bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Napping in older people ‘at risk’ of dementia: relationships with depression, cognition, medical burden and sleep quality
Authors: Cross Nathan , Terpening Zoe , Rogers Naomi L. , Duffy Shantel L. , Hickie Ian B. , Lewis Simon J.G. , Naismith Sharon L. 
Published: June 2015

SummarySleep disturbance is prevalent in older adults, particularly so in those at a greater risk of dementia. However, so far the clinical, medical and neuropsychological correlates of daytime sleep have not been examined. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics and effects of napping using actigraphy in older people, particularly in those ‘at risk’ of dementia. The study used actigraphy and sleep diaries to measure napping habits in 133 older adults ‘at risk’ of dementia (mean age = 65.5 years, SD = 8.4 years), who also underwent comprehensive medical, psychiatric and neuropsychological assessment. When defined by actigraphy, napping was present in 83.5% (111/133) of participants; however, duration and timing varied significantly among subjects. Nappers had significantly greater medical burden and body mass index, and higher rates of mild cognitive impairment. Longer and more frequent naps were associated with poorer cognitive functioning, as well as higher levels of depressive symptoms, while the timing of naps was associated with poorer nocturnal sleep quality (i.e. sleep latency and wake after sleep onset). This study highlights that in older adults ‘at risk’ of dementia, napping is associated with underlying neurobiological changes such as depression and cognition. Napping characteristics should be more routinely monitored in older individuals to elucidate their relationship with psychological and cognitive outcomes.
Dynamic Shared‐Taxi Dispatch Algorithm with Hybrid‐Simulated Annealing
Authors: Jung Jaeyoung , Jayakrishnan R. , Park Ji Young 
Published: June 2015

AbstractTaxi is certainly the most popular type of on‐demand transportation service in urban areas because taxi‐dispatching systems offer more and better services in terms of shorter wait times and passenger travel convenience. However, a shortage of taxicabs has always been critical in many urban contexts especially during peak hours, and taxi has great potential to maximize its efficiency by employing the shared‐ride concept. There are recent successes in dynamic ride‐sharing projects that are expected to bring substantial benefits arising from energy consumption and operation efficiency and thus, it is essential to develop advanced shared‐taxi‐dispatch algorithms and investigate the collective benefits of dynamic ride‐sharing by maximizing occupancy and minimizing travel times in real‐time. This article investigates how taxi services can be improved by proposing shared‐taxi algorithms and what type of objective functions and constraints could be employed to prevent excessive passenger detours. Hybrid‐simulated annealing (HSA) is applied to dynamically assign passenger requests efficiently. A series of simulations are conducted with two different taxi operation strategies. The simulation results reveal that allowing ride‐sharing for taxicabs increases productivity over the various demand levels and HSA can be considered as a suitable solution to maximize the system efficiency of dynamic ride‐sharing.
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease manifesting with new‐onset epilepsy in the elderly
Authors: Toyota Tomoko , Huang Zhe , Nohara Souhei , Okada Kazumasa , Kakeda Shingo , Korogi Yukunori , Nakayama Toshiyuki , Sone Jun , Sobue Gen , Adachi Hiroaki 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWe report the case of a 72‐year‐old woman with a first epileptic seizure at the age of 70 years. Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease was subsequently diagnosed based on characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings and intranuclear inclusions on skin biopsy histology. Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease is a rare neurodegenerative disease with a diverse range of clinical manifestations, including epilepsy. It is categorized into three categories: infantile, juvenile and adult forms. Epileptic seizure is the third most common neurological disorder in the elderly after stroke and dementia. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a patient presenting with epileptic seizures as a manifestation of the adult form of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. We further showed intranuclear inclusions in keratinocytes by skin biopsy histology. We report neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease as a cause of new‐onset epilepsy in the elderly.
Characterization of idiopathic esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction
Authors: van Hoeij F. B. , Smout A. J. P. M. , Bredenoord A. J. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBackgroundEsophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow obstruction is a manometric diagnosis, characterized by an elevated relaxation pressure (IRP4) of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and intact or weak peristalsis. The etiology and preferred treatment remain unknown. We describe a large patient cohort in detail, for a better understanding of this rare disorder.MethodsWe included 47 patients, diagnosed with EGJ outflow obstruction on high‐resolution manometry (HRM) between 2012 and December 2014.Key ResultsIdiopathic EGJ outflow obstruction was diagnosed in 34 patients. The majority (91%) of patients presented with retrosternal pain or dysphagia. The median (IQR) for various HRM parameters was IRP4, 18.9 mmHg (18–23); intrabolus pressure (IBP), 8.3 mmHg (5–12) and basal LES pressure, 27.5 mmHg (22–33). Peristaltic breaks were seen in 88% and elevated IBPmax in 74% of patients. No patients had stasis, difficult LES passage or esophageal dilation on endoscopy. Only 7/25 patients (28%) had stasis on barium esophagography. In 26 patients (82%), no treatment was required: 18 had symptoms judged unrelated to outflow obstruction, 5 had spontaneous symptom relief, and 3 declined therapy. Eight patients were treated: five received botox injections with a good but short‐lived effect, three received pneumatic dilatation, of which one was successful. Three patients were diagnosed with achalasia on a subsequent manometry.Conclusions & InferencesPrimary EGJ outflow obstruction has an unclear clinical significance. A substantial part of patients has unrelated symptoms, spontaneous symptom relief, or no stasis. Treated patients showed a beneficial response to botox injections. A small proportion develops achalasia at follow‐up.
Oxygen deficiency and salinity affect cell‐specific ion concentrations in adventitious roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Authors: Kotula Lukasz , Clode Peta L. , Striker Gustavo G. , Pedersen Ole , Läuchli André , Shabala Sergey , Colmer Timothy D. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryOxygen deficiency associated with soil waterlogging adversely impacts root respiration and nutrient acquisition. We investigated the effects of O2deficiency and salinity (100 mM NaCl) on radial O2concentrations and cell‐specific ion distributions in adventitious roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare).Microelectrode profiling measured O2concentrations across roots in aerated, aerated saline, stagnant or stagnant saline media. X‐ray microanalysis at two positions behind the apex determined the cell‐specific elemental concentrations of potassium (K), sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) across roots.Severe O2deficiency occurred in the stele and apical regions of roots in stagnant solutions. O2deficiency in the stele reduced the concentrations of K, Na and Cl in the pericycle and xylem parenchyma cells at the subapical region. Near the root apex, Na declined across the cortex in roots from the aerated saline solution but was relatively high in all cell types in roots from the stagnant saline solution.Oxygen deficiency has a substantial impact on cellular ion concentrations in roots. Both pericycle and xylem parenchyma cells are involved in energy‐dependent K loading into the xylem and in controlling radial Na and Cl transport. At root tips, accumulation of Na in the outer cell layers likely contributed to reduction of Na in inner cells of the tips.
Oculo‐visual changes and clinical considerations affecting older patients with dementia
Authors: Armstrong Richard , Kergoat Hélène 
Published: June 2015

AbstractPurposeDementia is associated with various alterations of the eye and visual function. Over 60% of cases are attributable to Alzheimer's disease, a significant proportion of the remainder to vascular dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies, while frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease dementia are less common. This review describes the oculo‐visual problems of these five dementias and the pathological changes which may explain these symptoms. It further discusses clinical considerations to help the clinician care for older patients affected by dementia.Recent findingsVisual problems in dementia include loss of visual acuity, defects in colour vision and visual masking tests, changes in pupillary response to mydriatics, defects in fixation and smooth and saccadic eye movements, changes in contrast sensitivity function and visual evoked potentials, and disturbance of complex visual functions such as in reading ability, visuospatial function, and the naming and identification of objects. Pathological changes have also been reported affecting the crystalline lens, retina, optic nerve, and visual cortex. Clinically, issues such as cataract surgery, correcting the refractive error, quality of life, falls, visual impairment and eye care for dementia have been addressed.SummaryMany visual changes occur across dementias, are controversial, often based on limited patient numbers, and no single feature can be regarded as diagnostic of any specific dementia. Nevertheless, visual hallucinations may be more characteristic of dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia than Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia. Differences in saccadic eye movement dysfunction may also help to distinguish Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's disease dementia from dementia with Lewy bodies. Eye care professionals need to keep informed of the growing literature in vision/dementia, be attentive to signs and symptoms suggestive of cognitive impairment, and be able to adapt their practice and clinical interventions to best serve patients with dementia.
Correlates of rigorous and credible transnational governance: A cross‐sectoral analysis of best practice compliance in eco‐labeling
Authors: van der Ven Hamish 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe number of eco‐labeling schemes is rising dramatically, yet the rigor and credibility of such schemes remains uneven. Whereas some eco‐labeling organizations (ELOs) comply with best practice guidelines designed to increase the credibility of their standards through attention to good operating principles, such as transparency and impartiality, others do not. Within this article, I attempt to explain this variation through multivariate regression analysis of an original cross‐sectoral dataset of transnational ELO policies and practices. I find compelling evidence to suggest that ELOs with environmental non‐governmental organization (ENGO) partners, nonprofit structures, or broad transnational reach are most likely to comply with best practices. I also find that private ELOs are more likely to disregard best practices than public ones. Conversely, I find little evidence that levels of industry funding or sector‐specific competition dynamics affect best practice compliance. This study contributes new data, a new method of comparison, and new findings to the growing literature on transnational governance.
Antidrug Antibodies: B Cell Immunity Against Therapy
Authors: Fogdell‐Hahn A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractChronic inflammatory diseases are now treated with a range of different biopharmaceuticals, often requiring lifelong parenteral administrations. This exposure to drugs is unnatural and can trigger the immune system and result in the formation of antidrug antibodies. Drug‐specific antibodies will, if of sufficiently high titre and affinity, block the intended effect of the drug, increase its clearance and make continued treatment worthless. We expect the immune system to react towards therapies against which tolerance has never been established, which is the case for factor VIII treatment in patients with haemophilia A. However, even biopharmaceutical molecules that we should be tolerant against can elicit antidrug antibodies, for instance in treatment of multiple sclerosis patients with recombinant human interferon‐beta. Possible immunological mechanisms behind the breaking of tolerance against drugs, the impact this has on continuous treatment success, clinical practice and drug development, will be discussed in this review.
Foraging in Semantic Fields: How We Search Through Memory
Authors: Hills Thomas T. , Todd Peter M. , Jones Michael N. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWhen searching for concepts in memory—as in the verbal fluency task of naming all the animals one can think of—people appear to explore internal mental representations in much the same way that animals forage in physical space: searching locally within patches of information before transitioning globally between patches. However, the definition of the patches being searched in mental space is not well specified. Do we search by activating explicit predefined categories (e.g., pets) and recall items from within that category (categorical search), or do we activate and recall a connected sequence of individual items without using categorical information, with each item recalled leading to the retrieval of an associated item in a stream (associative search), or both? Using semantic representations in a search of associative memory framework and data from the animal fluency task, we tested competing hypotheses based on associative and categorical search models. Associative, but not categorical, patch transitions took longer to make than position‐matched productions, suggesting that categorical transitions were not true transitions. There was also clear evidence of associative search even within categorical patch boundaries. Furthermore, most individuals' behavior was best explained by an associative search model without the addition of categorical information. Thus, our results support a search process that does not use categorical information, but for which patch boundaries shift with each recall and local search is well described by a random walk in semantic space, with switches to new regions of the semantic space when the current region is depleted.
Febrile reaction associated with the infusion of haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells: incidence, clinical features, and risk factors
Authors: Chen Yao , Huang Xiao‐Jun , Wang Yu , Liu Kai‐Yan , Chen Huan , Chen Yu‐Hong , Zhang Xiao‐Hui , Wang Feng‐Rong , Han Wei , Wang Jing‐Zhi , Yan Chen‐Hua , Zhang Yuan‐Yuan , Sun Yu‐Qian , Xu Lan‐Ping 
Published: June 2015

BACKGROUNDWe reported febrile reaction after the infusion of haploidentical peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). The aim of this study was to better characterize this new clinical entity named by infusion‐related febrile reaction (IRFR).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA retrospective analysis of 490 patients received allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) between October 2009 and December 2011 at our institution.RESULTSThe distribution of transplant type was 173 patients in HLA‐identical siblings, 30 in unrelated, and 287 in haploidentical. IRFR was defined as unexplained fever of more than 38°C within 24 hours after the infusion of allogeneic PBSCs. We did not observe any IRFRs in patients undergoing HLA‐identical sibling and unrelated transfusions. After excluding patients with a known source of infection, we classified haploidentical patients into IRFR and non‐IRFR groups. Eighty‐eight patients (30.7%) of 287 cases after the infusion of haploidentical PBSCs were diagnosed as IRFRs, chills in 3.5% (10/88), diarrhea in 21.6% (19/88), an erythematous skin rash in 0.3% (1/88), hypoxemia in 1.0% (3/88), and no other accompanying symptoms in 62.5% (55/88). Significantly higher elevation of C‐reactive protein and complement C3 was seen in the IRFR group compared with the non‐IRFR group. Multivariate analysis showed higher CD34+ dose was a significant predictor for IRFR (p=0.023; hazard ratio = 1.848; 95% confidence interval, 1.087‐3.142).CONCLUSIONAs a clinical feature belonging to haploidentical SCT, IRFR was associated with the higher numbers of CD34+ from PBSCs.
Comparative effectiveness of a bioengineered living cellular construct vs. a dehydrated human amniotic membrane allograft for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers in a real world setting
Authors: Kirsner Robert S. , Sabolinski Michael L. , Parsons Nathan B. , Skornicki Michelle , Marston William A. 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the comparative effectiveness of a bioengineered living cellular construct (BLCC) and a dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft (dHACM) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Using a wound care–specific electronic medical record database, we assessed real‐world outcomes in 218 patients with 226 DFUs receiving treatment in 2014 at 99 wound care centers. The analysis included DFUs ≥1 and <25 cm2 with duration <=1 year and area reduction ≤20% in 14 days prior to treatment (N=163, BLCC; N=63, dHACM). The average baseline areas and durations were 6.0 cm2 and 4.4 months for BLCC and 5.2 cm2 and 4.6 months for dHACM, respectively. Patients treated with dHACM had more applications compared to those treated with BLCC (median 3.0 vs. 2.0) (p=0.003). A Cox model adjusted for key covariates including area and duration found the median time to closure for BLCC was 13.3 weeks compared to 26 weeks for dHACM, and the proportion of wounds healed were significantly higher for BLCC by 12 weeks (48% vs. 28%) and 24 weeks (72% vs. 47%) (p=0.01). Treatment with a bioengineered living cellular technology increased the probability of healing by 97% compared with a dehydrated amniotic membrane (hazard ratio = 1.97 [95% confidence interval 1.17, 3.33], p=0.01).
Interactions between local dilator and sympathetic vasoconstrictor influences in skeletal muscle in acute and chronic hypoxia
Authors: Marshall Janice M. 
Published: June 2015

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?
This review considers how local dilator mechanisms and increased sympathetic nerve activity interact during acute systemic hypoxia and then reviews current understanding of some of the modifications induced by chronic hypoxia.

What advances does it highlight?
During acute hypoxia, local levels of hypoxia determine the release of vasodilators and magnitude of arteriolar dilatation, as well as the extent to which sympathetically evoked vasoconstriction is blunted, so maximizing distribution of O2 to muscle fibres. Chronic hypoxia in adult life and fetal programming induced by chronic hypoxia in utero lead to increased responsiveness to acute hypoxia and further blunting of sympathetic vasoconstriction, but are also associated with hypertension.

In resting skeletal muscle, acute systemic hypoxia evokes vasodilatation, while vasoconstriction evoked by increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity is blunted, referred to herein as hypoxic sympatholysis. This review considers the contributions of adenosine, prostaglandin I2, nitric oxide, ATP and endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factors to the muscle vasodilatation, with particular attention being given to the release and actions of adenosine, which plays a dominant role. It is argued that the dilator substances are released in proportion to the local level of hypoxia, notably, allowing terminal arterioles to regulate O2 distribution through the capillaries. Correspondingly, hypoxic sympatholysis can be attributed to the ability of local hypoxia to blunt vasoconstriction evoked by noradrenaline acting on α1‐ and α2‐adrenoceptors. The synergistic actions of ATP as cotransmitter may be depressed in parallel, but the actions of neuropeptide Y persist. Consideration is also given to the changes induced by chronic hypoxia in adult life and to the consequences in adult life of fetal programming induced by chronic hypoxia during pregnancy. In both conditions, dilator responsiveness to acute hypoxia is maintained, but the action or release of adenosine is altered in ways that are not yet understood. Both conditions are also accompanied by blunted sympathetically evoked vasoconstriction, tonically raised muscle sympathetic nerve activity, and increased muscular vascular tone and arterial blood pressure. With hypoxia‐induced fetal programming, arterial pressure is increased in young adults and increases with age. The mechanisms underlying these changes are discussed, and it is argued that chronic hypoxia in adult life or in utero may facilitate development of hypertension.
Facilitation of breathing by leptin effects in the central nervous system
Authors: Bassi M. , Furuya W. I. , Zoccal D. B. , Menani J. V. , Colombari D. S. A. , Mulkey D. K. , Colombari E. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWith the global epidemic of obesity, breathing disorders associated with excess body weight have markedly increased. Respiratory dysfunctions caused by obesity were originally attributed to mechanical factors; however, recent studies have suggested a pathophysiological component that involves the central nervous system (CNS) and hormones such as leptin produced by adipocytes as well as other cells. Leptin is suggested to stimulate breathing and leptin deficiency causes an impairment of the chemoreflex, which can be reverted by leptin therapy. This facilitation of the chemoreflex may depend on the action of leptin in the hindbrain areas involved in the respiratory control such as the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), a site that receives chemosensory afferents, and the ventral surface of the medulla that includes the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), a central chemosensitive area, and the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Although the mechanisms and pathways activated by leptin to facilitate breathing are still not completely clear, evidence suggests that the facilitatory effects of leptin on breathing require the brain melanocortin system, including the POMC–MC4R pathway, a mechanism also activated by leptin to modulate blood pressure. The results of all the studies that have investigated the effect of leptin on breathing suggest that disruption of leptin signalling as caused by obesity‐induced reduction of central leptin function (leptin resistance) is a relevant mechanism that may contribute to respiratory dysfunctions associated with obesity.
image