bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rotator cuff tears: correlation between geometric tear patterns on MRI and arthroscopy and pre- and postoperative clinical findings
Authors: Sela Yaron , Eshed Iris , Shapira Shachar , Oran Ariel , Vogel Guy , Herman Amir , Perry (Pritsch) Moshe 
Published: January 2014

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered to be the best non-invasive procedure for the evaluation of rotator cuff (RC) tendon tears. Burkhart’s classification is a geometric classification of full-thickness RC tears on MRI. Purpose To correlate MRI and arthroscopic geometric full-thickness RC tears according to the Burkhart’s classification with pre- and postoperative clinical findings. Material and Methods Patients who underwent arthroscopic RC repair between 2006 and 2010 were retrospectively evaluated. Preoperative MRI and arthroscopic surgical reports were reviewed for tear geometry (Burkhart’s) by three (1 radiologist, 2 surgeons) and two (surgeons) readers. MRIs were also evaluated for tear size and change of tear size in successive sagittal sections and for muscle mass and fatty infiltration. Clinical examinations were performed preoperatively and at least 12 months afterwards. Postoperative function questionnaires were filled in by the patients. Results Forty-six patients (35 men, 11 women; mean age, 57 years; range, 41–72 years) were evaluated. Tears depicted on MRIs were classified as crescent in 11 patients (24%), longitudinal in three (6.5%), massive contracted in 29 (63%), and cuff arthropathy in three (6.5%). Muscle changes were noted almost exclusively in patients with massive tears and cuff arthropathy (16/32 patients, P = 0.013). MRIs and arthroscopic geometric classifications were in close agreement. Tear type did not correlate with pre- and postoperative physical examination or with postoperative clinical questionnaires scores. Conclusion Geometric RC tear characterizations on preoperative MRIs were closely associated with arthroscopic findings. Postoperative results were not affected by the geometric pattern of the tears.
Cardiac structural and functional changes in old elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnoea–hypopnoea syndrome
Authors: Sun Yi , Yuan Hai , Zhao Miao-Qing , Wang Yan , Xia Ming , Li Yan-Zhong 
Published: January 2014

Objective To investigate cardiac structural changes in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnoea–hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) and the impact on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. Methods The study enrolled elderly patients with OSAHS and age-matched healthy control subjects. Cardiac structure, left ventricular diastolic function and left ventricular systolic function were measured using a Doppler ultrasound scanner and compared between the two groups. Results The study included 136 patients with OSAHS and 50 healthy control subjects. There were significant differences in the echocardiography indicators that reflect cardiac structure, including interventricular septum, left ventricle posterior wall thickness, and left ventricular mass and mass index between the two groups. There were significant differences between the two groups in the ventricular septal early diastolic myocardial peak velocity/late diastolic myocardial peak velocity (Em/Am), mitral annulus Em/Am, and left ventricle posterior wall Em/Am. There were also significant differences in the indicators of interventricular septum, mitral annulus and left ventricular posterior wall systolic peak velocity between the two groups. Conclusion Elderly patients with OSAHS demonstrated cardiac structural changes and their left ventricular diastolic and systolic functions were significantly diminished.
Cluster headache: Is age of onset important for clinical presentation?
Authors: Zidverc-Trajkovic Jasna , Markovic Kristina , Radojicic Aleksandra , Podgorac Ana , Sternic Nadezda 
Published: January 2014

Background The age of onset of cluster headache (CH) attacks most commonly is between 20 and 40 years old, although CH has been reported in all age groups. There is increasing evidence of CH with early or late onset and a different course of the disorder. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of the age of onset on clinical features, disorder course, and therapy effectiveness in CH patients. Methods A retrospective and cross-sectional analysis was performed on 182 CH patients divided into three groups according to the age of onset. The first group consisted of patients with the first CH attack before 20 years of age, the second group was patients with age of onset between 20 and 40 years of age, and the third group was patients with age of onset after 40 years of age. Demographic data, features of CH periods and attacks, and the response to standardized treatment were compared among the groups. Results Patients with CH onset after 40 years of age reported a lower number of autonomic features and less frequently had conjunctival injection and nasal congestion/rhinorrhea phenomena during their attacks. Diagnostic delay was the longest in the patients with CH onset before 20 years of age. Conclusion The influence of the age of onset of CH is intriguing for further studies and could possibly extend the knowledge about CH pathophysiology. From a clinical point of view, the differences in CH presentation are insufficient to preclude a correct diagnosis and treatment because the same criteria could be applied regardless of patient age.
Ventilator Settings Can Substantially Impact Patients’ Comfort
Authors: Fortis Spyridon , Florindez Jorge , Balasingham Shiva , Aguirre Manuel De , Amoateng-Adjepong Yaw , Manthous Constantine A. 
Published: January 2014

Background: With increasing realization that sedatives may complicate care of mechanically ventilated patients, greater emphasis might turn to promoting comfort by titration of ventilator settings. Hypothesis: Patients with acute on chronic respiratory failure (ACRF) with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrate different levels of comfort in response to varying ventilator settings compared to those with underlying obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). Methods: Patients recovering from ACRF with underlying COPD or OHS were randomized to varying combinations of ventilator modes (assist control and pressure support), tidal volumes, and inspiratory flows for 3 minutes/setting. For each ventilator setting, physiologic variables were recorded and patients indicated their level of comfort using a 10-point Borg scale. Results: In all, 20 patients, aged 68 ± 13 years (standard deviation) and ventilated for 4.9 days, were enrolled. Of 20 patients, 13 had COPD and 7 had OHS. No ventilator mode, flow, or tidal volume provided consistently greater comfort between the groups, but patients reported substantial ranges of comfort (up to 8 Borg points) across the ventilator settings studied. There were no significant differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or airway pressures within patients across ventilator settings or between the groups, but patients with OHS were more tachypneic compared to patients with COPD while breathing on assist control of 6 mL/kg (constant flow 60 L/min) and 8 mL/kg (decelerating flow 40 L/min). There was no correlation between comfort and systolic blood pressure, heart rate, or respiratory rate. Conclusion: Ventilator parameters may impact patients’ comfort substantially. Future studies may help identify evidence-based methodology for gauging comfort following changes in ventilator settings and the settings that are most likely to positively impact various groups of patients.
The Relationship between Music and Taboos in the Society of the Tao (An Indigenous Ethnic Group of Taiwan)
Authors: Lin Wei-Ya 
Published: January 2014

The Tao (chi. 達悟 or Yami 雅美) are one of the 14 officially recognized indigenous groups in Taiwan, who live on Orchid Island southeast of the main island of Taiwan. Their language is orally transmitted. The traditional music of the Tao primarily consists of songs, which are used as means for teaching and saving history, life stories and taboos of the Tao. Their songs carry all the wisdom gained from centuries of experience; they support the life of the Tao, their surviving in harmony with nature and they are necessary as tools for education of their traditions and heritage. How are taboos defined and what kind of function do taboos have in the society of Tao? How is the function of traditional songs related to the taboos? What kind of relationship do songs and taboos have in the society of Tao? I would like to discuss these questions in this article.
Mapping applications on volatile resource
Authors: Casanova Henri , Dufossé Fanny , Robert Yves , Vivien Frédéric 
Published: January 2014

In this paper, we study the execution of iterative applications on volatile processors such as those found on desktop grids. We envision two models, one where all tasks are assumed to be independent, and another where all tasks are tightly coupled and keep exchanging information throughout the iteration. These two models cover the two extreme points of the parallelization spectrum. We develop master–worker scheduling schemes that attempt to achieve good trade-offs between worker speed and worker availability. Any iteration entails the execution of a fixed number of independent tasks or of tightly coupled tasks. A key feature of our approach is that we consider a communication model where the bandwidth capacity of the master for sending application data to workers is limited. This limitation makes the scheduling problem more difficult both in a theoretical sense and in a practical sense. Furthermore, we consider that a processor can be in one of three states: available, down, or temporarily preempted by its owner. This preempted state also complicates the scheduling problem. In practical settings, for example desktop grids, master bandwidth is limited and processors are temporarily reclaimed. Consequently, addressing the aforementioned difficulties is necessary for successfully deploying master–worker applications on volatile platforms. Our first contribution is to determine the complexity of the scheduling problems in their offline versions, that is, when processor availability behaviors are known in advance. Even with this knowledge, the problems are NP-hard. Our second contribution is an evaluation of the expectation of the time needed by a worker to complete a set of tasks. We obtain a close formula for independent tasks and an analytical approximation for tightly coupled tasks. Those evaluations rely on a Markovian assumption for the temporal availability of processors, and are at the heart of some heuristics that aim at favoring ‘reliable’ processors in a sensible manner. Our third contribution is a set of heuristics for both models, which we evaluate in simulation. Our results provide guidance in selecting the best strategy as a function of processor state availability vs average task duration.
The benefits of e-health support for older family caregivers in rural areas
Authors: Blusi Madeleine , Dalin Rolf , Jong Mats 
Published: January 2014

Summary We conducted a pragmatic, mixed methods study comparing rural family caregivers receiving e-health caregiver support (n = 35) with a control group (n = 21) receiving conventional, non-e-health, caregiver support. After 18 months, the benefits of support were evaluated using the Care Effectiveness Scale (40-items exploring the domains of preparedness, enrichment and predictability). In all domains the e-health group scored significantly higher than the control group. The adjusted difference for overall benefits was 3.0 ( P = 0.02) on the scale 0-10. In addition, semi structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of the caregivers. For the e-health group flexibility, availability and being able to individualise the support were essential factors. All caregivers in the control group found conventional support to be beneficial, but also stressed unmet needs related to the conventional support being standardised and non-flexible. The study suggests that providers of caregiver support should offer e-health support as an alternative to conventional caregiver support, as it can be more beneficial to family caregivers.
Fear of Falling in Claudicants and Its Relationship to Physical Ability, Balance, and Quality of Life
Authors: Lane Risha A. , Mazari Fayyaz , Mockford Katherine A. , Vanicek Natalie , Chetter Ian C. , Coughlin Patrick A. 
Published: January 2014

Objectives: Intermittent claudication is associated with poor physical function, quality of life (QoL), and balance impairment. Fear of falling (FoF) is a recognized contributing factor to poor physical ability. Any link between claudication and FoF is yet to be determined. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of FoF in claudicants and its relationship with physical function and QoL. Methods: A prospective observational study was performed. Fear of falling was determined using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) questionnaire and the categorical question “Are you afraid of falling?” Physical ability and QoL (Short Form 36 and Vascular QoL) were determined. Results: A total of 161 claudicants (118 men, median age of 69 years) were assessed; 83 answered the categorical question “Are you afraid of falling?” By receiver–operating characteristic curve analysis, an ABC threshold <74% denoted a FoF, which was associated with poorer physical function and QoL. Conclusion: Fear of falling is associated with poor physical, social, and psychological function, addressing this may improve all aspects of health.
Immune evasion by oncogenic proteins of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Elias Shlomo , Yamin Rachel , Golomb Lior , Tsukerman Pinchas , Stanietsky-Kaynan Noah , Ben-Yehuda Dina , Mandelboim Ofer 
Published: January 2014

Key Points
PML-RARA and AML1-ETO evade NK cell recognition by specifically downregulating the expression of CD48. The findings are relevant to AML patients bearing these specific translocations.
High-throughput strategies for penicillin G acylase production in rE. colifed-batch cultivations
Authors: Vélez Ana Maria , da Silva Adilson José , Luperni Horta Antonio Carlos , Sargo Cintia Regina , Campani Gilson , Gonçalves Silva Gabriel , de Lima Camargo Giordano Raquel , Zangirolami Teresa Cristina 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Background
Penicillin G acylase (PGA) is used industrially to catalyze the hydrolysis of penicillin G to obtain 6-aminopenicillanic acid. In Escherichia coli, the most-studied microorganism for PGA production, this enzyme accumulates in the periplasmic cell space, and temperature plays an important role in the correct synthesis of its subunits.

Results
This work investigates the influence of medium composition, cultivation strategy, and temperature on PGA production by recombinant E. coli cells. Shake flask cultures carried out using induction temperatures ranging from 18 to 28°C revealed that the specific enzyme activity achieved at 20°C (3000 IU gDCW-1) was 6-fold higher than the value obtained at 28°C. Auto-induction and high cell density fed-batch bioreactor cultures were performed using the selected induction temperature, with both defined and complex media, and IPTG and lactose as inducers. Final biomass concentrations of 100 and 120 gDCW L-1, and maximum enzyme productivities of 7800 and 5556 IU L-1 h-1, were achieved for high cell density cultures using complex and defined media, respectively.

Conclusions
To the best of our knowledge, the volumetric enzyme activity and productivity values achieved using the complex medium are the highest ever reported for PGA production using E. coli. Overall PGA recovery yields of 64 and 72% after purification were achieved for crude extracts obtained from cells cultivated in defined and complex media, respectively. The complex medium was the most cost-effective for PGA production, and could be used in both high cell density and straightforward auto-induction protocols.
Soyo-san reduces depressive-like behavior and proinflammatory cytokines in ovariectomized female rats
Authors: Park Hyun-Jung , Shim Hyun-Soo , Chung Sun Yong , Lee Tae Hee , Shim Insop 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Background
Soyo-san is a traditional oriental medicinal formula, a mixture of 9 crude drugs, and it has been clinically used for treating mild depressive disorders. The role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in psychiatric disorders has been the focus of great research attention in recent years. In the present study, we detected the antidepressant effect of soyo-san in the ovariectomized and repeated stressed female rats.

Methods
This study was designed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of soyo-san on the forced swimming test (FST). The rats were randomly divided into the following groups: the nonoperated and nonstressed group (non-op), the nonoperated and stressed group (non-op + ST), the ovariectomized and stress group (OVX) and sham operated and stressed group (sham), the ovariectomized and stressed group (OVX + ST), the ovariectomized, stressed and soyo-san 100 mg/kg treated group (SOY100) and the ovariectomized, stressed and soyo-san 400 mg/kg treated group (SOY400). The rats were exposed to immobilization stress (IMO) for 14day (2 h/14day), and soyo-san (100 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) was administrated during the same time. In the same animals, the levels of corticosterone and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) were examined in the serum. Also, the change of IL-1β expression in brain regions was examined after behavior test.

Results
In the FST, the lower dose (100 mg/kg) of extract was effective in reducing immobility, along with an increase in swimming time. The serum levels of corticosterone and IL-1β in the SOY groups were significantly lower than those in the control group. In the brain, the expression of IL-1β positive neurons in the control group were significantly increased in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and hippocampus compared to the non-op. However, soyo-san groups significantly reduced the IL-1β-ir neurons in the PVN and hippocampal regions compared to the control.

Conclusion
The present results demonstrated that soyo-san effectively reduced behavioral and patho-physiological depression-like responses. Trial registration: Our results suggest that soyo-san may be useful for immune regulator in repeated stress-induced ovariectomized female rats.
Anti-osteoclastogenic activity of matairesinol via suppression of p38/ERK-NFATc1 signaling axis
Authors: Choi Sik-Won , Park Kie-In , Yeon Jeong-Tae , Ryu Byung Jun , Kim Kwang-Jin , Kim Seong Hwan 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Background
Matairesinol is a plant lignan present in a wide variety of foodstuffs such as seeds, vegetables and fruits. It has various biological functions including anti-angiogenic, anti-cancer and anti-fungal activities, but its anti-osteoporotic activity, if any, is unknown.

Methods
For osteoclast differentiation, primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophage cells (BMMs) were cultured for 4 days in the presence of RANKL and M-CSF with the vehicle (DMSO) or matairesinol. Cell cytotoxicity was examined by CCK-8 assay. Gene expression of NFATc1, TRAP, OSCAR, v-ATPasev0d2 were observed in the presence or absence of matairesinol (10 μM) for the indicated times. For evaluating the involvement of NFATc1 in the anti-osteoclastogenic action of matairesinol, BMMs were infected with pMX-IRES-GFP or pMX-IRES-CA-NFATc1-GFP for 8 h with polybrene, and then infected BMMs were cultured with M-CSF and RANKL for 4 days in the presence or absence of matairesinol (10 μM). MAPK signaling activation was examined by immunoblotting. For measuring the resorptive activity of mature osteoclasts, osteoclasts and osteoblasts were co-cultured on BioCoat Osteologic MultiTest slides, and treated with matairesinol for 24 h.

Result
Here we show that matairesinol dose-dependently inhibited the RANKL-induced differentiation of BMMs into osteoclasts by downregulating RANKL-induced expression and activity of NFATc1. Ectopic overexpression of NFATc1 blunted the anti-osteoclastogenic effect of matairesinol implicating NFATc1 in the action of matairesinol. Additionally, matairesinol blocked the RANKL-induced activation of p38 and ERK in BMMs, but had no effect on bone resorption activity in mature osteoclasts.

Conclusion
Taken together, our results suggest that the anti-osteoporotic activity of matairesinol could arise from its anti-osteoclastogenic potential via p38/ERK-NFATc1 signaling, but not by way of anti-resorptive action.
Biotechnological production of carotenoids by yeasts: an overview
Authors: Mata-Gómez Luis Carlos , Montañez Julio César , Méndez-Zavala Alejandro , Aguilar Cristóbal Noé 
Published: January 2014

AbstractNowadays, carotenoids are valuable molecules in different industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, poultry, food and cosmetics. These pigments not only can act as vitamin A precursors, but also they have coloring and antioxidant properties, which have attracted the attention of the industries and researchers. The carotenoid production through chemical synthesis or extraction from plants is limited by low yields that results in high production costs. This leads to research of microbial production of carotenoids, as an alternative that has shown better yields than other aforementioned. In addition, the microbial production of carotenoids could be a better option about costs, looking for alternatives like the use of low-cost substrates as agro-industrials wastes. Yeasts have demonstrated to be carotenoid producer showing an important growing capacity in several agro-industrial wastes producing high levels of carotenoids. Agro-industrial wastes provide carbon and nitrogen source necessary, and others elements to carry out the microbial metabolism diminishing the production costs and avoiding pollution from these agro-industrial wastes to the environmental. Herein, we discuss the general and applied concepts regarding yeasts carotenoid production and the factors influencing carotenogenesis using agro-industrial wastes as low-cost substrates.