bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Treatment of localized mycosis fungoides with digital UV photochemotherapy
Authors: Reidel Ulrich , Bechstein Sarah , Lange‐Asschenfeldt Bernhard , Beyer Marc , Vandersee Staffan 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackground/PurposePhotochemochemotherapy with 8‐methoxypsoralen and UV‐A light (PUVA) is a well‐established treatment for mycosis fungoides (MF), although evidence for this therapy by means of prospective studies is scarce. However, long‐term risks of PUVA are premature skin aging and development of nonmelanoma skin cancer. We therefore evaluated a device for targeted UV therapy, which reduces irradiation of unaffected skin in MF patients.MethodsTen patients with patch‐ or plaque‐type MF affecting less than 10% body surface area were included in a prospective study. A total of 14 lesions were treated with cream PUVA using the digital phototherapy device skintrek® PT3.ResultsSeven of ten patients showed response to treatment. Complete clinical remission was achieved in four of ten patients (complete remission of seven of fourteen treated lesions) after an average of 13.4 weeks and an average cumulative UV dose of 42.6 J/cm2 in a mean of 31.2 treatment sessions. Adverse events were rare and of mild severity.ConclusionsThis study is the first prospective trial demonstrating efficacy and safety of cream PUVA in MF patients. As healthy adjacent skin remains unaffected, the potential to reduce the carcinogenic risk of PUVA treatment makes this new method a promising therapeutic option for localized MF.
Enhanced sensitization to animal, interpersonal, and intergroup fear‐relevant stimuli (but no evidence for selective one‐trial fear learning)
Authors: Lipp Ottmar V. , Cronin Sophie L. , Alhadad Sakinah S. J. , Luck Camilla C. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractSelective sensitization has been proposed as an alternative explanation for enhanced responding to animal fear‐relevant stimuli—snakes and spiders—during extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning. The current study sought to replicate the phenomenon using a shock workup procedure as the sensitizing manipulation and to extend it to interpersonal and intergroup fear‐relevant stimuli—angry faces and other‐race faces. Assessment of selective sensitization was followed by a one‐trial fear learning procedure. Selective sensitization, larger electrodermal responses to fear‐relevant than to control stimuli after sensitization, or a larger increase in electrodermal responding to fear‐relevant than to control stimuli after sensitization was observed across stimulus domains. However, the one‐trial fear learning procedure failed to provide evidence for enhanced fear conditioning to fear‐relevant stimuli. One‐trial fear learning was either absent or present for fear‐relevant and nonfear‐relevant stimuli. The current study confirms that electrodermal responses to fear‐relevant stimuli across stimulus domains are subject to selective sensitization.
The Impact of Performance Management on Performance in Public Organizations: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Gerrish Ed 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPerformance‐based management is pervasive in public organizations; countless governments have implemented performance management systems with the hope that they will improve organizational effectiveness. However, there has been little comprehensive review of their impact. This article conducts a meta‐analysis on the impact of performance management on performance in public organizations. It contributes to the current literature in three ways. First, it examines the effect of the “average” performance management system. Second, it examines the influence of management: whether beneficial performance management practices moderate the average effect. Third, it examines the effect of “time” on performance management. Using 2,188 effects from 49 studies, the analysis finds that performance management has a small average effect. However, the effect is substantially larger when indicators of best practices in high‐quality studies are included, indicating that management practices have an important impact on the effectiveness of performance management systems. Evidence for the effect of time is mixed.
Reproductive Patterns in the Non‐Breeding Season in Asinina de Miranda Jennies
Authors: Quaresma M , Silva SR , Payan‐Carreira R 
Published: August 2015

ContentsThis study aims to characterize the reproductive patterns in Asinina de Miranda jennies during the non‐breeding season. Reproductive activity was surveyed in 12 females, aged between 3 and 18 years old, using ultrasound and teasing with a jack. The animals were monitored from September to April, six in each consecutive year. Of these 12 females, nine showed disruption to the normal pattern of ovarian activity during the non‐breeding season. Loss of normal cyclicity included anoestrus (41.7%), silent ovulatory oestrus (25%), and persistence of corpus luteum (8.3%). Only three females maintained a regular cyclic pattern with oestrous behaviour during the non‐breeding season. Anoestrus began in early November and lasted for an average of 147 ± 28 days (113–191 days), ending near to the spring equinox. Onset of silent oestrous cycles began more erratically, between October and February. In both groups the first behavioural ovulation of the year occurred around the time of the spring equinox. Disrupted reproductive activity was preceded by a shorter oestrous cycle only in females entering anoestrus. The mean follicle size in the first ovulation of the year was larger than in the reproductive season (44.7 ± 2.45 mm vs 39.2 ± 3.60 mm) in anoestrous jennies with protracted oestrus. Though age and body condition score (BCS) were associated, changes in BCS below a threshold of four points (for anoestrus) and five points (for silent oestrus) contributed greatly to disruption of reproductive cycles. BCS in females with regular oestrous cycles during the winter season remained unchanged or exceeded five points prior to the winter solstice.
The Influence of Goal Value on Persistence in Exuberant Chinese Children
Authors: He Jie , Guo Dong , Zhang Qing , Liu Yuxia , Lou Liyue , Shen Mowei 
Published: August 2015

AbstractWith regard to the study of temperament and motivation in young children, exuberance, an important temperamental characteristic of the approach motivational system, has been relatively understudied in comparison with behavioral inhibition. However, due to the relationship between exuberance and behavioral regulation (e.g., problem behavior, task persistence), it is an important topic of study. Accordingly, this study examined whether the incentive value of goals moderated the relationship between exuberance and persistence in 109 Chinese preschoolers. Children's temperamental exuberance was assessed by behavioral observation and parental report. Their persistence was measured in two goal‐blocked contexts (tower‐building [TB] and locked box [LB]). In each task, children were randomly assigned to either a high‐ or low‐incentive condition designed to vary the incentive value of a given goal. Results suggested that exuberance was positively associated with persistence in the high‐incentive condition of TB and in both conditions of LB. The results highlight the incentive value of goals as an important factor for behavioral regulation development in exuberant Chinese children.
Reciprocal Relations across Time between Basic Values and Value‐expressive Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study among Children
Authors: Vecchione Michele , Döring Anna K. , Alessandri Guido , Marsicano Gilda , Bardi Anat 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe current study examines the reciprocal relations between children's values and value‐expressive behavior over a sixth‐month period. Three hundred and ten sixth‐grade students in Italy completed value and value‐expressive behavior questionnaires three times in three‐month intervals during the scholastic year. We assessed Schwartz's (1992) higher‐order values of conservation, openness to change, self‐enhancement, and self‐transcendence, as well as their respective expressive behaviors. Reciprocal relations over time between values and behaviors were examined using a cross‐lagged longitudinal design. Results showed that values and behaviors had reciprocal longitudinal effects on one another, after the stability of the variables was taken into account (i.e., values predicted change in behaviors, but also behaviors predicted change in values). Our findings also revealed that: (1) values were more stable over time than behaviors and (2) the longitudinal effect of values on behaviors tended to be stronger than the longitudinal effect of behaviors on values. Findings are discussed in light of the recent developmental literature on value change.
Mother Emotion, Child Temperament, and Young Children's Helpless Responses to Failure
Authors: Smiley Patricia A. , Tan Sherylle J. , Goldstein Alison , Sweda Jennifer 
Published: August 2015

AbstractYoung children differ in their responses to failure, displaying mastery or helpless behavior patterns. We examine the moderating role of child temperament on the association between parent warmth/negativity and children's helpless responses to failure. Regarding temperament, we focus on tendencies to experience interest and sadness because they entail task engagement and withdrawal, respectively. We measured mother (n=150) expressions of positive and negative emotion during a teaching task, assessed temperament using LabTAB‐Preschool episodes, and coded helplessness during an impossible puzzle task. Maternal negative emotion during teaching was positively associated with helplessness, but only for children low in interest. Maternal warmth was negatively associated with helplessness, but only for children high in sadness; sadness did not moderate the relation between maternal negativity and helplessness. Findings provide support for parenting by temperament goodness‐of‐fit models and for a discrete emotions approach to temperament.
Prolonged outbreak of adenovirus A31 in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients
Authors: Swartling L. , Allard A. , Törlen J. , Ljungman P. , Mattsson J. , Sparrelid E. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractBackgroundAn outbreak of human adenovirus (HAdV) A31 occurred from December 2011 to March 2012 at the Center for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (CAST), Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden. We analyzed the outbreak, the routes of transmission, and report the medical consequences.MethodsThe medical records of all patients admitted to CAST during the outbreak period were studied. Phylogenetic analysis of the patient HAdV strains was performed by sequencing the hexon gene and the more variable E3 gene.ResultsWe identified 9 cases of HAdV A31. Hygiene measures were implemented, but transmission continued for 2 months. All 9 patients had been admitted to the ward, but 2 had no connection in time to other known HAdV A31 cases. DNA sequencing of the patient strains strongly suggested nosocomial transmission. Transplantation was postponed and then cancelled in 1 patient, and 5 patients were treated with cidofovir because of high levels of viremia. In 7 patients, concomitant graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) grade II–V complicated the clinical picture, as it was difficult to distinguish symptoms of GVHD from those of HAdV infection.ConclusionAn outbreak of HAdV in HSCT recipients can be difficult to control. Although none of the patients had severe disease, the medical consequences were significant. It is possible that unidentified cases with mild symptoms may have caused continuous transmission at the unit. Regular testing of all patients several weeks beyond the last case identified may be an important measure to control transmission.
Effect of feeding on the pharmacokinetics of oral minocycline in healthy research dogs
Authors: Hnot Melanie L. , Cole Lynette K. , Lorch Gwendolen , Rajala‐Schultz Paivi J. , Papich Mark G. 
Published: August 2015

BackgroundThe effect of food on minocycline oral absorption in dogs is unknown.ObjectiveThe objective was to determine the pharmacokinetics of minocycline after administration of a single oral dose in fed and fasted dogs.MethodsTen research hounds were administered oral minocycline (approximately 5 mg/kg) with and without food, in a crossover study, with a one‐week wash‐out between treatments. Blood samples were collected immediately prior to minocycline administration and over 24 h. Minocycline plasma drug concentrations were measured using high‐performance liquid chromatography using ultraviolet detection and were analysed with compartmental modelling to determine primary pharmacokinetic parameters. Each dog was analysed independently, followed by calculation of means and variation of the dogs. The Wilcoxon signed–rank test [analysing secondary pharmacokinetic parameters – peak concentration (CMAX), area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC)] was used to compare the two groups. A population pharmacokinetic modelling approach was performed using nonlinear mixed effects modelling of primary parameters for the population as fixed effects and the difference between subjects as a random effect. Covariate analysis was used to identify the source of variability in the population.ResultsNo significant difference was found between treatments forAUC(P = 0.0645), althoughAUCwas higher in fasted dogs. A significant difference was found forCMAX(P = 0.0059), with fasted dogs attaining a higherCMAX. The covariate of fed versus fasted accounted for a significant variation in the pharmacokinetics.Conclusions and clinical importanceBecause feeding was a significant source of variation for the population's primary pharmacokinetic parameters and fasted dogs had higher minocycline concentrations, we recommend administering minocycline without food.
Caloric restriction in lean and obese strains of laboratory rat: effects on body composition, metabolism, growth and overall health
Authors: Aydin C. , Jarema K. A. , Phillips P. M. , Gordon C. J. 
Published: August 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?
How do lean and obese rats respond physiologically to caloric restriction?

What is the main finding and its importance?
Obese rats show marked benefits compared with lean animals.

Reduced body fat is associated with improved longevity with caloric restriction (CR) in rodents. Little is known regarding effects of CR in genetically lean versus obese strains. Long–Evans (LE) and Brown Norway (BN) rats make an ideal comparison for a CR study because the percentage body fat of young adult LE rats is double that of BN rats. Male LE and BN rats were either fed ad libitum (AL) or were calorically restricted to 80 or 90% of their AL weight. The percentages of fat, lean and fluid mass were measured non‐invasively at 2‐ to 4‐week intervals. Metabolic rate and respiratory quotient were measured after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of CR. Overall health was scored monthly. The percentage of fat of the LE strain decreased with CR, whereas the percentage of fat of the BN strain remained above the AL group for several months. The percentage of lean mass increased above the AL for both strains subjected to CR. The percentage of fluid was unaffected by CR. The average metabolic rate over 22 h of the BN rats subjected to CR was reduced, whereas that of LE rats was increased slightly above the AL group. The respiratory quotient of BN rats was decreased with CR. Overall health of the CR LE group was significantly improved compared with that of the AL group, whereas health of the CR BN rats was impaired compared with the AL group. Overall, the lean BN and obese LE strains differ markedly in fat utilization and metabolic response to prolonged CR. There appears to be little benefit of CR in the lean strain.
Haematological rather than skeletal muscle adaptations contribute to the increase in peak oxygen uptake induced by moderate endurance training
Authors: Montero David , Cathomen Adrian , Jacobs Robert A. , Flück Daniela , de Leur Jeroen , Keiser Stefanie , Bonne Thomas , Kirk Niels , Lundby Anne‐Kristine , Lundby Carsten 
Published: August 2015

Key points
This study assessed the respective contributions of haematological and skeletal muscle adaptations to any observed improvement in peak oxygen uptake () induced by endurance training (ET).

, peak cardiac output (), blood volumes and skeletal muscle biopsies were assessed prior (pre) to and after (post) 6 weeks of ET. Following the post‐ET assessment, red blood cell volume (RBCV) reverted to the pre‐ET level following phlebotomy and and were determined again.
We speculated that the contribution of skeletal muscle adaptations to an ET‐induced increase in could be identified when offsetting the ET‐induced increase in RBCV.

, , blood volumes, skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density and capillarization were increased after ET. Following RBCV normalization, and reverted to pre‐ET levels.
These results demonstrate the predominant contribution of haematological adaptations to any increase in induced by ET.
AbstractIt remains unclear whether improvements in peak oxygen uptake () following endurance training (ET) are primarily determined by central and/or peripheral adaptations. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that the improvement in following 6 weeks of ET is mainly determined by haematological rather than skeletal muscle adaptations. Sixteen untrained healthy male volunteers (age = 25 ± 4 years, = 3.5 ± 0.5 l min−1) underwent supervised ET (6 weeks, 3–4 sessions per week). , peak cardiac output (), haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and blood volumes were assessed prior to and following ET. Skeletal muscle biopsies were analysed for mitochondrial volume density (MitoVD), capillarity, fibre types and respiratory capacity (OXPHOS). After the post‐ET assessment, red blood cell volume (RBCV) was re‐established at the pre‐ET level by phlebotomy and and were measured again. We speculated that the contribution of skeletal muscle adaptations to the ET‐induced increase in would be revealed when controlling for haematological adaptations. and were increased (P < 0.05) following ET (9 ± 8 and 7 ± 6%, respectively) and decreased (P < 0.05) after phlebotomy (−7 ± 7 and −10 ± 7%). RBCV, plasma volume and Hbmass all increased (P < 0.05) after ET (8 ± 4, 4 ± 6 and 6 ± 5%). As for skeletal muscle adaptations, capillary‐to‐fibre ratio and total MitoVD increased (P < 0.05) following ET (18 ± 16 and 43 ± 30%), but OXPHOS remained unaltered. Through stepwise multiple regression analysis, , RBCV and Hbmass were found to be independent predictors of . In conclusion, the improvement in following 6 weeks of ET is primarily attributed to increases in and oxygen‐carrying capacity of blood in untrained healthy young subjects.
Dosimetric commissioning and quality assurance of scanned ion beams at the Italian National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy
Authors: Mirandola Alfredo , Molinelli S. , Vilches Freixas G. , Mairani A. , Gallio E. , Panizza D. , Russo S. , Ciocca M. , Donetti M. , Magro G. , Giordanengo S. , Orecchia R. 
Published: August 2015

Purpose:To describe the dosimetric commissioning and quality assurance (QA) of the actively scanned proton and carbon ion beams at the Italian National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy.Methods:The laterally integrated depth‐dose‐distributions (IDDs) were acquired with the PTW Peakfinder, a variable depth water column, equipped with two Bragg peak ionization chambers. fluka Monte Carlo code was used to generate the energy libraries, the IDDs in water, and the fragment spectra for carbon beams. EBT3 films were used for spot size measurements, beam position over the scan field, and homogeneity in 2D‐fields. Beam monitor calibration was performed in terms of number of particles per monitor unit using both a Farmer‐type and an Advanced Markus ionization chamber. The beam position at the isocenter, beam monitor calibration curve, dose constancy in the center of the spread‐out‐Bragg‐peak, dose homogeneity in 2D‐fields, beam energy, spot size, and spot position over the scan field are all checked on a daily basis for both protons and carbon ions and on all beam lines.Results:The simulated IDDs showed an excellent agreement with the measured experimental curves. The measured full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the pencil beam in air at the isocenter was energy‐dependent for both particle species: in particular, for protons, the spot size ranged from 0.7 to 2.2 cm. For carbon ions, two sets of spot size are available: FWHM ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 cm (for the smaller spot size) and from 0.8 to 1.1 cm (for the larger one). The spot position was accurate to within ±1 mm over the whole 20 × 20 cm2 scan field; homogeneity in a uniform squared field was within ±5% for both particle types at any energy. QA results exceeding tolerance levels were rarely found. In the reporting period, the machine downtime was around 6%, of which 4.5% was due to planned maintenance shutdowns.Conclusions:After successful dosimetric beam commissioning, quality assurance measurements performed during a 24‐month period show very stable beam characteristics, which are therefore suitable for performing safe and accurate patient treatments.
Prediction of standard‐dose brain PET image by using MRI and low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET images
Authors: Kang Jiayin , Gao Yaozong , Shi Feng , Lalush David S. , Lin Weili , Shen Dinggang 
Published: August 2015

Purpose:Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging technology that produces 3D images reflecting tissue metabolic activity in human body. PET has been widely used in various clinical applications, such as in diagnosis of brain disorders. High‐quality PET images play an essential role in diagnosing brain diseases/disorders. In practice, in order to obtain high‐quality PET images, a standard‐dose radionuclide (tracer) needs to be used and injected into a living body. As a result, it will inevitably increase the patient's exposure to radiation. One solution to solve this problem is predicting standard‐dose PET images using low‐dose PET images. As yet, no previous studies with this approach have been reported. Accordingly, in this paper, the authors propose a regression forest based framework for predicting a standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image by using a low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image and its corresponding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image.Methods:The authors employ a regression forest for predicting the standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image by low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET and MRI images. Specifically, the proposed method consists of two main steps. First, based on the segmented brain tissues (i.e., cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, and white matter) in the MRI image, the authors extract features for each patch in the brain image from both low‐dose PET and MRI images to build tissue‐specific models that can be used to initially predict standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET images. Second, an iterative refinement strategy, via estimating the predicted image difference, is used to further improve the prediction accuracy.Results:The authors evaluated their algorithm on a brain dataset, consisting of 11 subjects with MRI, low‐dose PET, and standard‐dose PET images, using leave‐one‐out cross‐validations. The proposed algorithm gives promising results with well‐estimated standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image and substantially enhanced image quality of low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image.Conclusions:In this paper, the authors propose a framework to generate standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET image using low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET and MRI images. Both the visual and quantitative results indicate that the standard‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET can be well‐predicted using MRI and low‐dose brain [18F]FDG PET.