bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson's disease: Practical issues and management
Authors: Emre Murat , Ford Paul J. , Bilgiç Başar , Uç Ergun Y. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTCognitive impairment and dementia pose particular challenges in the management of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Decision‐making capacity can render patients vulnerable in a way that requires careful ethical considerations by clinicians with respect to medical decision making, research participation, and public safety. Clinicians should discuss how future decisions will be made as early in the disease course as possible. Because of cognitive, visual, and motor impairments, PD may be associated with unsafe driving, leading to early driving cessation in many. DBS of the STN and, to a lesser degree, globus pallidus interna (GPi) has consistently been associated with decreased verbal fluency, but significant global cognitive decline is usually not observed in patients who undergo rigorous selection. There are some observations suggesting lesser cognitive decline in GPi DBS than STN DBS, but further research is required. Management of PD dementia (PDD) patients involves both pharmacological and nonpharmacological measures. Patients with PDD should be offered treatment with a cholinesterase inhibitor taking into account expected benefits and potential risks. Treatment with neuroleptics may be necessary to treat psychosis; classical neuroleptics, as well as risperidone and olanzapine, should be avoided. Quetiapine might be considered first‐line treatment because it does not need special monitoring, although the strongest evidence for efficacy exists for clozapine. Evidence from randomized, controlled studies in the PDD population is lacking; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors may be used to treat depressive features. Clonazepam or melatonin may be useful in the treatment of rapid eye movement behavior disorder. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Psychiatric issues in cognitive impairment
Authors: Aarsland Dag , Taylor John‐Paul , Weintraub Daniel 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTNeuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as depression, hallucinations and apathy commonly occur in Parkinson's disease (PD) and have major clinical consequences including a negative impact on quality of life. This review discusses the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnostic procedures and treatment issues of NPS in PD and related disorders in the perspective of cognitive impairment, focusing on depression, anxiety, visual hallucinations, apathy, sleep disturbances, impulse control disorder and non‐motor fluctuations. The majority of NPS are more common in PD patients with dementia, possibly related to shared underlying pathologies. Recent studies also suggest that NPS are associated with mild cognitive impairment in PD, in particular with the amnestic type. Accurate diagnosis of NPS is important but can be difficult, due to overlapping symptoms and similar appearance of symptoms of motor symptoms of parkinsonism, cognitive impairment, mood disorders and apathy. There are few systematic studies focusing on the management of NPS in PD with cognitive impairment. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
The tools of the trade: A state of the art “How to Assess Cognition” in the patient with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Marras Connie , Tröster Alexander I. , Kulisevsky Jaime , Stebbins Glenn T. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTCognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease is heterogeneous both in severity and pattern and subject to influences both integral to and external to the disease. Diagnostic Criteria have been developed by the Movement Disorders Society that help to guide clinicians and researchers to an accurate diagnosis of Parkinson's disease — mild cognitive impairment or Parkinson's disease dementia. To operationalize these criteria, and to assess the pattern and severity of cognitive dysfunction we need: (1) Valid measures of cognitive abilities covering the major domains of cognition, (2) amethod to determine whether or not the performance represents a decline from a person's previous level of functioning, and (3) an assessment of how the individual's cognitive abilities enable (or disable) function in day to day activities. This paper will discuss the methods of assessment and the measures that can be used to make a comprehensive assessment of cognition in Parkinson's disease. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
MassCascade: Visual Programming for LC‐MS Data Processing in Metabolomics
Authors: Beisken Stephan , Earll Mark , Portwood David , Seymour Mark , Steinbeck Christoph 
Published: April 2014

AbstractLiquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) is commonly applied to investigate the small molecule complement of organisms. Several software tools are typically joined in custom pipelines to semi‐automatically process and analyse the resulting data. General workflow environments like the Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) offer the potential of an all‐in‐one solution to process LC‐MS data by allowing easy integration of different tools and scripts. We describe MassCascade and its workflow plug‐in for processing LC‐MS data. The Java library integrates frequently used algorithms in a modular fashion, thus enabling it to serve as back‐end for graphical front‐ends. The functions available in MassCascade have been encapsulated in a plug‐in for the workflow environment KNIME, allowing combined use with e.g. statistical workflow nodes from other providers and making the tool intuitive to use without knowledge of programming. The design of the software guarantees a high level of modularity where processing functions can be quickly replaced or concatenated. MassCascade is an open‐source library for LC‐MS data processing in metabolomics. It embraces the concept of visual programming through its KNIME plug‐in, simplifying the process of building complex workflows. The library was validated using open data.
Resveratrol stimulates AP‐1‐regulated gene transcription
Authors: Thiel Gerald , Rössler Oliver G. 
Published: April 2014

ScopeMany intracellular functions have been attributed to resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin found in grapes and in other plants, including the regulation of transcription. Here, we have analyzed the impact of resveratrol on the activity of the transcription factor activator protein‐1 (AP‐1).Methods and resultsUsing a chromosomally embedded AP‐1‐responsive reporter gene, we show that the AP‐1 activity was significantly elevated in resveratrol‐treated 293 human embryonic kidney and HepG2 hepatoma cells. The 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate‐responsive element, a binding site for c‐Jun and c‐Fos, was identified as resveratrol‐responsive element. Expression of c‐Jun and c‐Fos, two proteins that constitute AP‐1, is upregulated in resveratrol‐stimulated HEK293 cells. On the transcriptional level, c‐Jun and the ternary complex factor Elk‐1 are essential for the activation of AP‐1 in resveratrol‐treated cells. In addition, mitogen‐activated protein kinases and protein kinase C are required to connect resveratrol stimulation with enhanced AP‐1 controlled transcription. Finally, we show that resveratrol increased the activities of the AP‐1 responsive cyclin D1 and tumor necrosis factor α promoters.ConclusionResveratrol regulates gene transcription via activation of stimulus‐regulated protein kinases and the stimulus‐responsive AP‐1 transcription factors. The fact that resveratrol regulates AP‐1 activity may explain many of the pleiotropic intracellular alterations induced by resveratrol.
Gap junction blockade induces apoptosis in human endometrial stromal cells
Authors: Yu Jie , Berga Sarah L. , Zou Wei , Sun He‐Ying , Johnston‐MacAnanny Erika , Yalcinkaya Tamer , Sidell Neil , Bagchi Indrani C. , Bagchi Milan K. , Taylor Robert N. 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYOne of the most dynamic adult human tissues is the endometrium. Through coordinated, cyclical proliferation, differentiation, leukocyte recruitment, apoptosis, and desquamation, the uterine lining is expanded and shed monthly, unless pregnancy is established. Errors in these steps potentially cause endometrial dysfunction, abnormal uterine bleeding, failed embryonic implantation, infertility, or endometrial carcinoma. Our prior studies showed that gap junctions comprised of Gap junction alpha‐1 (GJA1) protein, also known as connexin 43 (CX43), subunits are critical to endometrial stromal cell differentiation. The current studies were undertaken to explore the mechanism of endometrial dysfunction when gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) is disrupted. Gap junction blockade by two distinct GJIC inhibitors, 18α‐glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA) and octanol (OcOH), suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in endometrial stromal cells, as manifested by reduced biomarkers of cell viability, increased TUNEL staining, caspase‐3 activation, sub‐G1 chromosomal DNA complement, as well as shortened telomere length. Unexpectedly, we also observed that the chemical inhibitors blocked CX43 gene expression. Moreover, when endometrial stromal cells were induced to undergo hormonal decidualization, following a 7‐day exposure to 10 nM 17β‐estradiol + 100 nM progesterone + 0.5 mM dibutyryl cAMP, characteristic epithelioid changes in cell shape and secretion of prolactin were blunted in the presence of AGA or OcOH, recapitulating effects of RNA interference of CX43. Our findings indicate that endometrial stromal cell proliferation and maintenance of decidualized endometrial function are GJIC‐dependent, and that disruption of gap junctions induces endometrial stromal cell apoptosis. These observations may have important implications for several common clinical endometrial pathologies. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 666–675, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transverse seismic kinematics of single piles by a modified Vlasov model
Authors: Liu Qijian , Deng Fangjun , He Yibin 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYWithin the framework of soil–pile interaction, a novel displacement scheme for the transverse kinematic response of single piles to vertically propagating S waves is proposed on the basis of the modified Vlasov foundation model. The displacement model contains a displacement function along the pile axis and an attenuation function along the radial direction. The governing equations and boundary conditions of the two undetermined functions are obtained in a coupled form by using Hamilton's principle. An iterative algorithm is adopted to decouple and solve the two unknown functions. In light of the governing equation of the pile kinematics, a mechanical model is proposed to evaluate the present method on a physical basis considering material damping. The coefficient of the equivalent Winkler spring is derived explicitly as function of the displacement decay parameterγand soil Poisson's ratio. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the soil–pile system properties on the kinematic response of single piles. The results show that the dimensionless pile length controls the transverse kinematics of piles. In terms of the theory of beams on elastic foundation, the classification limits of the dimensionless pile length may beπ ∕ 4 andπ, respectively. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elastic‐plastic solutions for expanding cavities embedded in two different cohesive‐frictional materials
Authors: Mo Pin‐Qiang , Marshall Alec M. , Yu Hai‐Sui 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYAn analytical solution of cavity expansion in two different concentric regions of soil is developed and investigated in this paper. The cavity is embedded within a soil with finite radial dimension and surrounded by a second soil, which extends to infinity. Large‐strain quasi‐static expansion of both spherical and cylindrical cavities in elastic‐plastic soils is considered. A non‐associated Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion is used for both soils. Closed‐form solutions are derived, which provide the stress and strain fields during the expansion of the cavity from an initial to a final radius. The analytical solution is validated against finite element simulations, and the effect of varying geometric and material parameters is studied. The influence of the two different soils during cavity expansion is discussed by using pressure–expansion curves and by studying the development of plastic regions within the soils. The analytical method may be applied to various geotechnical problems, which involve aspects of soil layering, such as cone penetration test interpretation, ground‐freezing around shafts, tunnelling, and mining. © 2014 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue zinc‐α2‐glycoprotein is associated with adipose tissue and whole‐body insulin sensitivity
Authors: Balaz Miroslav , Vician Marek , Janakova Zuzana , Kurdiova Timea , Surova Martina , Imrich Richard , Majercikova Zuzana , Penesova Adela , Vlcek Miroslav , Kiss Alexander , Belan Vitazoslav , Klimes Iwar , Olejnik Juraj , Gasperikova Daniela , Wolfrum Christian , Ukropcova Barbara , Ukropec Jozef 
Published: April 2014

ObjectiveTo examine the regulatory aspects of zinc‐α2‐glycoprotein (ZAG) association with obesity‐related insulin resistance.MethodsZAG mRNA and protein were analyzed in subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) and circulation of lean, obese, prediabetic, and type 2 diabetic men; both subcutaneous and visceral AT were explored in lean and extremely obese. Clinical and ex vivo findings were corroborated by results of in vitro ZAG silencing experiment.ResultsSubcutaneous AT ZAG was reduced in obesity, with a trend to further decrease with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. ZAG was 3.3‐fold higher in subcutaneous than in visceral AT of lean individuals. All differences were lost in extreme obesity. Obesity‐associated changes in AT were not paralleled by alterations of circulating ZAG. Subcutaneous AT ZAG correlated with adiposity, adipocyte hypertrophy, whole‐body and AT insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial content, expression of GLUT4, PGC1α, and adiponectin. Subcutaneous AT ZAG and adipocyte size were the only predictors of insulin sensitivity, independent on age and BMI. Silencing ZAG resulted in reduced adiponectin, IRS1, GLUT4, and PGC1α gene expression in primary human adipocytes.ConclusionsZAG in subcutaneous, but not in visceral AT, was markedly reduced in obesity. Clinical, cellular, and molecular evidence indicate that ZAG plays an important role in modulating whole‐body and AT insulin sensitivity.
Next‐generation sequencing: a change of paradigm in molecular diagnostic validation
Authors: Salto‐Tellez Manuel , Gonzalez de Castro David 
Published: April 2014

AbstractNext‐generation sequencing (NGS) is beginning to show its full potential for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In particular, it is enunciating its capacity to contribute to a molecular taxonomy of cancer, to be used as a standard approach for diagnostic mutation detection, and to open new treatment options that are not exclusively organ‐specific. If this is the case, how much validation is necessary and what should be the validation strategy, when bringing NGS into the diagnostic/clinical practice? This validation strategy should address key issues such as: what is the overall extent of the validation? Should essential indicators of test performance such as sensitivity of specificity be calculated for every target or sample type? Should bioinformatic interpretation approaches be validated with the same rigour? What is a competitive clinical turnaround time for a NGS‐based test, and when does it become a cost‐effective testing proposition? While we address these and other related topics in this commentary, we also suggest that a single set of international guidelines for the validation and use of NGS technology in routine diagnostics may allow us all to make a much more effective use of resources. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aberrant self‐renewal and quiescence contribute to the aggressiveness of glioblastoma
Authors: Campos Benito , Gal Zoltan , Baader Aline , Schneider Tilman , Sliwinski Christopher , Gassel Kristina , Bageritz Josephine , Grabe Niels , von Deimling Andreas , Beckhove Philipp , Mogler Carolin , Goidts Violaine , Unterberg Andreas , Eckstein Volker , Herold‐Mende Christel 
Published: April 2014

AbstractCancer cells with enhanced self‐renewal capacity influence tumour growth in glioblastoma. So far, a variety of surrogate markers have been proposed to enrich these cells, emphasizing the need to devise new characterization methods. Here, we screen a large panel of glioblastoma cultures (n = 21) cultivated under stem cell‐permissive conditions and identify several cell lines with enhanced self‐renewal capacity. These cell lines are capable of matrix‐independent growth and form fast‐growing, orthotopic tumours in mice. Employing isolation, re‐plating, and label‐retention techniques, we show that self‐renewal potential of individual cells is partitioned asymmetrically between daughter cells in a robust and cell line‐specific fashion. This yields populations of fast‐ and slow‐cycling cells, which differ in the expression of cell cycle‐associated transcripts. Intriguingly, fast‐growing cells keep their slow‐cycling counterparts in a reversible state of quiescence associated with high chemoresistance. Our results suggest that two different subpopulations of tumour cells contribute to aberrant growth and tumour recurrence after therapy in glioblastoma. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward multiple maximum power point estimation of photovoltaic systems based on semiconductor theory
Authors: Wang Jen‐Cheng , Su Yu‐Li , Kuo Kun‐Chang , Shieh Jyh‐Cherng , Jiang Joe‐Air 
Published: April 2014

AbstractEnvironmental conditions, such as temperature, non‐uniform irradiation, and solar shading, deeply affect the characteristics of photovoltaic (PV) modules in PV‐assisted generation systems. Several local maximum power points (MPPs) are found in the power–voltage curve of PV systems constructed by series/parallel‐connected PV modules under partially shaded conditions. The characteristics of PV systems change unpredictably when multiple MPPs occur, so the actual MPP tracking (MPPT) becomes a difficult task. Conventional MPPT methods for the PV systems under partially shaded conditions cannot quickly find the actual MPP such that the optimal utilization of PV systems cannot be achieved. Based on the p–n junction semiconductor theory, we develop a multipoint direct‐estimation (MPDE) method to directly estimate the multiple MPPs of the PV systems under partially shaded conditions and to cope with the mentioned difficulties. Using the proposed MPDE method, the multiple MPPs of the PV systems under partially shaded conditions can be directly determined from their irradiated current–voltage and power–voltage characteristic curves. The performances of the proposed MPDE method are evaluated by examining the characteristics of multiple MPPs of PV systems with respect to different shading strengths and numbers of the shaded PV modules and also tested using the field data. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed MPDE method can simply and accurately estimate the multiple MPPs of the PV systems under partially shaded conditions. The optimization of MPP control models and the MPPT for PV systems could be achieved promisingly by applying the proposed method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of Ni and Cr impurities on the electronic properties of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells
Authors: Pianezzi Fabian , Nishiwaki Shiro , Kranz Lukas , Sutter‐Fella Carolin M. , Reinhard Patrick , Bissig Benjamin , Hagendorfer Harald , Buecheler Stephan , Tiwari Ayodhya N. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractDeposition of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells on metallic substrate is an attractive approach for development of low cost solar modules. However, in such devices, special care has to be taken to avoid diffusion of impurities, such as Fe, Ni, and Cr, from the substrate into the active layers. In this work, the influence of Ni and Cr impurities on the electronic properties of CIGS thin film solar cells is investigated in detail. Impurities were introduced into the CIGS layer by diffusion during the CIGS deposition process from a Ni or Cr precursor layer below the Mo electrical back contact. A high temperature and a low temperature CIGS deposition process were applied in order to correlate the changes in the photovoltaic parameters with the amount of impurities diffused into the absorber layer. Solar cells with Ni and Cr impurities show a reduction in the device performance, whereas the effect was most pronounced in Ni containing devices. The presence of deep defect levels in the absorber layer was identified with admittance spectroscopy and can be related to Ni and Cr impurities, which diffused into the CIGS layer according to secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth profiles and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gelation characteristics and applications of poly(ethylene glycol) end capped with hydrophobic biodegradable dipeptides
Authors: Krishnan G. Rajesh , Yuan Yuan , Arzumand Ayesha , Sarkar Debanjan 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTPoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) end capped with biodegradable hydrophobic dipeptides shows versatile gelation behavior in a wide range of aqueous and organic solvents. This gelation characteristic is attributed to the aggregation of polymer chains induced by dipeptide end groups. Both PEG molecular weight and molecular structure of end groups control this aggregation by striking a balance between two opposing molecular interactions: solubility of the PEG segment which tends to dissolve the polymer while hydrophobic and intermolecular noncovalent interactions between the end groups induce aggregation. Morphologically, this aggregated structure forms interpenetrating nano sheets with characteristic microstructural features. These gels are biodegradable and possess physicomechanical characteristics suitable for biomedical applications. Furthermore, proteins and hydrophobic model drugs can be encapsulated within the gels from aqueous and organic solvents, respectively, and can be released in a controlled fashion which indicates the applicability of the gels as drug delivery vehicles. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 1917–1928
Self‐immolative nanoparticles triggered by hydrogen peroxide and pH
Authors: Wang Zhijian , Sun Jianbo , Jia Xinru 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTThe azomethine‐based oligomers bearing boronate groups and imine moieties in the main chain were synthesized from a dialdehyde monomer and an aromatic (oligomer 4) diamine or an aliphatic diamine (oligomer 5). Based on the oligomers, the nanoparticles with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and pH dual‐responsive properties were constructed and encapsulated nile red inside. The nanoparticles disassembled either by the trigger of H2O2 or by the attack of H+, thus leading to the release of loaded species. Compared to oligomer 4, oligomer 5 showed a faster degradation rate in the presence of H2O2, especially in a weak acidic environment. No significant cytotoxicity was observed as HeLa cells incubated in the nanoparticles with the concentration up to 200 μg/mL evidenced by cytotoxicity assay in vitro. Such a system capable of dual response of H2O2 and H+ may have potential application as a carrier for drug delivery. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 1962–1969