally binding treaty or voluntary agreements: lessons from international action on tuberculosis
Authors: Heywood Peter 
Published: June 2013

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC negotiations in Durban and Doha agreed to develop a new Kyoto Protocol (KP) in which neither the form nor content of future agreements are set—they are to be determined over the 3 years remaining before the 2015 deadline. Alternate architectures proposed for an international agreement on climate change range from those that retain many of the top‐down, legally binding elements of the current KP through bottom‐up voluntary agreements that are not dependent on a legally binding treaty. Given this wide range of suggestions there is value in assessing experience in other areas of sustained international cooperation that have not involved treaties. One such effort is international cooperation to control tuberculosis (TB). In contrast to the legally binding treaty approach of the KP, international action on TB rests on a voluntary agreement by member states at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1991, just a year before the UNFCCC was approved in Rio. An important characteristic of the TB agreement is that all countries (developed and developing) agreed on the importance of the problem, the targets set, and the ways in which measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) would occur. In contrast, the KP differentiated between nations, mandated targets for some and not others, and little progress has been made. The agreement to renegotiate the KP without commitment to form and content represents a new opportunity for climate change negotiations. Experience with international efforts to control TB provides an example of an international voluntary agreement that is yielding results. WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:467–477. doi: 10.1002/wcc.237This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework
FROM RUIN TO BANKRUPTCY FOR COMPOUND POISSON SURPLUS PROCESSES
Authors: Albrecher Hansjörg , Lautscham Volkmar 
Published: June 2013

AbstractIn classical risk theory, the infinite-time ruin probability of a surplus process Ct is calculated as the probability of the process becoming negative at some point in time. In this paper, we consider a relaxation of the ruin concept to the concept of bankruptcy, according to which one has a positive surplus-dependent probability to continue despite temporary negative surplus. We study the resulting bankruptcy probability for the compound Poisson risk model with exponential claim sizes for different bankruptcy rate functions, deriving analytical results, upper and lower bounds as well as an efficient simulation method. Numerical examples are given and the results are compared with the classical ruin probabilities. Finally, it is illustrated how the analysis can be extended to study the discounted penalty function under this relaxed ruin criterion.
Self-similar decay and mixing of a high-Schmidt-number passive scalar in an oscillating boundary layer in the intermittently turbulent regime
Authors: Scalo Carlo , Piomelli Ugo , Boegman Leon 
Published: June 2013

AbstractWe performed numerical simulations of dissolved oxygen (DO) transfer from a turbulent flow, driven by periodic boundary-layer turbulence in the intermittent regime, to underlying DO-absorbing organic sediment layers. A uniform initial distribution of oxygen is left to decay (with no re-aeration) as the turbulent transport supplies the sediment with oxygen from the outer layers to be absorbed. A very thin diffusive sublayer at the sediment–water interface (SWI), caused by the high Schmidt number of DO in water, limits the overall decay rate. A decomposition of the instantaneous decaying turbulent scalar field is proposed, which results in the development of similarity solutions that collapse the data in time. The decomposition is then tested against the governing equations, leading to a rigorous procedure for the extraction of an ergodic turbulent scalar field. The latter is composed of a statistically periodic and a steady non-decaying field. Temporal averaging is used in lieu of ensemble averaging to evaluate flow statistics, allowing the investigation of turbulent mixing dynamics from a single flow realization. In spite of the highly unsteady state of turbulence, the monotonically decaying component is surprisingly consistent with experimental and numerical correlations valid for steady high-Schmidt-number turbulent mass transfer. Linearly superimposed onto it is the statistically periodic component, which incorporates all the features of the non-equilibrium state of turbulence. It is modulated by the evolution of the turbulent coherent structures driven by the oscillating boundary layer in the intermittent regime, which are responsible for the violent turbulent production mechanisms. These cause, in turn, a rapid increase of the turbulent mass flux at the edge of the diffusive sublayer. This outer-layer forcing mechanism drives a periodic accumulation of high scalar concentration levels in the near-wall region. The resulting modulated scalar flux across the SWI is delayed by a quarter of a cycle with respect to the wall-shear stress, consistently with the non-equilibrium state of the turbulent mixing.
Lower branch equilibria in Couette flow: the emergence of canonical states for arbitrary shear flows
Authors: Blackburn H. M. , Hall P. , Sherwin S. J. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractWe consider the development of nonlinear three-dimensional vortex–wave interaction equilibria of laminar plane Couette flow for a range of spanwise wavenumbers. The results are computed using a hybrid approach that captures the required asymptotic structure while at the same time providing a direct link with full numerical calculations of equilibrium states. Each equilibrium state consists of a streak flow, a roll flow and a wave propagating on the streak. Direct numerical simulations at finite Reynolds numbers using initial conditions constructed from these parts confirm that the scheme generates equilibrium solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations. Consideration of the form of the vortex–wave interaction equations in the high-spanwise-wavenumber limit predicts that for small wavelengths the equilibria take on a self-similar structure confined near the centre of the flow. These states feel no influence from the walls, and lead to a class of canonical states relevant to arbitrary shear flows. These predictions are supported by an analysis of computational results at increasing values of the spanwise wavenumber. For the wave part of these new canonical states, it is shown that the mass-specific kinetic energy density per unit wavenumber scales with the $- 5/ 3$ power of the wavenumber.
Polymorphisms in genes encoding dopamine signalling pathway and risk of alcohol dependence: a systematic review
Authors: Bhaskar Lakkakula V. K. S. , Arun Kumar Shanmugasundaram 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundAlcohol dependence (AD) is one of the major elements that significantly influence drinking pattern that provoke the alcohol-induced organ damage. The structural and neurophysiologic abnormalities in the frontal lobes of chronic alcoholics were revealed by magnetic resonance imaging scans. It is well known that candidate genes involved in dopaminergic pathway are of immense interest to the researchers engaged in a wide range of addictive disorders. Dopaminergic pathway gene polymorphisms are being extensively studied with respect to addictive and behavioral disorders.MethodsFrom the broad literature available, the current review summarizes the specific polymorphisms of dopaminergic genes that play a role in alcohol dependence.ResultsNo evidence indicating any strong association between AD and polymorphisms of dopamine pathway genes has emerged from the literature.DiscussionFurther studies are warranted, considering a range of alcohol-related traits to determine the genes that influence alcohol dependence.
Effects of recommendations to follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet v. usual dietary advice on childhood metabolic syndrome: a randomised cross-over clinical trial
Authors: Saneei Parvane , Hashemipour Mahin , Kelishadi Roya , Rajaei Somayeh , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad 
Published: June 2013

The effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan on childhood metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance remain to be determined. The present study aimed to assess the effects of recommendations to follow the DASH diet v. usual dietary advice (UDA) on the MetS and its features in adolescents. In this randomised cross-over clinical trial, sixty post-pubescent adolescent girls with the MetS were randomly assigned to receive either the recommendations to follow the DASH diet or UDA for 6 weeks. After a 4-week washout period, the participants were crossed over to the alternate arm. The DASH group was recommended to consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and low in saturated fats, total fats and cholesterol. UDA consisted of general oral advice and written information about healthy food choices based on healthy MyPlate. Compliance was assessed through the quantification of plasma vitamin C levels. In both the groups, fasting venous blood samples were obtained at baseline and at the end of each phase of the intervention. The mean age and weight of the participants were 14·2 (sd 1·7) years and 69 (sd 14·5) kg, respectively. Their mean BMI and waist circumference were 27·3 kg/m2 and 85·6 cm, respectively. Serum vitamin C levels tended to be higher in the DASH phase than in the UDA phase (860 (se 104) v. 663 (se 76) ng/l, respectively, P= 0·06). Changes in weight, waist circumference and BMI were not significantly different between the two intervention phases. Although changes in systolic blood pressure were not statistically significant between the two groups (P= 0·13), recommendations to follow the DASH diet prevented the increase in diastolic blood pressure compared with UDA (P= 0·01). We found a significant within-group decrease in serum insulin levels (101·4 (se 6·2) v. 90·0 (se 5·5) pmol/l, respectively, P= 0·04) and a non-significant reduction in the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance score (P= 0·12) in the DASH group. Compared with the UDA group, the DASH group experienced a significant reduction in the prevalence of the MetS and high blood pressure. Recommendations to follow the DASH eating pattern for 6 weeks among adolescent girls with the MetS led to reduced prevalence of high blood pressure and the MetS and improved diet quality compared with UDA. This type of healthy diet can be considered as a treatment modality for the MetS and its components in children.
Detecting Trichinella infections using inverse microscopy and an improved larval counting technique
Authors: Makrutzki G. , Riehn K. , Hamedy A. , Petroff D. , Hasenclever D. , Meiler H. , Lücker E. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractSeveral methods for the detection of Trichinella in meat are legally prescribed in regulation (EC) No 2075/2005, which prescribes the magnetic stirrer method for pooled sample digestion (MSM) as the reference method. However, the MSM's multistage protocol requires several preparatory steps that seem to be accountable for the loss of larvae. Here we present a modified MSM (mMSM) based on: (1) an inversion of the optical path using inverse microscopy; and (2) a modified larval counting basin (mLCB, ‘Trichoview’). This enables one to examine samples of up to 40 ml and reduces the examination area from 72 to 10.3 cm2. Preparatory steps that might cause the loss of Trichinella larvae are eliminated from the new protocol. Correspondingly, the overall analytical time is reduced. In a direct and blinded comparison using 60 digest samples containing spiked vital Trichinella larvae (1–90 L1), both methods performed well for both small and large numbers of L1. However, 1278 of 1285 L1 (99.4%) were detected using the mMSM, while MSM recovered only 1225 L1 (95.3%). The improvement stems largely from samples with small numbers of L1: in all samples spiked with fewer than 10 L1, the recovery rate of mMSM was 100% compared to only 93% with MSM. Our data suggest that the use of the mMSM can improve the recovery rate by about 4% and therefore reduce the chances of a false-negative result in a sample containing 5 larvae by a factor of about 4.
Synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services in Costa Rica
Authors: LOCATELLI BRUNO , IMBACH PABLO , WUNDER SVEN 
Published: June 2013

SUMMARYEcosystems services have become a key concept in understanding the way humans benefit from ecosystems. In Costa Rica, a pioneer national scheme of payment provides compensation for forest conservation that is assumed to jointly produce services related to biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, water and scenic beauty, but little is known about the spatial correlations among these services. A spatial assessment, at national scale and with fine resolution, identified the spatial congruence between these services, by considering the biophysical potential of service provision and socioeconomic demand. Services have different spatial distributions but are positively correlated. Spatial synergies exist between current policies (national parks and the payment scheme) and the conservation of ecosystem services: national parks and areas receiving payments provide more services than other areas. Biodiversity hotspots have the highest co-benefits for other services, while carbon hotspots have the lowest. This finding calls for cautiousness in relation to expectations that forest-based mitigation initiatives such as REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) can automatically maximize bundled co-benefits for biodiversity and local ecosystem services.