bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Awareness of Executive Deficits in People with Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Kudlicka Aleksandra , Clare Linda , Hindle John V. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractExecutive functioning is frequently impaired among people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Little is known about awareness of executive functioning, in the sense of being able to accurately appraise functioning or performance, in people with PD, or about whether awareness is particularly affected in those who have impaired executive functioning. This study explored awareness of executive functioning at the levels of evaluative judgment (comparison of self- and informant ratings of executive functioning), and performance monitoring (comparison of performance on cognitive tests and self-ratings of that performance). Awareness levels were assessed in people with PD with and without executive deficits, and in healthy controls. When the level of agreement between self- and informant ratings was considered, people with PD in both groups appeared as accurate in evaluating their overall executive functioning as healthy controls. When appraising their performance as the specific tasks were completed, people with PD who had impairments in executive functioning appeared less accurate than controls and people with PD without executive impairments. People with PD who have executive deficits may lack the ability to recognize their limitations while performing specific tasks, which may have implications for their functional abilities. (JINS, 2013,19, 1–12.)
A Motion Correction Framework for Time Series Sequences in Microscopy Images
Authors: Kumar Ankur N. , Short Kurt W. , Piston David W. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWith the advent of in vivo laser scanning fluorescence microscopy techniques, time-series and three-dimensional volumes of living tissue and vessels at micron scales can be acquired to firmly analyze vessel architecture and blood flow. Analysis of a large number of image stacks to extract architecture and track blood flow manually is cumbersome and prone to observer bias. Thus, an automated framework to accomplish these analytical tasks is imperative. The first initiative toward such a framework is to compensate for motion artifacts manifest in these microscopy images. Motion artifacts in in vivo microscopy images are caused by respiratory motion, heart beats, and other motions from the specimen. Consequently, the amount of motion present in these images can be large and hinders further analysis of these images. In this article, an algorithmic framework for the correction of time-series images is presented. The automated algorithm is comprised of a rigid and a nonrigid registration step based on shape contexts. The framework performs considerably well on time-series image sequences of the islets of Langerhans and provides for the pivotal step of motion correction in the further automatic analysis of microscopy images.
The metalloproteases meprin α and meprin β: unique enzymes in inflammation, neurodegeneration, cancer and fibrosis
Authors: Broder Claudia , Becker-Pauly Christoph 
Published: February 2013

The metalloproteases meprin α and meprin β exhibit structural and functional features that are unique among all extracellular proteases. Although meprins were discovered more than 30 years ago, their precise substrates and physiological roles have been elusive. Both enzymes were originally found to be highly expressed in kidney and intestine, which focused research on these particular tissues and associated pathologies. Only recently it has become evident that meprins exhibit a much broader expression pattern, implicating functions in angiogenesis, cancer, inflammation, fibrosis and neurodegenerative diseases. Different animal models, as well as proteomics approaches for the identification of protease substrates, have helped to reveal more precise molecular signalling events mediated by meprin activity, such as activation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. APP (amyloid precursor protein) is cleaved by meprin β in vivo, reminiscent of the β-secretase BACE1 (β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1). The subsequent release of Aβ (amyloid β) peptides is thought to be the major cause of the neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease. On the other hand, ADAM10 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain 10), which is the constitutive α-secretase, was shown to be activated by meprin β, which is itself shed from the cell surface by ADAM10. In skin, both meprins are overexpressed in fibrotic tumours, characterized by massive accumulation of fibrillar collagens. Indeed, procollagen III is processed to its mature form by meprin α and meprin β, an essential step in collagen fibril assembly. The recently solved crystal structure of meprin β and the unique cleavage specificity of these proteases identified by proteomics will help to generate specific inhibitors that could be used as therapeutics to target meprins under certain pathological conditions.
Histone deacetylases as targets for treatment of multiple diseases
Authors: Tang Jinhua , Yan Haidong , Zhuang Shougang 
Published: February 2013

HDACs (histone deacetylases) are a group of enzymes that deacetylate histones as well as non-histone proteins. They are known as modulators of gene transcription and are associated with proliferation and differentiation of a variety of cell types and the pathogenesis of some diseases. Recently, HDACs have come to be considered crucial targets in various diseases, including cancer, interstitial fibrosis, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and metabolic disorders. Pharmacological inhibitors of HDACs have been used or tested to treat those diseases. In the present review, we will examine the application of HDAC inhibitors in a variety of diseases with the focus on their effects of anti-cancer, fibrosis, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory activity and regulating metabolic disorders.
Cultivars and rootstocks.
Authors: Crane J. H. , Douhan G. , Faber B. A. , Arpaia M. L. , Bender G. S. , Balerdi C. F. , Barrientos-Priego A. F. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the various avocado cultivars and rootstocks belonging to 2 main ecological groups, those adapted to subtropical climates and those best adapted to tropical lowland and warm to hot subtropical climates. Descriptions and attributes of these avocado cultivars and rootstocks are presented and the importance of breeding new cultivars with Phytophthora root rot resistance and desirable horticultural attributes for varying conditions is also discussed.
Biotechnology.
Authors: Pliego-Alfaro F. , Barceló-Muñoz A. , López-Gómez R. , Ibarra-Laclette E. , Herrera-Estrella L. , Palomo-Ríos E. , Mercado J. A. , Litz R. E. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role of biotechnology in avocado breeding, such as micropropagation of shoots via axillary branching for fungal resistance, embryo rescue for the efficient recovery of genotypes from selected crosses, genomics and establishment of embryogenic lines from immature zygotic embryos. TMethods for transforming avocado embryogenic cultures are discussed and advances in gene cloning linked to improvements of avocado regeneration are presented. The use of currently available cryopreservation techniques for preserving selected embryogenic cell lines and avoiding the loss of embryogenic competence, which occurs with time, is also pointed out.
Comparative Epidemiology of Bacteremia due to Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureusbetween Older and Younger Adults A Propensity Score Analysis
Authors: Kullar Ravina , Rybak Michael J. , Kaye Keith S. 
Published: February 2013

Objective.We evaluated the clinical and molecular epidemiology of bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in older versus younger patients treated with vancomycin, determining the independent effect of increased age on outcomes.Design.Observational retrospective cohort study.Setting.Detroit Medical Center, level I trauma center.Patients.Adult older (65 years and older) and younger (younger than 65 years) patients with documented BSIs due to MRSA treated with vancomycin (2005–2010).Methods.Collected demographics, comorbidities, microbiology, treatment, outcomes. Multivariable model used to generate propensity score for each patient on the basis of the probability of being 65 years of age or older.Results.Three hundred twenty patients were eligible (69 patients 65 years and older; 251 patients younger than 65 years). Catheter-related infections and endocarditis were the most common sites of infection for older (20.3%) and younger (19.1%) adults, respectively. Median first total 24-hour vancomycin dose (1,000 vs 2,000 mg;P< .001) and initial trough (13.1 vs 15.0 mg/L;P= .043) was significantly lower in older versus younger patients. Vancomycin treatment failure rates were similar among older and younger patients (49.3% vs 53.4%;P= .545). In multivariable analysis of outcomes, after controlling for predictors of older age, there was no difference in clinical outcomes between older and younger adults.Conclusions.After accounting for confounders associated with increased age, failure rate of patients with BSIs due to MRSA treated with vancomycin was similar between older and younger patients. Older adults were less likely to have optimal vancomycin dosing and initial trough levels than younger patients. Efforts should be made to optimize dosing of medications such as vancomycin in older adults.
SPINAL: scalable protein interaction network alignment
Authors: Aladağ Ahmet E. , Erten Cesim 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
Motivation: Given protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks of a pair of species, a pairwise global alignment corresponds to a one-to-one mapping between their proteins. Based on the presupposition that such a mapping provides pairs of functionally orthologous proteins accurately, the results of the alignment may then be used in comparative systems biology problems such as function prediction/verification or construction of evolutionary relationships.
Results: We show that the problem is NP-hard even for the case where the pair of networks are simply paths. We next provide a polynomial time heuristic algorithm, SPINAL, which consists of two main phases. In the first coarse-grained alignment phase, we construct all pairwise initial similarity scores based on pairwise local neighborhood matchings. Using the produced similarity scores, the fine-grained alignment phase produces the final one-to-one mapping by iteratively growing a locally improved solution subset. Both phases make use of the construction of neighborhood bipartite graphs and the contributors as a common primitive. We assess the performance of our algorithm on the PPI networks of yeast, fly, human and worm. We show that based on the accuracy measures used in relevant work, our method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms. Furthermore, our algorithm does not suffer from scalability issues, as such accurate results are achieved in reasonable running times as compared with the benchmark algorithms.
Availability: Supplementary Document, open source codes, useful scripts, all the experimental data and the results are freely available at http://code.google.com/p/spinal/.
Contact: cesim@khas.edu.tr
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Mutual Fund's R2 as Predictor of Performance
Authors: Amihud Yakov , Goyenko Ruslan 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
We propose that fund performance can be predicted by its R2, obtained from a regression of its returns on a multifactor benchmark model. Lower R2 indicates greater selectivity, and it significantly predicts better performance. Stock funds sorted into lowest-quintile lagged R2 and highest-quintile lagged alpha produce significant annual alpha of 3.8%. Across funds, R2 is positively associated with fund size and negatively associated with its expenses and manager's tenure.
Impact of the Prone Position in an Animal Model of Unilateral Bacterial Pneumonia Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Ladoire Sylvain , Pauchard Laure-Anne , Barbar Saber-Davide , Tissieres Pierre , Croisier-Bertin Delphine , Charles Pierre-Emmanuel 
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Background:
The prone position (PP) has proven beneficial in patients with severe lung injury subjected to mechanical ventilation (MV), especially in those with lobar involvement. We assessed the impact of PP on unilateral pneumonia in rabbits subjected to MV.

Methods:
After endobronchial challenge with Enterobacter aerogenes, adult rabbits were subjected to either “adverse” (peak inspiratory pressure = 30 cm H2O, zero end-expiratory pressure; n = 10) or “protective” (tidal volume = 8 ml/kg, 5 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure; n = 10) MV and then randomly kept supine or turned to the PP. Pneumonia was assessed 8 h later. Data are presented as median (interquartile range).

Results:
Compared with the supine position, PP was associated with significantly lower bacterial concentrations within the infected lung, even if a “protective” MV was applied (5.93 [0.34] vs. 6.66 [0.86] log10 cfu/g, respectively; P = 0.008). Bacterial concentrations in the spleen were also decreased by the PP if the “adverse” MV was used (3.62 [1.74] vs. 6.55 [3.67] log10 cfu/g, respectively; P = 0.038). In addition, the noninfected lung was less severely injured in the PP group. Finally, lung and systemic inflammation as assessed through interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α measurement was attenuated by the PP.

Conclusions:
The PP could be protective if the host is subjected to MV and unilateral bacterial pneumonia. It improves lung injury even if it is utilized after lung injury has occurred and nonprotective ventilation has been administered.
Education and social stratification across Europe
Authors: Vryonides Marios , Lamprianou Iasonas 
Published: February 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that affect progression to university education across Europe.Design/methodology/approachThe data used are obtained from the fourth round of the European Social Survey (2008).FindingsFindings point to interesting age by gender and age by parental education interactions affecting the entrance to university. It demonstrates the disparity that exists across Europe whereby in some countries progression has been a smooth process for the past few decades while in others widening participation to higher education has only been a recent phenomenon.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study are discussed with reference to social reproduction theories and have implications for wider European educational policies for enhancing access to university education.Originality/valueIn a globalised education market inequalities may be observed within countries but also between countries making the outcomes of policies for offering equal opportunities a complex one.
A fuzzy AHP approach for inbound supply risk assessment
Authors: Ganguly Kunal K. , Guin Kalyan K. 
Published: February 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology for assessing supply risk for a product category. The fuzzy based analytic hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP) has been used for the purpose. The technique is used to determine the supply related risk and its potential impact on the buyer organization.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses case analysis approach to understand the supply related risks and then applying fuzzy AHP for prioritization of the same.FindingsThe result of the case example indicates that the suggested approach of fuzzy AHP methodology seems feasible for risk assessment in supply chain management as it allows the personnel to express their judgments regarding the importance of each type of risk elements and evaluate the situation from their own perspective and then have this input coordinated in a quantitative fashion.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers can use this research as a base for developing risk assessment tool. The result can help as a benchmarking tool for the supply management professionals. By having a better understanding of which element has the greatest effect on risk, they can focus their attention on reducing the chance that risk can have on their organizations success and profitability.Originality/valueThis paper provides practitioners with a methodology for analyzing supply side risk as an objective of creating customer value by delivering perfect order.
“Missing signposts?”
Authors: Strongman Luke 
Published: February 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is first, to explore communicative practice in conflict resolution in its unitary and pluralistic forms; and second, to highlight ways in which interpersonal conflict negotiation and resolution may be recapitulated in organisational or international experiences of conflict resolution.Design/methodology/approachThe methods of research are qualitative discourse analysis in the new critical paradigm. The approach to the topic is one of reflective interlocution of defined topic areas.FindingsA tension exists between unitary and pluralistic components of rational arguments in organisational communication. This is observable in the claims to relational authenticity in both scientific arguments and in the management of conflict negotiations. The main drivers of this tension are the scalability of arguments and the contexts in which they occur. Determining the ontological validity and mutually understood “reference points” of participant perspectives are essential in reaching understandings that have elements of successful communication, clarity and mutuality.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is theoretical in design and mimetically reflects developments in pedagogy and practice in its designated area.Practical implicationsScientists, media commentators need to be mindful of argumentational bias. Conflict resolution negotiators will have a better understanding of the ethical dynamics of their interaction and processes.Social implicationsAs the title suggests, the article highlights tensions between the unitary and pluralistic components of rational arguments and conflict resolution in organisational communication.Originality/valueThe originality and value of the paper is its analysis and juxtaposition of the communication ethics of rational arguments used by scientists, and conflict resolution negotiators.
Positive association between thrips and spider mites in seedling cotton
Authors: Martini Xavier , Kincy Natalie , Vaughn Kathy , Dever Jane , Christian Nansen  
Published: February 2013

Abstract

In cotton fields in Texas, spider mites are sporadic pests, whereas thrips are considered as major pests on early stages (before the fourth true leaf stage). Thrips are also important predators of spider mite eggs. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of spider mites on seedling cotton may increase the likelihood of the occurrence of thrips.
Based on a greenhouse experiment, it was confirmed that seedling cotton was a suitable host for spider mites. Subsequently, we conducted a 2‐year field experiment in which we studied the likelihood of thrips infestation in cotton plants with/without experimental spider mite infestations.
Spider mites established better in 2011 (dry and hot season) than in 2010 (rainy and cooler season), and there was a positive association between spider mites on cotton plants and natural thrips infestation. Thus, we showed that the probability of thrips infestation strongly increased with the presence of spider mites.
To confirm the proposed hypothesis on a larger scale, a second field experiment was performed, in which one half of a field was infested with spider mites. Weekly sampling of thrips and spider mites showed a two‐fold increase of thrips immatures on plots previously infested with spider mites.
The results obtained in the present study emphasize the importance of incorporating spider mite population dynamics into risk assessments of thrips infestation in seedling cotton fields in Texas and elsewhere.
Fresh water snails as bioindicator for some heavy metals  in the aquatic environment
Authors: Mahmoud Kadria M. A. , Abu Taleb Hoda M. A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe aim of this investigation is to study some freshwater snails as bioindicator for heavy metals Cd, Cu and Pb by determining the concentration of these metals in the field water samples and in whole snail tissues. Seven freshwater snails were used in the present study, some of which are considered medically important snails in Egypt, Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus, the intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis and nontarget snails Bellamya unicolor, Cleopatra bulimoides, Helisoma duryi, Physa acuta and Theodoxus niloticus. Samples of snails were gathered from three Egyptian governorates: Damietta, Giza and Monufia.. The snails were arranged according to their accumulated concentration of the above‐mentioned microelements in descending order as follows: C. bulimoides > H. duryi > B. truncatus > B. alexandrina >P. acuta > B. unicolor > T. niloticus. It is concluded from the analysis of water and the investigated snails that these snails can accumulate Cu, Pb and Cd with high concentrations in their bodies, so they can be used as bioindicators for heavy metals.
Inhibition of endotoxin‐induced perinatal asthma protection by pollutants in an experimental mouse model
Authors: Reiprich M. , Rudzok S. , Schütze N. , Simon J. C. , Lehmann I. , Trump S. , Polte T. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBackgroundOne of the most promising strategies to face the increasing asthma prevalence and to prevent disease development might be an early contact with microbial compounds. However, little is known about an interaction between an early‐life contact to microbial compounds leading to asthma protection in the offspring and a co‐exposure to allergy‐promoting pollutants.MethodsPregnant BALB/c mice were repeatedly exposed to aerosolized endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). The offspring was further exposed to aerosolized LPS before allergen sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). Some of the mice were co‐exposed to mycotoxins or diesel exhaust particles (DEP) during pregnancy. The 6‐week‐old offspring was immunized with OVA and analyzed in a murine asthma model.ResultsWhile the offspring of naïve mothers developed an asthma‐like phenotype, the offspring of mice perinatally exposed to LPS was significantly protected. Co‐exposure of mice to mycotoxins or DEP during pregnancy inhibited the LPS‐induced protection leading to the development of eosinophilic airway inflammation, airway hyperactivity, and increased antigen‐specific IgE levels in the offspring. Furthermore, the asthma‐preventive effect of perinatal LPS exposure was IFN‐gamma dependent. Additionally, the IFN‐gamma promoter of CD4+ T cells in the LPS‐exposed offspring revealed a significant protection against loss of histone 4 acetylation, which was abolished after prenatal co‐exposure to pollutants. Prenatal treatment of mice with the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine reversed the pollutant‐induced increased asthma risk in the offspring.ConclusionOur results show that exposure to pollutants during pregnancy may cause the development of allergic asthma in the offspring by inhibiting the endotoxin‐induced perinatal asthma protection.