bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assisted reproductive technology results: Why are live‐birth percentages so low?
Authors: Tarín Juan J. , García‐Pérez Miguel A. , Cano Antonio 
Published: May 2014

SUMMARYThe present bioessay aims to analyze the impact of parental age, cause of infertility, embryo chromosomal anomalies, assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatments, and environmental and occupational exposures to xenobiotics on ART results, particularly on live‐birth percentages per transfer. Special attention is paid to analyzing the effects of these factors on the mitochondrial, genetic, and epigenetic traits of gametes and embryos to ascertain the molecular/cellular mechanisms responsible for the relatively low percentages of live births reported year after year in ART cycles. The bias of age distribution of women attending fertility clinics toward the late thirties and beyond and the high incidence of mosaicism found in pre‐implantation embryos emerge as the two biggest players in this scenario. Parental reproductive aging and some causes of infertility are associated with mitochondrial, genetic, and epigenetic alterations to gametes. ART treatments such as ovarian stimulation, gamete/embryo cryopreservation, oocyte in vitro maturation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, in vitro culture system, and embryo biopsy may also induce epigenetic changes in gametes and/or pre‐implantation embryos. Finally, exposure to numerous environmental chemicals is linked to sperm genetic and epigenetic defects. Whereas the selective transfer of euploid blastocysts may improve implantation and pregnancy percentages, especially in reproductively older women, it does not guarantee the total absence of mitochondrial and/or epigenetic defects in embryos. The presence of induced and/or inherited DNA epigenetic disturbances in ART offspring is unlikely to be prevented, even by replacing the whole cytoplasm of oocytes using nuclear‐genome‐transfer technology. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 568–583, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Combining information from two data sources with misreporting and incompleteness to assess hospice‐use among cancer patients: a multiple imputation approach
Authors: He Yulei , Landrum Mary Beth , Zaslavsky Alan M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractCombining information from multiple data sources can enhance estimates of health‐related measures by using one source to supply information that is lacking in another, assuming the former has accurate and complete data. However, there is little research conducted on combining methods when each source might be imperfect, for example, subject to measurement errors and/or missing data. In a multisite study of hospice‐use by late‐stage cancer patients, this variable was available from patients’ abstracted medical records, which may be considerably underreported because of incomplete acquisition of these records. Therefore, data for Medicare‐eligible patients were supplemented with their Medicare claims that contained information on hospice‐use, which may also be subject to underreporting yet to a lesser degree. In addition, both sources suffered from missing data because of unit nonresponse from medical record abstraction and sample undercoverage for Medicare claims. We treat the true hospice‐use status from these patients as a latent variable and propose to multiply impute it using information from both data sources, borrowing the strength from each. We characterize the complete‐data model as a product of an ‘outcome’ model for the probability of hospice‐use and a ‘reporting’ model for the probability of underreporting from both sources, adjusting for other covariates. Assuming the reports of hospice‐use from both sources are missing at random and the underreporting are conditionally independent, we develop a Bayesian multiple imputation algorithm and conduct multiple imputation analyses of patient hospice‐use in demographic and clinical subgroups. The proposed approach yields more sensible results than alternative methods in our example. Our model is also related to dual system estimation in population censuses and dual exposure assessment in epidemiology. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do Cryopreserved Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Display Impaired Immunomodulatory and Therapeutic Properties?
Authors: Moll Guido , Alm Jessica J. , Davies Lindsay C. , von Bahr Lena , Heldring Nina , Stenbeck-Funke Lillemor , Hamad Osama A. , Hinsch Robin , Ignatowicz Lech , Locke Matthew , Lönnies Helena , Lambris John D. , Teramura Yuji , Nilsson-Ekdahl Kristina , Nilsson Bo , Blanc Katarina 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
We have recently reported that therapeutic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have low engraftment and trigger the instant blood mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) after systemic delivery to patients, resulting in compromised cell function. In order to optimize the product, we compared the immunomodulatory, blood regulatory, and therapeutic properties of freeze-thawed and freshly harvested cells. We found that freeze-thawed MSCs, as opposed to cells harvested from continuous cultures, have impaired immunomodulatory and blood regulatory properties. Freeze-thawed MSCs demonstrated reduced responsiveness to proinflammatory stimuli, an impaired production of anti-inflammatory mediators, increased triggering of the IBMIR, and a strong activation of the complement cascade compared to fresh cells. This resulted in twice the efficiency in lysis of thawed MSCs after 1 hour of serum exposure. We found a 50% and 80% reduction in viable cells with freshly detached as opposed to thawed in vitro cells, indicating a small benefit for fresh cells. In evaluation of clinical response, we report a trend that fresh cells, and cells of low passage, demonstrate improved clinical outcome. Patients treated with freshly harvested cells in low passage had a 100% response rate, twice the response rate of 50% observed in a comparable group of patients treated with freeze-thawed cells at higher passage. We conclude that cryobanked MSCs have reduced immunomodulatory and blood regulatory properties directly after thawing, resulting in faster complement-mediated elimination after blood exposure. These changes seem to be paired by differences in therapeutic efficacy in treatment of immune ailments after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Stem Cells 2014;32:2430–2442
Uremic Toxin p-Cresol Induces Akt-Pathway-Selective Insulin Resistance in Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Noh Hyunjin , Yu Mi Ra , Kim Hyun Joo , Jang Eun Jung , Hwang Eun Sook , Jeon Jin Seok , Kwon Soon Hyo , Han Dong Cheol 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
We reported a functional incompetence in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under uremia, but the mechanisms have not been explored. To study the mechanisms of dysfunctional MSCs induced by uremia, we characterized insulin signaling in MSCs and investigated the effect of uremic toxin, p-cresol, on the proangiogenic actions of insulin. In MSCs, insulin induced hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)−1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, and stromal cell-derived factor 1α expressions via PI3K/Akt-dependent pathway. MSCs treated with p-cresol exhibited altered insulin signaling in a selective manner for insulin receptor substrate-1/PI3K/Akt pathway, whereas ERK pathway remained active. The insulin-induced increase of HIF-1α was blunted by p-cresol treatment. This Akt-selective insulin resistance was also observed in MSCs isolated from chronic kidney disease (CKD) mice. In mice model of hindlimb ischemia, blood flow recovery, capillary density, and local production of angiogenic factors in the ischemic limb treated with CKD MSCs were significantly inferior to those promoted by control MSCs. However, modifying CKD MSCs by overexpression of HIF-1α restored all of these changes. Taken together, these data suggest that p-cresol contributes to insulin resistance in a selective manner for Akt pathway. This might be a biological explanation for the functional incompetence of MSCs under uremia through defects in the insulin-induced elevation of HIF-1α protein expression. Stem Cells 2014;32:2443–2453
Complement Component 3 is Necessary to Preserve Myocardium and Myocardial Function in Chronic Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Wysoczynski Marcin , Solanki Mitesh , Borkowska Sylwia , van Hoose Patrick , Brittian Kenneth R. , Prabhu Sumanth D. , Ratajczak Mariusz Z. , Rokosh Gregg 
Published: May 2014

AbstractActivation of the complement cascade (CC) with myocardial infarction (MI) acutely initiates immune cell infiltration, membrane attack complex formation on injured myocytes, and exacerbates myocardial injury. Recent studies implicate the CC in mobilization of stem/progenitor cells and tissue regeneration. Its role in chronic MI is unknown. Here, we consider complement component C3, in the chronic response to MI. C3 knockout (KO) mice were studied after permanent coronary artery ligation. C3 deficiency exacerbated myocardial dysfunction 28 days after MI compared to WT with further impaired systolic function and LV dilation despite similar infarct size 24 hours post-MI. Morphometric analysis 28 days post-MI showed C3 KO mice had more scar tissue with less viable myocardium within the infarct zone which correlated with decreased c-kitpos cardiac stem/progenitor cells (CPSC), decreased proliferating Ki67pos CSPCs and decreased formation of new BrdUpos/α-sarcomeric actinpos myocytes, and increased apoptosis compared to WT. Decreased CSPCs and increased apoptosis were evident 7 days post-MI in C3 KO hearts. The inflammatory response with MI was attenuated in the C3 KO and was accompanied by attenuated hematopoietic, pluripotent, and cardiac stem/progenitor cell mobilization into the peripheral blood 72 hours post-MI. These results are the first to demonstrate that CC, through C3, contributes to myocardial preservation and regeneration in response to chronic MI. Responses in the C3 KO infer that C3 activation in response to MI expands the resident CSPC population, increases new myocyte formation, increases and preserves myocardium, inflammatory response, and bone marrow stem/progenitor cell mobilization to preserve myocardial function. Stem Cells 2014;32:2502–2515
Nitric Oxide-Induced Neuronal to Glial Lineage Fate-Change Depends on NRSF/REST Function in Neural Progenitor Cells
Authors: Bergsland Maria , Covacu Ruxandra , Perez Estrada Cynthia , Svensson Mikael , Brundin Lou 
Published: May 2014

AbstractDegeneration of central nervous system tissue commonly occurs during neuroinflammatory conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and neurotrauma. During such conditions, neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) populations have been suggested to provide new cells to degenerated areas. In the normal brain, NPCs from the subventricular zone generate neurons that settle in the olfactory bulb or striatum. However, during neuroinflammatory conditions NPCs migrate toward the site of injury to form oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, whereas newly formed neurons are less abundant. Thus, the specific NPC lineage fate decisions appear to respond to signals from the local environment. The instructive signals from inflammation have been suggested to rely on excessive levels of the free radical nitric oxide (NO), which is an essential component of the innate immune response, as NO promotes neuronal to glial cell fate conversion of differentiating rat NPCs in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that the NO-induced neuronal to glial fate conversion is dependent on the transcription factor neuron-restrictive silencing factor-1 (NRSF)/repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST). Chromatin modification status of a number of neuronal and glial lineage restricted genes was altered upon NO-exposure. These changes coincided with gene expression alterations, demonstrating a global shift toward glial potential. Interestingly, by blocking the function of NRSF/REST, alterations in chromatin modifications were lost and the NO-induced neuronal to glial switch was suppressed. This implicates NRSF/REST as a key factor in the NPC-specific response to innate immunity and suggests a novel mechanism by which signaling from inflamed tissue promotes the formation of glial cells. Stem Cells 2014;32:2539–2549
The Synthesis and Crystal Structure of U7O2Se12
Authors: Ward Matthew D. , Ibers James A. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe new compound U7O2Se12 was synthesized at 1173 K as a result of both unintentional and intentional oxygen contamination. The composition balances with formal charges of +4, –2, and –2 for U, O, and Se, respectively. U7O2Se12 crystallizes with one formula unit in space group C$\rm^{1}_{3h}$‐P$\bar{6}$ of the hexagonal system in a cell of dimensions a = 11.3222(4) Å, c = 4.1362(1) Å. The structure of U7O2Se12 closely resembles that of the An7Te12 (An = Th, U) compounds, but contains cavities, in which oxygen atoms are coordinated to three uranium atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. It is not known if other members of the An7Q12 family (An = Th, U; Q = S, Se, Te) are actually An7O2Q12 compounds.
Unravelling the complex MRI pattern in glutaric aciduria type I using statistical models—a cohort study in 180 patients
Authors: Garbade Sven F. , Greenberg Cheryl R. , Demirkol Mübeccel , Gökçay Gülden , Ribes Antonia , Campistol Jaume , Burlina Alberto B. , Burgard Peter , Kölker Stefan 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBackgroundGlutaric aciduria type I (GA‐I) is a cerebral organic aciduria caused by inherited deficiency of glutaryl‐CoA dehydrogenase and is characterized biochemically by an accumulation of putatively neurotoxic dicarboxylic metabolites. The majority of untreated patients develops a complex movement disorder with predominant dystonia during age 3–36 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated striatal and extrastriatal abnormalities.Aims/methodsThe major aim of this study was to elucidate the complex neuroradiological pattern of patients with GA‐I and to associate the MRI findings with the severity of predominant neurological symptoms. In 180 patients, detailed information about the neurological presentation and brain region‐specific MRI abnormalities were obtained via a standardized questionnaire.ResultsPatients with a movement disorder had more often MRI abnormalities in putamen, caudate, cortex, ventricles and external CSF spaces than patients without or with minor neurological symptoms. Putaminal MRI changes and strongly dilated ventricles were identified as the most reliable predictors of a movement disorder. In contrast, abnormalities in globus pallidus were not clearly associated with a movement disorder. Caudate and putamen as well as cortex, ventricles and external CSF spaces clearly collocalized on a two‐dimensional map demonstrating statistical similarity and suggesting the same underlying pathomechanism.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that complex statistical methods are useful to decipher the age‐dependent and region‐specific MRI patterns of rare neurometabolic diseases and that these methods are helpful to elucidate the clinical relevance of specific MRI findings.
Brief report: Value priorities of early adolescents
Authors: Tulviste Tiia , Tamm Anni 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTAlthough adolescence is considered to be the formative period of values, relatively few studies have addressed values held by adolescents. The present short‐term longitudinal study explores value priorities of early adolescents from two social groups (among ethnic Estonians and Russian‐speaking minority) in terms of the 10 value types defined by Schwartz, and the question whether values change during one year. 575 early adolescents filled out a 21‐item version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire. Adolescents' value priorities differed from the pan‐cultural value hierarchy of adults (Bardi, Lee, Hoffmann‐Towfigh, & Soutar, 2009) by attributing more importance to hedonism and stimulation, and less importance to benevolence and conformity. Although Russian‐speaking students rated Self‐Enhancement and Openness to Change more highly than Estonians, the value hierarchy of adolescents from two social groups was rather similar. Boys considered Self‐Enhancement more important than girls. More value change was observable in Russian‐speaking students, and boys.
Consistent shallow-water equations on the rotating sphere with complete Coriolis force and topography
Authors: Tort Marine , Dubos Thomas , Bouchut François , Zeitlin Vladimir 
Published: May 2014

AbstractConsistent shallow-water equations are derived on the rotating sphere with topography retaining the Coriolis force due to the horizontal component of the planetary angular velocity. Unlike the traditional approximation, this ‘non-traditional’ approximation captures the increase with height of the solid-body velocity due to planetary rotation. The conservation of energy, angular momentum and potential vorticity are ensured in the system. The caveats in extending the standard shallow-water wisdom to the case of the rotating sphere are exposed. Different derivations of the model are possible, being based, respectively, on (i) Hamilton’s principle for primitive equations with a complete Coriolis force, under the hypothesis of columnar motion, (ii) straightforward vertical averaging of the ‘non-traditional’ primitive equations, and (iii) a time-dependent change of independent variables in the primitive equations written in the curl (‘vector-invariant’) form, with subsequent application of the columnar motion hypothesis. An intrinsic, coordinate-independent form of the non-traditional equations on the sphere is then given, and used to derive hyperbolicity criteria and Rankine–Hugoniot conditions for weak solutions. The relevance of the model for the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, as well as other planets, is discussed.
Coherent structure and sound production in the helical mode of a screeching axisymmetric jet
Authors: Edgington-Mitchell Daniel , Oberleithner Kilian , Honnery Damon R. , Soria Julio 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe structure of a screeching axisymmetric jet in the helical C mode at a nozzle pressure ratio of 3.4 issuing from a convergent nozzle is studied using high-resolution particle image velocimetry. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to extract the dominant coherent structures within the jet. The first two modes produced by the POD are used to reconstruct a phase-averaged data sequence. A triple decomposition into mean, coherent and random velocity components is performed. The embedded shock structures within the jet are shown to strongly modulate the coherent axial stresses within the shear layer and to weakly modulate the random axial stresses. Analysis of the third and fourth moments of the velocity probability density function is used as an indicator of possible regions of shock–vortex interaction and thus screech tone generation. Peaks of kurtosis (flatness) occur at the second, third and fourth shock–boundary intersection points, with the radial position shifting towards the centreline with increasing downstream distance. Analysis of the coherent component of vorticity shows that the largest fluctuations in coherent vorticity occur at the high-speed side of the shear layer in an area extending from the second to the fourth shock cell. With reference to prior literature, the argument is made that it is this increased magnitude of coherent vorticity fluctuation that is the primary factor in the determination of which shock cells act as dominant screech sources.
Radiofrequency plasma stabilization of a low-Reynolds-number channel flow
Authors: Fuller Timothy J. , Hsu Andrea G. , Sanchez-Gonzalez Rodrigo , Dean Jacob C. , North Simon W. , Bowersox Rodney D. W. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe effects of plasma heating and thermal non-equilibrium on the statistical properties of a low-Reynolds-number ($Re_{\tau } = 49$) turbulent channel flow were experimentally quantified using particle image velocimetry, two-line planar laser-induced fluorescence, coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy and emission spectroscopy. Tests were conducted at two radiofrequency plasma settings. The nitrogen, in air, was vibrationally excited to $T_{vib} \sim 1240\ \mathrm{K}$ and 1550 K for 150 W and 300 W plasma settings, respectively, while the vibrational temperature of the oxygen and the rotational/translational temperatures of all species remained near room temperature. The peak axial turbulence intensities in the shear layers were reduced by 15 and 30 % in moving across the plasma for the 150 and 300 W cases, respectively. The plasma did not alter the transverse intensities. The Reynolds shear stresses were reduced by 30 and 50 % for the 150 and 300 W cases. The corresponding Reynolds shear stress correlation coefficient was also reduced, which indicates that the large-scale structures were diminished. Finally, the plasma enhanced the turbulence decay in the zero-shear regions, where the power law decay $t^{-1/n}$ exponential factor $n$ decreased from 1.0 to 0.8.
Simulation of swimming oblate jellyfish with a paddling-based locomotion
Authors: Park Sung Goon , Chang Cheong Bong , Huang Wei-Xi , Sung Hyung Jin 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe hydrodynamics of a swimming jellyfish depends on the morphology of the species. For example, oblate jellyfish appear to generate wide vortex structures near the bell margin. The vortex structures affect both the propulsion system and the feeding structure because the swimming and prey capturing activities are interrelated processes in these taxa. A three-dimensional computational model was established for an oblate jellyfish to analyse how the vortex structures present in the wake affect the swimming mechanism and the propulsion efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of power output (thrust multiplied by centre velocity) to power input (energy rate required for bell contraction). An improved penalty immersed boundary method was adopted to consider the interactions between the swimming jellyfish and the ambient fluid. The vortex structures in the wake of the swimming jellyfish were investigated in detail. The vortices generated by the contraction and expansion of the jellyfish bell interact with the vortex structures generated by the forward-moving behaviour of the jellyfish. The resulting vortex structures not only transfer momentum to the swimming jellyfish via the fluid, thereby providing the main source of thrust, but also have an implication for feeding. The effects of the elastic properties of the jellyfish on the propulsion were examined. The propulsion efficiency reaches its optimum value at particular elastic properties. We also investigated the effect of the swimming pattern of jellyfish on the propulsion efficiency. The efficiency increases with the flapping frequency and force duration.
THE CURSE OF MEROZ AND THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
Authors: DOWNS JORDAN S. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThis article attempts to uncover the political significance of the Old Testament verse Judges 5:23, ‘the curse of Meroz’, during the English Civil War. Historians who have commented on the printed text of Meroz have done so primarily in reference to a single edition of the parliamentarian fast-day preacher Stephen Marshall's 1642Meroz cursedsermon. Usage of the curse, however, as shown in more than seventy unique sermons, tracts, histories, libels, and songs considered here, demonstrates that the verse was far more widespread and politically significant than has been previously assumed. Analysing Meroz in its political and polemical roles, from the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion in 1641 and through the Restoration of Charles II in the 1660s, sheds new light on the ways in which providentialism functioned during the Civil Wars, and serves, more specifically, to illustrate some of the important means by which ministers and polemicists sought to mobilize citizens and construct party identities.