bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using Multiple Measures to Document Change in English Vowels Produced by Japanese, Korean, and Spanish Speakers: The Case for Goodness and Intelligibility
Authors: Franklin Amber D. , Stoel-Gammon Carol 
Published: July 2014

PurposeThis study examined the effectiveness of using goodness ratings and intelligibility scores to document changes in vowel production following pronunciation training. The relationship between listener perceptions of goodness and intelligibility was also examined.MethodFifteen English language learner speakers (5 Japanese, 5 Korean, and 5 Spanish) participated in 16 sessions of vowel-focused pronunciation training. Pre- and posttraining judgments of 10 English vowels in /hVt/ context were conducted by 25 monolingual English speakers who served as listeners. Listeners judged vowel intelligibility using a 10-alternative forced-choice task and rated goodness using a 5-point Likert scale.ResultsGoodness ratings and intelligibility scores captured improvement in the accuracy of several vowels following training. However, some vowels that received better mean intelligibility scores received poorer mean goodness ratings following training. The relationship between goodness ratings and intelligibility scores revealed that vowels such as /æ/ and /ʌ/ were more dependent on goodness for intelligibility than vowels such as /i/ and /e/, which were highly intelligible even when they received poor goodness ratings.ConclusionEnglish vowels differ with respect to the importance of goodness for accurate identification by listeners. As such, clinicians should examine both goodness and intelligibility when measuring change following pronunciation training.
Pyrosequencing analysis of microbiota reveals that lactic acid bacteria are dominant in Korean flat fish fermented food,gajami-sikhae
Authors: Kim Hyo Jin , Kim Min-Jeong , Turner Timothy Lee , Kim Bong-Soo , Song Kyung-Mo , Yi Sung Hun , Lee Myung-Ki 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThe gajami-sikhae, traditional Korean cuisine fermented with flat fish, samples were collected from eight different manufacturers (GS1–GS8). We employed pyrosequencing method to analyze the bacterial communities of the gajami-sikhae samples. Family- and genus-level analyses indicated that the bacterial community compositions of GS3 and GS6 were distinct from those of the rest. The species-level structures of bacterial communities of the gajami-sikhae samples except for GS3 and GS6 featured Lactobacillus sakei as the most abundant species. Leuconostoc mesenteroides was revealed as the most dominant species among the bacterial community of GS6 and the bacterial community of GS3 was composed of various lactic acid bacteria. We employed a culture-based method to isolate beneficial strains from the gajami-sikhae samples. However, most of the 47 selected colonies were identified as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. This study indicated that gajami-sikhae was mainly composed of many beneficial lactic acid bacteria.
Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Bender David 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Nutrition is a topic of wide interest and importance. In spite of a growing understanding of the underlying biochemistry, and health campaigns such as ‘five-a-day’, increasing obesity and reported food allergies and eating disorders, as well as the widely advertised ‘supposed’ benefits of food supplements mean that a clear explanation of the basic principles of a healthy diet are vital. Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction explains the basic elements of food, the balance between energy intake and exercise, the problems of over- and under-nutrition, and raises the question of the safety of nutritional supplements.
The main sequence of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 0.6: reinstating major mergers
Authors: Puech M. , Hammer F. , Rodrigues M. , Fouquet S. , Flores H. , Disseau K. 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
The relation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the stellar mass of star-forming galaxies has been used to argue that major mergers cannot be the main driver of star formation. Here, we re-examine these arguments using the representative IMAGES-CDFS sample of star-forming galaxies at z = 0.4–0.75, taking advantage of their previously established classification into pre-fusion, fusion, and relaxing galaxy mergers. Contrary to previous claims, we show there is no tension between the main-sequence scatter and the average duration of the fusion SFR peak. We confirm previous estimates of the fraction of SFR due to morphologically selected galaxies (∼23 per cent) or the SFR enhancement due to major merger during the fusion phase (∼10 per cent). However, galaxy mergers are not instantaneous processes, which implies that the total fraction of the SFR associated with galaxies undergoing major mergers must account for the three merger phases. When doing so, galaxies involved in major mergers are found to represent 53–88 per cent of the total SFR at z ∼ 0.6. The fraction of luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) in the fusion phase is found to be in agreement with the observed morphological fraction of LIRGs without discs and with the observed and expected major merger rates at z ≤ 1.5.
Modeling Individual Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Rats and the Effects of Parturition
Authors: Aschenbrenner Carol A. , Houle Timothy T. , Gutierrez Silvia , Eisenach James C. 
Published: July 2014

Abstract

Background:
Recovery from pain after surgery exhibits large interindividual variability, with very slow recovery equated to chronic pain. Surgical injury in the postpartum period modestly increases initial recovery after major nerve injury. In this study, the authors use a nerve injury that recovers over 2 to 3 months and apply growth curve modeling to further understand the effect of the postpartum period on speed of recovery.

Methods:
Withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulus on the hind paw was determined in 41 Sprague–Dawley rats before and for 10 weeks after partial spinal nerve ligation. Age-matched male and female rats and postpartum females with pups or those separated from pups at delivery were studied. Growth curve analyses were applied to model recovery after surgery despite varying timing of measurements across groups and missing data, and these results were compared with those of two-way repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results:
The recovery time course was similar between males and females. In contrast, recovery was hastened in the postpartum groups, with nonoverlapping 95% CIs of modeled trajectories between days 6 and 66 after surgery. CIs were more precise at most time periods with growth curve analysis compared with ANOVA.

Conclusions:
The authors describe a method of analysis to quantify recovery from hypersensitivity after surgery in rats with several distinct advantages over traditionally used methods. Study results do not support a sex difference in trajectory of recovery but confirm and extend previous observations that injury at the time of obstetric delivery is associated with an abnormally rapid recovery.
Factored solution of nonlinear equation systems
Authors: Gómez-Expósito Antonio 
Published: July 2014

This article generalizes a recently introduced procedure to solve nonlinear systems of equations, radically departing from the conventional Newton–Raphson scheme. The original nonlinear system is first unfolded into three simpler components: (i) an underdetermined linear system, (ii) a one-to-one nonlinear mapping with explicit inverse, and (iii) an overdetermined linear system. Then, instead of solving such an augmented system at once, a two-step procedure is proposed in which two equation systems are solved at each iteration, one of them involving the same symmetric matrix throughout the solution process. The resulting factored algorithm converges faster than Newton's method and, if carefully implemented, can be computationally competitive for large-scale systems. It can also be advantageous for dealing with infeasible cases.
Trichothiodystrophy group A: A first Japanese patient with a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in the GTF2H5 gene
Authors: Moriwaki Shinichi , Saruwatari Hiroshi , Kanzaki Tamotsu , Kanekura Takuro , Minoshima Shinsei 
Published: July 2014

AbstractTrichothiodystrophy group A (TTD‐A) is one of the three types of photosensitive TTD and is a very rare genodermatosis with deficient post‐ultraviolet (UV) DNA repair. We herein describe the first Japanese case with a novel mutation in the GTF2H5 gene responsible for TTD‐A. A 5‐year‐old male, born as a collodion baby from healthy non‐consanguineous parents, exhibited sun sensitivity, brittle hair, ichthyosis, cataracts and mental/physical retardation. He demonstrated neither neurological abnormalities nor pigmentary changes following sun exposure. The patient's primary fibroblasts were hypersensitive to killing by UV (D0 = 1.5 J/m2), and the post‐UV unscheduled DNA synthesis was 13% of normal. A host cell reactivation complementation analysis showed a decreased DNA capacity without recovery after transfecting any xeroderma pigmentosum genes. We identified a novel homozygous mutation (c.166G>T) in the coding region of the GTF2H5 gene that resulted in a predicted amino acid change: p.E55X. Thus far, only one Japanese case of TTD with a mutation of the XPD gene had been reported. The present case is the first of TTD‐A and the second case of TTD in Japan, suggesting that it is necessary to differentiate TTD from other photosensitive disorders, although the incidence of TTD is very low in Japan compared to that observed in Western countries.
Comparison of standard triple therapy, sequential therapy and moxifloxacin‐based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection: Patients' compliance and bacterial eradication rates
Authors: Rakici Halil , Akdoğan Remzi Adnan , Bedir Recep , Copur Aysegul , Yilmaz Arif 
Published: July 2014

ObjectiveTo compare the patients' compliance with and the efficacy of existing treatments for Helicobacter pylori eradication, including moxifloxacin‐based triple therapy, sequential treatment and the standard treatment.MethodsPatients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to three therapy groups. The triple therapy (MML) group was given moxifloxacin 400 mg/day, metronidazole 500 mg b.i.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. for 10 days. The sequential treatment (AL‐CML) group was administrated amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. for the first 5 days, followed by clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d., metronidazole 500 mg b.i.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. for the second 5 days. The standard treatment (CAL) group received amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. for 14 days. The eradication rates were evaluated by per‐protocol (PP) analysis and intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis.ResultsThe eradication rates were 87.1, 85.9 and 85.2% by PP analysis and 87.1, 84.9 and 84.2% by ITT analysis in the MML, AL‐CML and CAL group, respectively, and patients' compliance rates were 98.2, 96.5 and 97.1%, respectively. There were no significant differences in treatment efficacy and compliance rates in the MML, AL‐CML and CAL groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThe present study revealed that standard triple therapy, sequential therapy and moxifloxacin‐based triple therapy are all effective treatment regimens in terms of H. pylori eradication rates and compliance with therapy in Turkey.
Impact of night sleep duration on glycemic and triglyceride levels in Chinese with different glycemic status 不同血糖水平的中国人群的夜晚睡眠时间对血糖和甘油三酯水平的影响
Authors: Zheng Yu , Wang Anping , Pan Changyu , Lu Juming , Dou Jingtao , Lu Zhaohui , Ba Jianming , Wang Baoan , Mu Yiming 
Published: July 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between night sleep duration and glycemic and triglyceride (TG) levels among people with different glycemic status.MethodsIn all, 18 121 subjects aged ≥40 years were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study, including 4318 with impaired glucose regulation (IGR), 4225 with diabetes, and 9578 with normal glucose regulation (NGR). The IGR + diabetes and NGR groups were divided into three subgroups according to self‐reported night sleep duration as follows: (i) <6 h; (ii) 6–9 h; and (iii) >9 h. The associations of sleep duration with HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2‐h post‐load plasma glucose (PPG), and TG levels were examined.ResultsLong night sleep duration (>9 h) was associated with higher HbA1c, FPG, PPG, and TG levels compared with sleep duration of 6–9 h (P < 0.01 for all) in the IGR + diabetes group, but not in the NGR group. This association was adjusted for potential confounders, including body mass index and depressive symptoms, and remained significant even after adjusting for snoring. A significant interaction between sleep duration and TG or snoring was observed for HbA1c levels, which attenuated the sleep–HbA1c association in the IGR + diabetes group. However, no significant association was observed between short night sleep duration and HbA1c levels.ConclusionsLong night sleep duration is associated with higher HbA1c, FPG, PPG, and TG levels in IGR and diabetes patients, independent of potential confounders. This may be important in clinical management of IGR and diabetes patients.
Asymmetrasca decedens (Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae), a natural vector of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’
Authors: Abou‐Jawdah Y. , Abdel Sater A. , Jawhari M. , Sobh H. , Abdul‐Nour H. , Bianco P.A. , Molino Lova M. , Alma A. 
Published: July 2014

Abstract‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’ is associated with a lethal disease of almond, peach and nectarine named almond witches'‐broom disease (AlmWB). The disease spread rapidly in Lebanon from coastal areas to elevations exceeding 1200 m, killing over 150,000 trees in a span of two decades. The mode of spread suggested the involvement of efficient vector(s) and Asymmetrasca decedens (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) was suspected as it is the most abundant leafhopper species present in Lebanese stone fruit orchards. Living A. decedens specimens were collected from fields heavily infested by AlmWB and used in transmission trials on healthy peach almond hybrid GF‐677 and peach GF‐305 seedlings with an inoculation‐access period of 30 days. PCR analysis supported by sequencing showed that A. decedens is a carrier of the phytoplasma, and that the phytoplasma was detected in insect salivary glands and in some inoculated GF‐677 and GF‐305 seedlings. One year post‐inoculation, ‘Ca. P. phoenicium’ was detected in newly emergent leaves of inoculated seedlings. However, the characteristic symptoms of witches'‐broom were not observed. PCR amplified fragments from phytoplasma‐positive seedlings and from A. decedens samples showed 99.9% nucleotide identity in their 16S RNA region and phylogenetic analysis using a neighbour jointing tree confirmed that the phytoplasmas detected in both insects and inoculated seedlings belonged to 16SrIX‐B (D). The present manuscript is the first known report for a leafhopper vector of ‘Ca. P. phoenicium’ and shows that the incubation period of the disease in plants may be longer than 1 year. The importance of phytosanitary control measures, the adoption of a national strategy and regional cooperation in order to contain the further spread of the disease are discussed.
Does stage tailoring matter in brief alcohol interventions for job‐seekers? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Freyer‐Adam Jennis , Baumann Sophie , Schnuerer Inga , Haberecht Katja , Bischof Gallus , John Ulrich , Gaertner Beate 
Published: July 2014

AbstractAimsTo investigate whether or not a stage tailored intervention is more effective than a non‐stage tailored intervention of the same intensity in reducing alcohol use among job‐seekers with unhealthy alcohol use, and whether initial motivation to change is a moderator of efficacy.DesignA three‐group randomized controlled trial with 3‐, 6‐ and 15‐month follow‐ups.SettingThree job agencies in Germany.ParticipantsA total of 1243 job‐seekers with unhealthy alcohol use were randomized to (i) stage tailored intervention based on the transtheoretical model of change (ST), (ii) non‐stage tailored intervention based on the theory of planned behaviour (NST) and (iii) assessment only (controls). Participants received feedback letters and manuals at baseline and 3 months later.MeasurementsPiecewise latent growth models were calculated measuring change in ‘alcohol use’ from baseline to month 3 (active intervention phase) and from months 3 to 15 (post‐intervention phase, primary outcome). Motivation to change was included as a 4‐point continuous measure.FindingsAll groups reduced alcohol use from months 0 to 3 (controls: mean = −0.866, NST: mean = −0.883, ST: mean = −0.718, Ps ≤ 0.001). Post‐intervention (months 3–15), low‐motivated individuals in the ST group showed a greater reduction than those in the control group (β = 0.135, P = 0.039, Cohen's d = 0.42) and in the NST group (β = 0.180, P = 0.009, Cohen's d = 0.55). In contrast, compared to the ST group (β = 0.030, P = 0.361), alcohol use decreased more strongly with higher initial motivation in the NST group (β = −0.118, P = 0.010).ConclusionsAmong job‐seekers with high levels of alcohol consumption, an intervention tailored to motivational ‘stage of change’ was more effective than a non‐stage tailored intervention for reducing alcohol use 15 months after baseline assessment in participants with low initial motivation to change.
New insights into polar overdominance in callipyge sheep
Authors: Bidwell C. A. , Waddell J. N. , Taxis T. M. , Yu H. , Tellam R. L. , Neary M. K. , Cockett N. E. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryThe callipyge phenotype in sheep involves substantial postnatal muscle hypertrophy and other changes to carcass composition. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the DLK1–DIO3 imprinted gene cluster alters gene expression of the paternal allele‐specific protein‐coding genes and several maternal allele‐specific long noncoding RNA and microRNA when the mutation is inherited in cis. The inheritance pattern of the callipyge phenotype is polar overdominant because muscle hypertrophy only occurs in heterozygous animals that inherit a normal maternal allele and the callipyge SNP on the paternal allele (+/C). We examined the changes of gene expression of four major transcripts from the DLK1–DIO3 cluster and four myosin isoforms during the development of muscle hypertrophy in the semimembranosus as well as in the supraspinatus that does not undergo hypertrophy. The homozygous (C/C) animals had an intermediate gene expression pattern for the paternal allele‐specific genes and two myosin isoforms, indicating a biological activity that was insufficient to change muscle mass. Transcriptome analysis was conducted by RNA sequencing in the four callipyge genotypes. The data show that homozygous animals (C/C) have lower levels of gene expression at many loci relative to the other three genotypes. A number of the downregulated genes are putative targets of the maternal allele‐specific microRNA with gene ontology, indicating regulatory and cell signaling functions. These results suggest that the trans‐effect of the maternal noncoding RNA and associated miRNA is to stabilize the expression of a number of regulatory genes at a functional, but low level to make the myofibers of homozygous (C/C) lambs less responsive to hypertrophic stimuli of the paternal allele‐specific genes.
Comparative epigenetics: relevance to the regulation of production and health traits in cattle
Authors: Doherty Rachael , Farrelly Cliona O' , Meade Kieran G. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryWith the development of genomic, transcriptomic and bioinformatic tools, recent advances in molecular technologies have significantly impacted bovine bioscience research and are revolutionising animal selection and breeding. Integration of epigenetic information represents yet another challenging molecular frontier. Epigenetics is the study of biochemical modifications to DNA and to histones, the proteins that provide stability to DNA. These epigenetic changes are induced by environmental stimuli; they alter gene expression and are potentially heritable. Epigenetics research holds the key to understanding how environmental factors contribute to phenotypic variation in traits of economic importance in cattle including development, nutrition, behaviour and health. In this review, we discuss the potential applications of epigenetics in bovine research, using breakthroughs in human and murine research to signpost the way.
Association between an alternative promoter polymorphism and sperm deformity rate is due to modulation of the expression of KATNAL1 transcripts in Chinese Holstein bulls
Authors: Zhang X. , Wang C. , Zhang Y. , Ju Z. , Qi C. , Wang X. , Huang J. , Zhang S. , Li J. , Zhong J. , Shi F. 
Published: July 2014

SummaryKatanin p60 subunit A‐like 1 (KATNAL1) is an ATPase that regulates Sertoli cell microtubule dynamics and sperm retention. We evaluated one novel splice variant and characterized the promoter and a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the bovine KATNAL1 gene to explore its expression pattern, possible regulatory mechanism and relationship with semen traits in Chinese Holstein bulls. A novel splice variant, KATNAL1 transcript variant 2 (KATNAL1‐TV2) of the retained 68 bp in intron 2, was identified by RT‐PCR and compared with KATNAL1 transcript variant 1 (KATNAL1‐TV1, NM 001192918.1) in various tissues. Bioinformatics analyses predicted that KATNAL1 transcription was regulated by two promoters: P1 in KATNAL1‐TV1 and P2 in KATNAL1‐TV2. Results of qRT‐PCR revealed that KATNAL1‐TV1 had higher expression than did KATNAL1‐TV2 in testes of adult bulls (P < 0.05). Promoter luciferase activity analysis suggested that the core sequences of P1 and P2 were mapped to the region of c.‐575˜c.‐180 and c.163‐40˜c.333+59 respectively. One novel SNP (c.163‐210T>C, ss836312085) located in intron 1 was found using sequence alignment. The SNP in P2 resulted in the presence of the DeltaE binding site, improving its basal promoter activity (P < 0.05); and we observed a greater sperm deformity rate in bulls with the genotype CC than in those with the genotype TT (P < 0.05), which indicated that different genotypes were associated with the bovine semen traits. Bioinformatics analysis of the KATNAL1 protein sequence predicted that the loss of the MIT domain in the KATNAL1‐TV2 transcript resulted in protein dysfunction. These findings help us to understand that a functional SNP in P2 and subsequent triggering of expression diversity of KATNAL1 transcripts are likely to play an important role with regard to semen traits in bull breeding programs.
Anti‐Müllerian hormone in premenopausal women following treatment of uterine cervical cancer
Authors: Hallqvist Everhov Åsa , Bergmark Karin , Smedby Karin E. , Lindén Hirschberg Angelica , Flöter Rådestad Angelique 
Published: July 2014

AbstractIn this longitudinal study we prospectively enrolled 32 premenopausal women (ages 23–44 years) with stage I–III uterine cervical cancer undergoing surgery and/or chemoradiation. Serum levels of anti‐Müllerian hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone and estradiol were examined at baseline and 1 year after treatment. As expected, serum anti‐Müllerian hormone was undetectable after salpingo‐oophorectomy or chemoradiation. After radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with ovarian preservation serum anti‐Müllerian hormone declined from a mean value of 2.0 ± 1.4 μg/L to 1.1 ± 0.8 μg/L (p = 0.01), representing a 45% reduction, whereas there was no significant change in serum levels of follicle‐stimulating hormone and estradiol. This implies that ovarian function may be affected not only by castrating treatment but also by radical hysterectomy with ovarian preservation. The risk of premature menopause and the potential need of hormone replacement therapy among these women may be overlooked since they no longer menstruate.