bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What doesn't kill you might make you stronger: functional basis for variation in body armour
Authors: Broeckhoven Chris , Diedericks Genevieve , Mouton P. le Fras N. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryPredation has been proposed to be a selective agent in the evolution of morphological antipredator strategies in prey. Among vertebrates, one of the morphological traits that evolved multiple times is body armour, including carapaces, thickened keratinized scales and plates of dermal bone.It has been generally assumed that body armour provides protection against a predatory attack; yet, few explicit tests of the hypothesis exist. Cordylidae, a relatively small family of southern African lizards, show considerable variation in the degree of body armour. Hence, this family provides an opportunity to test the hypothesis that body armour serves as protection against predators.Experiments were conducted to test whether the bite forces of four species of mammalian predators were high enough to penetrate the skins ofKarusasaurus polyzonus,Namazonurus peersi,Cordylus cordylusandCordylus macropholis, as well as those ofOuroborus cataphractusindividuals originating from three localities that differed in their predator diversity. Furthermore, histological techniques were used to test whether variation in skin toughness was associated with concomitant changes in the degree of epidermal (i.e. β‐keratin) and dermal (i.e. osteoderm) armour.The skin toughness values for four out of five cordylid lizards tested in this study were well below the bite forces of the mammalian predators. In contrast, the thick osteoderms in the dermis ofO. cataphractuscan withstand bites from several mongoose species. However, the significant variation in body armour that is present between the three populations ofO. cataphractusdoes not seem to be related to predator diversity.It is concluded that body armour can serve as protection against predation inO. cataphractus, but that alternative selection pressures, such as thermoregulation or predation by snakes, presumably underlie variation in defensive morphology in the other cordylid lizards.
Characterization of potassium binding with human telomeres
Authors: Wang Zhiguo , Liu Jun‐Ping 
Published: June 2015

SummaryHuman telomeres are G‐rich tandem repeats that assume G‐quadruplex structures at the ends of chromosomes. Stabilization of telomeric G‐quadruplex represents a significant drug target for inhibiting the telomerase activity that is required in about 85% of cancers. Metal ions have been revealed as important stabilizers to DNA G‐quadruplexes, but their binding process with human telomeric G‐quadruplex remains unclear. In this report, we show that K+ traverses into the G‐tetrads centre of two G‐tetrad layers through the half‐capped top pathway constructed by the two edge‐wise loop bases. The binding is mediated by the electrostatic interactions between K+ and the nearby bases of G‐tetrads. However, direct traverse of K+ into the interior of G‐quadruplex is negatively regulated by the steric hindrance of water molecules. Once K+ enters the G‐quadruplex, stabilization of the in‐plane or sandwiched conformation of the telomeric G‐quadruplex‒K+ complex is maintained by surrounding water molecules. These findings provide insights into the atomic interactions between K+ and telomere G‐tetrads for targeted drug design.
Forecasting Risk in Earnings
Authors: Konstantinidi Theodosia , Pope Peter F. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractConventional measures of risk in earnings based on historical standard deviation require long time‐series data and are inadequate when the distribution of earnings deviates from normality. We introduce a methodology based on current fundamentals and quantile regression to forecast risk reflected in the shape of the distribution of future earnings. We derive measures of dispersion, asymmetry, and tail risk in future earnings using quantile forecasts as inputs. Our analysis shows that a parsimonious model based on accruals, cash flows, special items, and a loss indicator can predict the shape of the distribution of earnings with reasonable power. We provide evidence that out‐of‐sample quantile‐based risk forecasts explain incrementally analysts' equity and credit risk ratings, future return volatility, corporate bond spreads, and analyst‐based measures of future earnings uncertainty. Our study provides insights into the relations between earnings components and risk in future earnings. It also introduces risk measures that will be useful for participants in both the equity and credit markets.
Methoxyflurane: a review with emphasis on its role in dental practice
Authors: Kingon A , Yap T , Bonanno C , Sambrook P , McCullough M 
Published: June 2015

AbstractMethoxyflurane was developed as an anaesthetic agent and introduced into clinical practice in 1960. It soon became evident that it possessed analgesic properties that other drugs did not. Due to toxicity concerns, it lost favour in general anaesthesia and had been largely abandoned by the late 1970s. The manufacturer withdrew it in 1999, and the Food and Drug Administration in the United States did not renew its licence in 2005. It has also been withdrawn by the European Union. However, it continues to be used in Australasia, primarily as an inhaled self‐administered analgesic by emergency services immediately following trauma. It has become attractive for use in dental practice, likely due to its effectiveness as an analgesic and its additional sedative qualities. Its acceptance is controversial as its use in dentistry is largely elective. Despite its good safety record in analgesic doses, adverse reactions have been recorded. Practitioners should be well aware of risks associated with its use before considering administration, and carefully assess whether or not there are equally good alternative options that do not the carry the same risks. Methoxyflurane is reviewed below with an emphasis on its use in dental practice.
Police referrals at the psychiatric emergency service in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Jen‐Pang , Wu Chia‐Yi , Chiu Chih‐Chiang , Yang Tsu‐Hui , Liu Tzong‐Hsien , Chou Pesus 
Published: June 2015

AbstractIntroductionThe police are the frontline workers in crisis situations involving patients with severe mental illness and act as a primary referral source for psychiatric emergency services (PES) in the community. The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution and characteristics of police referral among psychiatric patients in Taiwan.MethodsThe study cohort consisted of patients who visited the PES of Taipei City Psychiatric Center from January 2009 to December 2010. The associations between the factors of demographics, clinical characteristics, and psychiatric service utilization and police referral were evaluated.ResultsAmong the 7656 psychiatric emergency visits, 3029 (39.6%) were referred by the police. These patients referred by police were more likely to be male and aged between 30 to 49 years. Clinical factors related to police referrals including a higher triage assessment level, chief problems included violence, disturbance, substance use, less anxiety, and a diagnosis of unspecified psychosis. The triage assessment level and chief problems assessed by nurses were major predictors. These patients tended to be referred from the catchment area and during the nighttime shift, were discharged during the daytime shift, and stayed longer in the PES. Disposition arrangements such as discharge against medical advice and involuntary admission were also associated with police referrals.DiscussionPatients referred by the police to the PES were those with more severe psychiatric problems and illnesses assessed by psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists. They tended to have more complex service utilization at the PES.
Bayesian Model-Averaged Benchmark Dose Analysis via Reparameterized Quantal-Response Models
Authors: Fang Q. , Piegorsch W. W. , Simmons S. J. , Li X. , Chen C. , Wang Y. 
Published: June 2015

Summary
An important objective in biomedical and environmental risk assessment is estimation of minimum exposure levels that induce a pre-specified adverse response in a target population. The exposure points in such settings are typically referred to as benchmark doses (BMDs). Parametric Bayesian estimation for finding BMDs has grown in popularity, and a large variety of candidate dose-response models is available for applying these methods. Each model can possess potentially different parametric interpretation(s), however. We present reparameterized dose-response models that allow for explicit use of prior information on the target parameter of interest, the BMD. We also enhance our Bayesian estimation technique for BMD analysis by applying Bayesian model averaging to produce point estimates and (lower) credible bounds, overcoming associated questions of model adequacy when multimodel uncertainty is present. An example from carcinogenicity testing illustrates the calculations.
WTC‐01, a novel synthetic oxime‐flavone compound, destabilizes microtubules in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Chiang Chang‐Ying , Wang Tai‐Chi , Lee Choa‐Hsun , Chen Chien‐Shu , Wang Shih‐Hao , Lin Yu‐Chin , Juang Shin‐Hun 
Published: June 2015

Background and PurposeDynamic polymerization of microtubules is essential for cancer cell growth and metastasis, and microtubule‐disrupting agents have become the most successful anti‐cancer agents in clinical use. Besides their antioxidant properties, flavonoids also exhibit strong microtubule‐disrupting activity and inhibit tumour growth. We have designed, synthesized and tested a series of oxime/amide‐containing flavone derivatives. Here we report the evaluation of one compound, WTC‐01 for its anti‐proliferative effects in human cancer cells.Experimental approachWe used a range of cancer cell lines including two human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines, measuring proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis, along with caspase levels and mitochondrial membrane potentials. Assays of tubulin polymerisation in vitro and computer modelling of the colchicine binding site in tubulin were also used. In mice, pharmacokinetics and growth of NPC‐derived tumours were studied.Key ResultsWTC‐01 was most potent against proliferation of NPC cells (IC50 = 0.45 μM), inducing accumulation of cells in G2/M and increasing apoptosis, time‐ and concentration‐dependently. The colchicine competition‐binding experiments and computer modelling results suggested that WTC‐01 causes microtubule disruption via binding to the colchicine‐binding site of tubulin resulting in mitochondrial membrane damage and cell apoptosis via activation of caspase‐9/‐3 without noticeable activation of the caspase‐8. Notably, our in vivo studies demonstrated that at doses of 25 and 50 mg·kg−1, WTC‐01 exhibited good pharmacokinetic properties and completely inhibited the growth of NPC‐TW01 cells in a xenograft nude mouse model.Conclusions and ImplicationsWTC‐01, a new synthetic oxime‐containing flavone, exhibited potent anti‐tumour activity against NPC cells and merits further investigation.
Service user participation in interprofessional teams in child welfare in Norway: vulnerable adolescents' perceptions
Authors: Sæbjørnsen Siv Elin Nord , Willumsen Elisabeth 
Published: June 2015

AbstractChildren's participation has been a requirement in the Norwegian child welfare system for decades and children's effective participation has the potential to benefit children's outcomes. However, research suggests that effective user participation is still relatively rare and that user participation is seen as ‘difficult’ by both service users and professionals. One way to ensure children's rights to participation in Norway is to include adolescent service users in the interprofessional team formed around the child. Knowledge about experiences of adolescents in this kind of participation may provide important insights. This study explores five adolescents' perceptions about participating in such teams. Qualitative interviews and qualitative content analysis was used. We found that adolescents' participation in interprofessional teams may constitute one way to achieve effective participation. Both facilitating factors and impediments to effective user participation were found. The study suggests new ways to facilitate positive circles of participation and to increase the likelihood of improved child welfare outcomes from processes which secure more effective interprofessional help and support.
Judging the Probability of Hypotheses Versus the Impact of Evidence: Which Form of Inductive Inference Is More Accurate and Time‐Consistent?
Authors: Tentori Katya , Chater Nick , Crupi Vincenzo 
Published: June 2015

AbstractInductive reasoning requires exploiting links between evidence and hypotheses. This can be done focusing either on the posterior probability of the hypothesis when updated on the new evidence or on the impact of the new evidence on the credibility of the hypothesis. But are these two cognitive representations equally reliable? This study investigates this question by comparing probability and impact judgments on the same experimental materials. The results indicate that impact judgments are more consistent in time and more accurate than probability judgments. Impact judgments also predict the direction of errors in probability judgments. These findings suggest that human inductive reasoning relies more on estimating evidential impact than on posterior probability.
Integration of Indicator Alarm Signals for Ecosystem‐Based Fishery Management
Authors: Duggan Deirdre E. , Farnsworth Keith D. , Kraak Sarah B. M. , Reid David G. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWe consider the problem of regulating the rate of harvesting a natural resource, taking account of the wider system represented by a set of ecological and economic indicators, given differing stakeholder priorities. This requires objective and transparent decision making to show how indicators impinge on the resulting regulation decision. We offer a new scheme for combining indicators, derived from assessing the suitability of lowering versus not lowering the harvest rate based on indicator values relative to their predefined reference levels. Using the practical example of fisheries management under an “ecosystem approach,” we demonstrate how different stakeholder views can be quantitatively represented by weighting sets applied to these comparisons. Using the scheme in an analysis of historical data from the Celtic Sea fisheries, we find great scope for negotiating agreement among disparate stakeholders.
Validity, reliability, and usability of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory‐Computer Adaptive Test for autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Kramer Jessica M , Liljenquist Kendra , Coster Wendy J 
Published: June 2015

AimThis study aimed to explore the test–retest reliability of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory‐Computer Adaptive Test for autism spectrum disorders (PEDI‐CAT [ASD]), the concurrent validity of this test with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS‐II), and parents' perceptions of usability.MethodA convenience sample of participants (n=39) was recruited nationally through disability organizations. Parents of young people aged 10 to 18 years (mean age 14y 10mo, SD 2y 8mo; 34 males, five females) who reported a diagnosis of autism were eligible to participate. Parents completed the VABS‐II questionnaire once and the PEDI‐CAT (ASD) twice (n=29) no more than 3 weeks apart (mean 12d) using computer‐simulated administration. Parents also answered questions about the usability of these instruments. We examined score reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and we explored the relationship between instruments using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Parent responses were grouped by common content; content categories were triangulated by an additional reviewer.ResultsIntraclass correlation coefficients indicate excellent reliability for all PEDI‐CAT (ASD) domain scores (ICC≥0.86). PEDI‐CAT (ASD) and VABS‐II domain scores correlated as expected or stronger than expected (0.57–0.81). Parents reported that the computer‐based PEDI‐CAT (ASD) was easy to use and included fewer irrelevant questions than the VABS‐II instrument.InterpretationThese findings suggest that the PEDI‐CAT (ASD) is a reliable assessment that parents can easily use. The PEDI‐CAT (ASD) operationalizes the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health for Children and Youth constructs of ‘activity’ and ‘participation’, and this preliminary research suggests that the instrument's constructs are related to those of VABS‐II.
Effect of oxidation heat treatment on the bond strength between a ceramic and cast and milled cobalt–chromium alloys
Authors: Li Jieyin , Ye Xiuhua , Li Bohua , Liao Juankun , Zhuang Peilin , Ye Jiantao 
Published: June 2015

There is a dearth of dental scientific literature on the effect of different oxidation heat treatments (OHTs) (as surface pretreatments) on the bonding performance of cast and milled cobalt–chromium (CoCr) alloys. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different OHTs on the bond strength between a ceramic and cast and milled CoCr alloys. Cobalt–chromium metallic specimens were prepared using either a cast or a milled method. Specimens were subjected to four different OHT methods: without OHT; OHT under normal atmospheric pressure; OHT under vacuum; and OHT under vacuum followed by sandblasting. The metal–ceramic bond strength was evaluated using a three‐point bending test according to ISO9693. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy were used to study the specimens' microstructure and elemental composition. The bond strength was not affected by the CoCr manufacturing method. Oxidation heat treatment performed under normal atmospheric pressure resulted in the highest bond strength. The concentration of oxygen on the alloy surfaces varied with the different pretreatment methods in the following order: OHT under normal atmospheric pressure > OHT under vacuum > without OHT ≈ OHT under vacuum followed by sandblasting.
The geographic mosaic of herbicide resistance evolution in the common morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea: Evidence for resistance hotspots and low genetic differentiation across the landscape
Authors: Kuester Adam , Chang Shu‐Mei , Baucom Regina S. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractStrong human‐mediated selection via herbicide application in agroecosystems has repeatedly led to the evolution of resistance in weedy plants. Although resistance can occur among separate populations of a species across the landscape, the spatial scale of resistance in many weeds is often left unexamined. We assessed the potential that resistance to the herbicide glyphosate in the agricultural weed Ipomoea purpurea has evolved independently multiple times across its North American range. We examined both adaptive and neutral genetic variations in 44 populations of I. purpurea by pairing a replicated dose–response greenhouse experiment with SSR genotyping of experimental individuals. We uncovered a mosaic pattern of resistance across the landscape, with some populations exhibiting high‐survival postherbicide and other populations showing high death. SSR genotyping revealed little evidence of isolation by distance and very little neutral genetic structure associated with geography. An approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) analysis uncovered evidence for migration and admixture among populations before the widespread use of glyphosate rather than the very recent contemporary gene flow. The pattern of adaptive and neutral genetic variations indicates that resistance in this mixed‐mating weed species appears to have evolved in independent hotspots rather than through transmission of resistance alleles across the landscape.
Influence of electronic apex locators and a gutta‐percha heating device on implanted cardiac devices: an in vivo study
Authors: Moraes A. P. , Silva E. J. , Lamas C. C. , Portugal P. H. , Neves A. A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAimTo evaluate the potential for electromagnetic interference (EMI) of electronic apex locators (EALs) and a gutta‐percha heating device (HD) in patients with implantable cardiac pacemakers (ICPs) or cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs).MethodologyTwo types of EALs (Romiapex A‐15 and Novapex) and a HD (Touch'n Heat) were tested in patients followed in an outpatient clinic for cardiac arrhythmias. The heart rhythm was monitored on a computer screen during all experimental phases. After baseline data collection, the patient held each appliance (turned on) for 30 s, simulating their clinical use. If background noise was detected on the cardiac monitor, the sensitivity of the ICP/ICD was lowered by the cardiologist to evaluate the intensity of the detected EMI.ResultsTwelve patients were evaluated (5 female and 7 male), and in nine instances, background noise in their cardiac devices related to the use of the endodontic devices was detected (6 patients). After lowering the sensitivity of the cardiac implants, three patients had more severe EMI in six instances, including pauses in ICP function. The presence of a symptomatic or asymptomatic pause was related to the patient's underlying heart rhythm. The HD device produced background noise more often compared to EALs. These were associated with more severe types of EMI.ConclusionThe EALs and gutta‐percha HD were capable of causing background noise detection or pauses in cardiac implants in vivo. The use of electronic dental devices nearby patients with cardiac implants should be carefully considered in clinical practice.
Stem cell‐based pulp tissue engineering: variables enrolled in translation from the bench to the bedside, a systematic review of literature
Authors: Conde M. C. M. , Chisini L. A. , Demarco F. F. , Nör J. E. , Casagrande L. , Tarquinio S. B. C. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractStem cell‐based therapy (SC‐BT) is emerging as an alternative for endodontic therapies. The interaction between stem cells and scaffolds plays a crucial role in the generation of a ‘friendly cell’ microenvironment. The aim of this systematic review was to explore techniques applied to regenerate the pulp–dentine complex tissue using SC‐BT. An electronic search into the SciVerse Scopus (SS), ISI Web Science (IWS) and Entrez PubMed (EP) using specific keywords was performed. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were predetermined. The search yielded papers, out of which full‐text papers were included in the final analyses. Data extraction pooled the results in four main topics: (a) influence of the chemical properties of the scaffolds over cell behaviour; (b) influence of the physical characteristics of scaffolds over cell behaviour; (c) strategies applied to improve the stem cell/scaffold interface; and (d) influence of cue microenvironment on stem cell differentiation towards odontoblast‐like cells and pulp‐like tissue formation. The relationship between the scaffolds, the environment and the growth factors released from dentine are critical for de novo pulp tissue regeneration. The preconditioning of dentine walls with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was imperative for successful pulp–dentine complex regeneration. An analyses of the grouped results revealed that pulp regeneration was an attainable goal.