bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Micro-architectural changes in cancellous bone differ in female and male C57BL/6 mice with high-fat diet-induced low bone mineral density
Authors: Gautam Jyoti , Choudhary Dharmendra , Khedgikar Vikram , Kushwaha Priyanka , Singh Ravi Shankar , Singh Divya , Tiwari Swasti , Trivedi Ritu 
Published: February 2014

The relationship between fat and bone mass at distinct trabecular and cortical skeletal compartments in a high-fat diet (HFD) model was studied. For this, C57BL/6 mice were assigned to four groups of eight animals each. Two groups, each of males and females, received a standard chow diet while the remaining other two groups received the HFD for a period of 10 weeks. Male mice on the HFD were heavier and gained more weight (15·8 %;P< 0·05)v.those on the control diet or when compared with the female rats fed the HFD. We observed an increased lipid profile in both males and females, with significantly higher lipid levels (about 20–25 %;P< 0·01) in males. However, glucose intolerance was more pronounced in females than males on the HFD (about 30 %;P< 0·05). The micro-architectural assessment of bones showed that compared with female mice on the HFD, male mice on the HFD showed more deterioration at the trabecular region. This was corroborated by plasma osteocalcin and carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks (CTx) levels confirming greater loss in males (about 20 %;P< 0·01). In both sexes cortical bone parameters and strength remained unchanged after 10 weeks of HFD treatment. The direct effect of the HFD on bone at the messenger RNA level in progenitor cells isolated from femoral bone marrow was a significantly increased expression of adipogenic marker genesv.osteogenic genes. Overall, the present data indicate that obesity induced by a HFD aggravates bone loss in the cancellous bone compartment, with a greater loss in males than females, although 10 weeks of HFD treatment did not alter cortical bone mass and strength in both males and females.
Modelling inter-human transmission dynamics of Chagas disease: analysis and application
Authors: FABRIZIO M. C. , SCHWEIGMANN N. J. , BARTOLONI N. J. 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYTransmission ofTrypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, has expanded from rural endemic to urban areas due to migration. This so-calledurban Chagasis an emerging health problem in American, European, Australian and Japanese cities. We present a mathematical model to analyse the dynamics of urban Chagas to better understand its epidemiology. The model considers the three clinical stages of the disease and the main routes of inter-human transmission. To overcome the complexities of the infection dynamics, the next-generation matrix method was developed. We deduced expressions which allowed estimating the number of new infections generated by an infected individual through each transmission route at each disease stage, the basic reproduction number and the number of individuals at each disease stage at the outbreak of the infection. The analysis was applied to Buenos Aires city (Argentina). We estimated that 94% of the new infections are generated by individuals in the chronic indeterminate stage. When migration was not considered, the infection disappeared slowly andR0 = 0·079, whereas when migration was considered, the number of individuals in each stage of the infection tended to stabilize. The expressions can be used to estimate different numbers of infected individuals in any place where only inter-human transmission is possible.
DTU I isolates ofTrypanosoma cruziinduce upregulation of Galectin-3 in murine myocarditis and fibrosis
Authors: FERRER MARÍA F. , PASCUALE CARLA A. , GOMEZ RICARDO M. , LEGUIZAMÓN MARÍA S. 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYChagas heart disease is a major public concern since 30% of infected patients develop cardiac alterations. The relationship betweenTrypanosoma cruzidiscrete typing units (DTUs) and the biological properties exhibited by the parasite population has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we analysed the expression ofα-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) associated with cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling a murine chronic cardiomyopathy induced by Tc I genotypes. We found the induction of myocarditis was associated with the upregulation of Col I,α-SMA, Gal-3, IFN-γand IL-13, as analysed by q-PCR. In myocardial areas of fibrosis, the intensity of myocarditis and significant ECM remodelling correlated with the presence of Col I-, Gal-3- andα-SMA-positive cells. These results are promising for the further efforts to evaluate the relevance of Gal-3 in Chagas heart disease, since this galectin was proposed as a prognosis marker in heart failure patients.
Predatorvsaliens: bacteria interactions withAcanthamoeba
Authors: KHAN NAVEED AHMED , SIDDIQUI RUQAIYYAH 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYBy interactions with other microbes, free-living amoebae play a significant role in microbiology, environmental biology, physiology, cellular interactions, ecology and evolution. Here, we discuss astonishing interactions of bacteria and amoebae, in the light of evolution and functional aspects impacting human health. In favourable environmental conditions, the interaction ofAcanthamoebawith non-virulent bacteria results in lysis of the bacteria. However, the interaction with weak-virulent bacteria results in a symbiotic relationship or amoebal lysis may occur. The microbial survival of amoebae in harsh environments, ability to interact with bacteria, and their ability to aid transmission to susceptible hosts is of great concern to human, animal and ecosystem health.
Emergent creationism: another option in the origin of the soul debate
Authors: FARRIS JOSHUA R. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractIn the debate over the theology of the soul's origin, there have traditionally been three broad views on origins. These include creationism, traducianism, and Origen's pre-existence view. In the recent philosophy of religion and mind literature, William Hasker posits an alternative view of origins called emergent substance dualism. As a contribution to this discussion, I put forward one novel option as a via media between simple creationism and Hasker's emergent substance dualism, wherein it has relevant overlapping features found in the two contrary positions. I suggest that this view is a variation of creationism like emergentism where the material part (i.e. the brain) has some positive causal role in the soul's coming to be as a discrete effect of one divine cause. I argue that emergent creationism (as I call it) is a viable option deserving the attention of philosophers and theologians.
Reconceptualising world order: Chinese political thought and its challenge to International Relations theory
Authors: SCHNEIDER FLORIAN 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAt the outset of the twenty-first century, the world is facing a range of problems, including environmental, economic, and security risks, that increasingly challenge the logic of nation-state governance. While American and European models of International Relations and global governance, such as the Westphalian system of states and the Washington Consensus, have come under attack from poststructuralist thinkers, political philosophers from China and Taiwan have tried to reconceptualise the world of the twenty-first century from their own perspectives. This article examines current streams of Chinese International Relations theorising and confronts them with the case of territorial disputes in the East China Sea. The article analyses the arguments by Chinese realists, ‘worldists’, and procedural constructivists, showing how Chinese scholars creatively revive pre-modern Chinese political theory in attempts to provide new ways in which International Relations scholars might view the world, or: ‘all-under-heaven’. I argue that these contributions will progressively challenge conventional theories of International Relations, while at the same time contending that so-called non-Western theorising, if it is to contribute to IRT, will require additional rigorous empirical grounding, a critical perspective on its entanglement with nationalist political discourses in East Asian societies, and the willingness to incorporate existing theories.
Understanding the communication complexity of the robotic Darwinian PSO
Authors: Couceiro Micael S. , Fernandes Amadeu , Rocha Rui P. , Ferreira Nuno M. F. 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYAn extension of the well-knownParticle Swarm Optimization(PSO) to multi-robot applications has been recently proposed and denoted asRobotic Darwinian PSO(RDPSO), benefited from the dynamical partitioning of the whole population of robots. Although such strategy allows decreasing the amount of required information exchange among robots, a further analysis on the communication complexity of the RDPSO needs to be carried out so as to evaluate the scalability of the algorithm. Moreover, a further study on the most adequate multi-hop routing protocol should be conducted. Therefore, this paper starts by analyzing the architecture and characteristics of the RDPSO communication system, thus describing the dynamics of the communication data packet structure shared between teammates. Such procedure will be the first step to achieving a more scalable implementation of RDPSO by optimizing the communication procedure between robots. Second, an ad hoc on-demand distance vector reactive routing protocol is extended based on the RDPSO concepts, so as to reduce the communication overhead within swarms of robots. Experimental results with teams of 15 real robots and 60 simulated robots show that the proposed methodology significantly reduces the communication overhead, thus improving the scalability and applicability of the RDPSO algorithm.
Does vitamin D protect against respiratory viral infections?
Authors: BRYSON K. J. , NASH A. A. , NORVAL M. 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYThe active form of vitamin D has effects on both innate and adaptive immune responses that may influence the outcome in many infectious diseases. Observational studies conclusively show that a low vitamin D status is associated with an increased occurrence of respiratory viral infections, which globally represent significant health and financial burdens. However, no consistent protective effects are evident in prospective clinical trials carried out to date where vitamin D was provided as a dietary supplement, except possibly in cases where the starting vitamin D status of the individual was considered deficient. Thus far, vitamin D has not been found to enhance the immune response to vaccines. The design of future prospective clinical trials assessing a role for vitamin D in respiratory viral infections requires very careful planning to avoid the uncertainties associated with the data available currently.
Cerebral microemboli detection and differentiation during transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect in a paediatric population
Authors: Wallace Sean , Døhlen Gaute , Holmstrøm Henrik , Lund Christian , Russell David 
Published: February 2014

AbstractIntroduction:The aim of this prospective study was to determine the frequency and composition of cerebral microemboli in a paediatric population during transcatheter atrial septal defect closure.Methods:Multi-frequency transcranial Doppler was used to detect microembolic signals in the middle cerebral artery of 24 patients. Embolic signals were automatically identified and differentiated according to their composition, gaseous or solid. The procedure was divided into five periods: right cardiac catheterisation; left cardiac catheterisation; pulmonary angiography; balloon sizing; and device placement.Results:Microemboli were detected in all patients. The median number of signals was 63 and over 95% gaseous. The total number of microembolic signals detected during two periods – balloon sizing and sheath placement and device placement – was not significantly different (median: 18 and 25, respectively) but was significantly higher than each of the other three periods (p<0.001). In eight patients, the device was opened more than once and the number of embolic signals decreased with each successive device deployment. There was no correlation between the number of microembolic signals and fluoroscopic time, duration of procedure, age, or device size.Conclusion:This is the first study to investigate the timing and composition of cerebral microemboli in a paediatric population during cardiac catheterisation. Microembolic signals were related to specific catheter manipulations but were not associated with fluoroscopic time or duration of procedure.
Surgical experience for prolapse of both atrioventricular valves in a patient with filamin A mutation
Authors: Hoashi Takaya , Shiraishi Isao , Ichikawa Hajime 
Published: February 2014

AbstractA 21-year-old man underwent mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty for severe mitral regurgitation and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. Until the operation, he had been treated for hypermobility type Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. Gene examination revealed a mutation in filamin A gene, which is the gene responsible for X-linked myxomatous valvular dystrophy.
The “Alzheimer's Type” Profile of Semantic Clustering in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: McLaughlin Paula M. , Wright Matthew J. , LaRocca Michael , Nguyen Peter T. , Teng Edmond , Apostolova Liana G. , Ringman John M. , Zhou Yan , Cummings Jeffrey L. , Woo Ellen 
Published: February 2014

AbstractImpairments in learning and recall have been well established in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However, a relative dearth of studies has examined the profiles of memory strategy use in persons with aMCI relative to those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants with aMCI, nonamnestic MCI, AD, and healthy older adults were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II). Measures of semantic clustering and recall were obtained across learning and delayed recall trials. In addition, we investigated whether deficits in semantic clustering were related to progression from healthy aging to aMCI and from aMCI to AD. The aMCI group displayed similar semantic clustering performance as the AD participants, whereas the AD group showed greater impairments on recall relative to the aMCI participants. Control participants who progressed to aMCI showed reduced semantic clustering at the short delay at baseline compared to individuals who remained diagnostically stable across follow-up visits. These findings show that the ability to engage in an effective memory strategy is compromised in aMCI, before AD has developed, suggesting that disruptions in semantic networks are an early marker of the disease. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–11)
The Comparative Analysis of Public Support for Developing Regional Regime in East Sea Rim (Sea of Japan) Region
Authors: KIM JUNG HYOUN 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe East Sea (or Sea of Japan) (ESR/SOJ) Rim region, in which five countries – Japan, China, Russia, and North and South Korea – have their own coastal areas, is complex and dynamic, with many emerging regional security concerns. In this paper, the author tries to show that there is the possibility of a maritime regional regime in the ESR/SOJ region by investigating the level of public support, in Japan and South Korea, for the formation of a regional regime. Based on the theoretical assumptions of constructivism, the author analyzes what kinds of individual's social position factors influence the level of support for regional regime formation by conducting a nested regression model of survey datasets. The results of the statistical analysis suggest that people with a high level of national pride in South Korea are more likely to support a regional regime in the ESR/SOJ region. In contrast, for Japanese people, there is no relationship between people's national pride and the level of support for regional regime formation. The economic recession in Japan since the early 1990s has made public concern more about domestic policy than about foreign policy issues. Based on strong support of the bottom, public opinion towards regional regime formation, the South Korean government may play a leading role in developing a regional regime in the ESR/SOJ region (when the process of negotiation begins) as in the case of Japan in nineteenth century.
Assessment of sleep disturbance in lung cancer patients: Relationship between sleep disturbance and pain, fatigue, quality of life, and psychological distress
Authors: Nishiura Mare , Tamura Atsuhisa , Nagai Hideaki , Matsushima Eisuke 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:We investigated the prevalence of sleep disturbance and psychological distress in lung cancer patients. We also examined the association between sleep disturbance and psychological distress, pain, fatigue, and quality of life in the same population.Method:Fifty lung cancer patients were evaluated. Sleep disturbance was assessed using the Athens Sleep Insomnia Scale (AIS) and psychological distress using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Quality of life (QOL), pain, and fatigue were assessed employing the European Organization of Research and Treatment Quality of Life Questionnaire–Cancer 30 (EORTC QLQ–C30).Results:We observed that 56% of lung cancer patients had sleep disturbance (AIS score ≥6) and 60% had psychological distress (total HADS score ≥11). Patients with sleep disturbance had a HADS score of 14.6 ± 5.8, a fatigue score of 45.3 ± 22.0, and a pain score of 27.2 ± 26.2. In contrast, patients without sleep disturbance had a lower HADS score of 9.9 ± 8.1 (p< 0.05) and a higher fatigue score of 28.5 ± 18.0 (p< 0.01) and a pain score of 8.7 ± 15.8 (p< 0.01). In addition, we found a lower QOL in patients with sleep disturbance (46.3 ± 20.2) than in those without (65.2 ± 20.7) (p< 0.05). We also observed a significant correlation between the AIS, HADS, fatigue, QOL, and pain scores.Significance of Results:Lung cancer patients suffered from combined symptoms related to sleep. Sleeping pills improved sleep induction but were not sufficient to provide sleep quality and prevent daytime dysfunction. Daytime dysfunction was specifically associated with psychological distress. Additionally, the type of sleep disturbance was related to other patient factors, including whether or not they received chemotherapy.
What family caregivers learn when providing care at the end of life: A qualitative secondary analysis of multiple datasets
Authors: Funk Laura M. , Stajduhar Kelli I. , Outcalt Linda 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Although growing numbers of family members provide end-of-life care for dying persons, caregivers frequently report lacking essential information, knowledge, and skills. This analysis explicates what family members learn during the process of providing end-of-life care.Method:Four qualitative interview studies of family caregivers to those at the end of life (n = 156) formed the basis of a secondary data analysis.Results:Thematic and cross-comparative analyses found three general kinds of learning that were described—knowledge about: (1) the situation and the illness (including what to expect), (2) how to provide care, and (3) how to access help. Learning gaps, preferences, and potential inequities were identified. Further, in some instances, participant talk about “learning” appears to reflect a meaning-making process that helps them accept their situation, as suggested by the phrase “I have had to learn.”Significance of Results:Findings can inform the development of individualized educational programs and interventions for family caregivers.
Development of a post–intensive care unit storytelling intervention for surrogates involved in decisions to limit life-sustaining treatment
Authors: Schenker Yael , Dew Mary Amanda , Reynolds Charles F. , Arnold Robert M. , Tiver Greer A. , Barnato Amber E. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Surrogates involved in decisions to limit life-sustaining treatment for a loved one in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at increased risk for adverse psychological outcomes that can last for months to years after the ICU experience. Post-ICU interventions to reduce surrogate distress have not yet been developed. We sought to (1) describe a conceptual framework underlying the beneficial mental health effects of storytelling, and (2) present formative work developing a storytelling intervention to reduce distress for recently bereaved surrogates.Method:An interdisciplinary team conceived the idea for a storytelling intervention based on evidence from narrative theory that storytelling reduces distress from traumatic events through emotional disclosure, cognitive processing, and social connection. We developed an initial storytelling guide based on this theory and the clinical perspectives of team members. We then conducted a case series with recently bereaved surrogates to iteratively test and modify the guide.Results:The storytelling guide covered three key domains of the surrogate's experience of the patient's illness and death: antecedents, ICU experience, and aftermath. The facilitator focused on the parts of a story that appeared to generate strong emotions and used nonjudgmental statements to attend to these emotions. Between September 2012 and May 2013, we identified 28 eligible surrogates from a medical ICU and consented 20 for medical record review and recontact; 10 became eligible, of whom 6 consented and completed the storytelling intervention. The single-session storytelling intervention lasted from 40 to 92 minutes. All storytelling participants endorsed the intervention as acceptable, and five of six reported it as helpful.Significance of Results:Surrogate storytelling is an innovative and acceptable post-ICU intervention for recently bereaved surrogates and should be evaluated further.
Family caregivers' perceptions of depression in patients with advanced cancer: A qualitative study
Authors: Rhondali Wadih , Chirac Anne , Laurent Angélique , Terra Jean-Louis , Filbet Marilène 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:Depression is a serious issue for cancer patients, resulting in impaired quality of life and probably shorter survival. However, many cancer patients with depression are not treated because of the difficulties in identifying depression within this population. Our study aimed to examine caregivers' perceptions of depression among advanced cancer patients.Method:This qualitative study employed semistructured interviews, and we analyzed data using grounded theory and qualitative methods. We recruited caregivers from our palliative care unit (PCU) at an academic medical center.Results:We interviewed a total of 15 caregivers. Cancer patients' caregivers had a good theoretical knowledge of depression but also acknowledged that, in the context of cancer and because of their relationship with the patient, identification of depressive symptoms could be challenging. They considered themselves as partners in the patient's care with a supportive role. However, by assuming the role of partner in patient care, caregivers exposed themselves to emotional difficulties and an increased need for support and information.Significance of Results:Our results suggest a significant impact of depression in advanced cancer caregivers, and it is therefore crucial that healthcare professionals develop educational programs targeting cancer patients' families as well as specific interventions to minimize the impact of the burden of patient care on caregivers.