bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in Cytokines, Sensory Tests, and Self-reported Pain Levels After Manual Treatment of Low Back Pain
Authors: Degenhardt Brian F. , Johnson Jane C. , Fossum Christian , Andicochea Chad T. , Stuart Melissa K. 
Published: December 2014

Study Design:
Unbalanced 3-factor design with repeated measures on 1 factor.

Objective:
To determine the effect of manual treatment (MT) on cytokine and pain sensations in those with and without low back pain (LBP).

Summary of Background Data:
Evidence suggests that MT reduces LBP but by unknown mechanisms. Certain cytokines have been elevated in patients with LBP and may be affected by MT.

Methods:
Participants aged 20–60 years with chronic LBP or without LBP were recruited and randomly assigned to MT, sham ultrasound treatment, or no treatment groups. Venous blood samples were collected and pain levels assessed at baseline, 1 hour later, and 24 hours later. Blood was analyzed for interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein. Pain levels were measured by pressure pain threshold (PPT), mechanical detection threshold (MDT), dynamic mechanical allodynia, and self-report.

Results:
Forty (30 women, age 36±11 y) participants completed the study, 33 with LBP (13 MT, 13 sham ultrasound treatment, and 7 no treatment) and 7 without LBP. Participants with or without LBP could not be differentiated on the basis of serum cytokine levels, PPT, or MDT (P≥0.08). There were no significant differences between the groups at 1 hour or 24 hours on serum cytokines, PPT, or MDT (P≥0.07). There was a significant decrease from baseline in IL-6 for the no treatment (LBP) group (P=0.04), in C-reactive protein for the sham ultrasound treatment group (P=0.03), in MDT for all 3 LBP groups (P≤0.02), and in self-reported pain for the MT and sham ultrasound treatment groups (P=0.03 and 0.01).

Conclusions:
Self-reported pain was reduced with MT and sham ultrasound treatment 24 hours after treatment, but inflammatory markers within venous circulation and quantitative sensory tests were unable to differentiate between study groups. Therefore, we were unable to characterize mechanisms underlying chronic LBP.
Comparison of the Posterior Vertebral Column Resection With the Expandable Cage Versus the Nonexpandable Cage in Thoracolumbar Angular Kyphosis
Authors: Lee Jung-Hee , Oh Hyun-Seok , Choi Jeong-Gyu 
Published: December 2014

Study Design:
This was a retrospective study.

Objective:
To compare the radiographic and clinical results of anterior support with nonexpandable cage with those of expandable cage.

Summary of Background Data:
The goals of surgical treatment in patients with thoracolumbar angular kyphosis are to improve the neurological deficit through neural decompression, to restore the normal alignment by correction of deformity, and to stabilize the spinal column by arthrodesis. Mesh cages have been traditionally used for reconstruction after corpectomy. However, expandable cages are gaining popularity due to some advantages over mesh cages, structural autograft or allograft, and poly-ether-ether-ketone/carbon fiber.

Materials and Methods:
We performed a retrospective study in a consecutive series of 42 subjects with a male-to-female ratio of 15:27, a mean age of 65.3±10.9 years, and a mean follow-up period of 36.4±7.1 months, who underwent posterior vertebral column resection at our medical institutions between 2006 and 2011. They consist of 32 patients with posttraumatic kyphosis with a mean kyphotic angle of 33.1 degrees (range, 12.2–58.1 degrees) and 10 patients with tuberculous kyphosis with a mean kyphotic angle of 53.9 degrees (range, 22.6–126.0 degrees). The mean follow-up period was 36.4 months (range, 28–54 mo). We compared the clinical outcomes between the 2 groups based on radiographic findings, neurological status, and complications. Intervertebral heights and kyphosis at the level of vertebral column resection were used to measure the radiographic outcomes. Neurological outcome was evaluated using the modified Frankel grading system.

Results:
Postoperatively, the mean kyphosis angle was 3.0±10.8 and 6.7±7.2 degrees (P=0.094). At a final follow-up, these values were 4.7±10.1 and 12.3±18.9 degrees in the corresponding order (P=0.099). There were 19 (80.0%) and 21 (86.4%) patients with solid arthrodesis of grade 1. On modified Frankel grading system, all the patients but one achieved improvement. But there was no significant difference in the grade between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Also in our series, there were 12 patients with cage subsidence and 6 with screw loosening.

Conclusions:
Nonexpandable cage and expandable cage are viable options for anterior support; both cages allow for correction of kyphosis with good fusion rate with similar neurological outcomes. Expandable cage is effective for the anterior support of posterior vertebral column resection.
Microstructure of mandibulate mouthparts in the greater rice weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Moon Myung‐Jin 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe greater rice weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is a serious pest of stored grain. It chews a hole in the grain and deposits an egg inside. For the purpose of excavating a tunnel, these weevils are equipped with effective mandibulate mouthparts for penetrating and boring holes. The mouthparts of the weevil are a long slender snout, which consist of a labrum, a pair of mandibles, a pair of maxillae and a labium. Mothparts exhibit typical morphology of phytophagous coleopteran beetles and have characteristics of chewing mouthparts. Mandibles are connected to the head capsule through dicondyous articulation, which allows movement along one single rotating axis. Both labrum and labium are fused to the snout and form the upper and lower lips, respectively. Along the depressed surface of the snout, a number of short sensory hairs are sparsely arranged. The distal apexes of the maxillary and labial palpi are deeply depressed into a sensillar field, and only one type of the basiconic sensilla, which function as chemo‐ or gustatory receptors, occurs in both sexes.
Understanding drug preferences, different perspectives
Authors: Mol Peter G. M. , Arnardottir Arna H. , Straus Sabine M. J. , de Graeff Pieter A. , Haaijer‐Ruskamp Flora M. , Quik Elise H. , Krabbe Paul F. M. , Denig Petra 
Published: December 2014

AimsTo compare the values regulators attach to different drug effects of oral antidiabetic drugs with those of doctors and patients.MethodsWe administered a ‘discrete choice’ survey to regulators, doctors and patients with type 2 diabetes in The Netherlands. Eighteen choice sets comparing two hypothetical oral antidiabetic drugs were constructed with varying drug effects on glycated haemoglobin, cardiovascular risk, bodyweight, duration of gastrointestinal complaints, frequency of hypoglycaemia and risk of bladder cancer. Responders were asked each time which drug they preferred.ResultsFifty‐two regulators, 175 doctors and 226 patients returned the survey. Multinomial conditional logit analyses showed that cardiovascular risk reduction was valued by regulators positively (odds ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.11–3.53), whereas drug choices were negatively affected by persistent gastrointestinal problems (odds ratio 0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.14–0.41) and cardiovascular risk increase (odds ratio 0.49, 95% confidence interval 0.27–0.87). Doctors and patients valued these effects in a similar manner to regulators. The values that doctors attached to large changes in glycated haemoglobin and that both doctors and patients attached to hypoglycaemia and weight gain also reached statistical significance. No group's drug choice was affected by a small absolute change in risk of bladder cancer when presented in the context of other drug effects. When comparing the groups, the value attached by regulators to less frequent hypoglycaemic episodes was significantly smaller than by patients (P = 0.044).ConclusionsRegulators may value major benefits and risks of drugs for an individual diabetes patient mostly in the same way as doctors and patients, but differences may exist regarding the value of minor or short‐term drug effects.
In Vitro Functional Assessment of 22 Newly Identified CYP2D6 Allelic Variants in the Chinese Population
Authors: Dai Da‐Peng , Geng Pei‐Wu , Wang Shuang‐Hu , Cai Jie , Hu Li‐Ming , Nie Jing‐Jing , Hu Ji‐Hong , Hu Guo‐Xin , Cai Jian‐Ping 
Published: December 2014

AbstractCytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is one of the most widely investigated CYPs related to genetic polymorphisms and is responsible for one‐quarter of the currently used clinical drugs. We previously detected 22 novel, non‐synonymous, mutated sites in the Chinese population, but nothing is known about the functional effects of these mutations in terms of specific CYP2D6 substrates. In this study, wild‐type CYP2D6, two common allelic variants and 22 newly reported CYP2D6 isoforms were transiently expressed in 293FT cells, and the enzymatic activities of these variants were systematically assessed using dextromethorphan and bufuralol as the probing substrates. Consequently, 19 and 21 allelic variants were found to exhibit significantly decreased enzymatic activities for dextromethorphan and bufuralol, respectively. Of 22 novel CYP2D6 variants, six allelic isoforms (CYP2D6.89, CYP2D6.92, CYP2D6.93, CYP2D6.96, E215K and R440C) exhibited absent or extremely reduced metabolic activities compared with those observed for the wild‐type enzyme. Our in vitro functional data can be useful for CYP2D6 phenotype prediction and provide valuable information for the study of clinical impact of these newly found CYP2D6 variants in China.
Analyzing Educational Achievement Differences between Second-Generation Immigrants: Comparing Germany and German-Speaking Switzerland
Authors: Kunz Johannes S. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractIn this study, I provide evidence that the educational achievement of second- generation immigrants in German-speaking Switzerland is greater than in Germany. The impact of the first-generation immigrants’ destination decision on their offspring’s educational achievement seems to be much more important than has been recognized by the existing literature. I identify the test score gap between these students that cannot be explained by differences in individual and family characteristics. Moreover, I show how this gap evolves over the test score distribution and how the least favorably endowed students fare. My results suggest that the educational system of Switzerland, relative to the German system, enhances the performance of immigrants’ children substantially. This disparity is largest when conditioning on the language spoken at home, and prevails even when comparing only students whose parents migrated from the same country of origin.
Assessing Variability of Complex Descriptive Statistics in Monte Carlo Studies Using Resampling Methods
Authors: Boos Dennis D. , Osborne Jason A. 
Published: December 2014

SummaryGood statistical practice dictates that summaries in Monte Carlo studies should always be accompanied by standard errors. Those standard errors are easy to provide for summaries that are sample means over the replications of the Monte Carlo output: for example, bias estimates, power estimates for tests and mean squared error estimates. But often more complex summaries are of interest: medians (often displayed in boxplots), sample variances, ratios of sample variances and non‐normality measures such as skewness and kurtosis. In principle, standard errors for most of these latter summaries may be derived from the Delta Method, but that extra step is often a barrier for standard errors to be provided. Here, we highlight the simplicity of using the jackknife and bootstrap to compute these standard errors, even when the summaries are somewhat complicated. © 2014 The Authors. International Statistical Review © 2014 International Statistical Institute
IN DEFENCE OF MANTITHEUS: STRUCTURE, STRATEGY AND ARGUMENTATION IN LYSIAS 16
Authors: KAPELLOS AGGELOS 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Lysias presents Mantitheus as an exemplary citizen, a democrat, who participates sentimentally in the misfortunes of Athens, a good son, distinct from the Thirty. His name in the cavalry register is only a part of the problem of the identification of the cavalrymen He is dissociated from dissolute youngsters, a quiet man, a pater familias and a good citizen. He puts Athens' interests above ideologies; he is generous towards his fellow soldiers, brave and more courageous than Thrasybulus, a charismatic soldier, ready for self-sacrifice, supported by all the social strata of Athens. He does not want to arouse envy, asks what he deserves and respects the Council.
ORPHEUS' EROTIC MYSTERIES: PLATO, PEDERASTY, AND THE ZAGREUS MYTH IN PHANOCLES F 1
Authors: WATSON SARAH BURGES 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
In his Ἔρωτɛς ἢ Kαλoί, Phanocles tells how Orpheus was decapitated by Thracian women because he ‘revealed’ homoerotic love and rejected women. Iconographic and literary evidence suggests that Orpheus is associated with homoeroticism and misogyny from the Classical period. Phanocles' poem also exploits Orpheus' ambivalent status: as founder of the Eleusinian mysteries, his authority was immense. But he was also seen as the guru of a countercultural fringe, who preached reincarnation and vegetarianism. The fact that Phanocles presents Orpheus' erotic predilections as mysteries points to Plato, who rejected the mainstream, Eleusinian Orpheus, and embraced the counter-cultural (Pythagorean) one. Orpheus rejects generative love because he is associated with the transcendent, rather than earthly, realm. Plato re-configures both Orpheus' mystical teachings and his music-making as philosophy/philosophical love, benefiting from traditions of interpreting Orphic poetry allegorically.
‘BLEARY EYES AND DROOPING EARS’: IMAGES OF THE BODY AND SELF-REPRESENTATION IN HORACE SERMONES BOOK ONE
Authors: FREEMAN ROD 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
In this article I consider the literary programme that Horace establishes in Sermones 1 and then discuss in two subsequent sections the implications of this programme for our understanding of various themes, associated with Augustan ideology, that run through this text. By re-evaluating persona theory and evidence for audience reactions to pseudo-biographical writing in the Ancient world, I assimilate the purely ‘textual’ approach with the broader ethical, political and social questions which the text raises, and consider how the symbolic and intertextual properties of images of the body in the text, and issues of self-representation, allow for diverse readings of his work, reconciling the hitherto separated literary Callimachean poet with the quasi-biographical ‘Horace’.
Alveolar bone regeneration in response to local application of calcitriol in vitamin D deficient rats
Authors: Fügl Alexander , Gruber Reinhard , Agis Hermann , Lzicar Hannah , Keibl Claudia , Schwarze Uwe Yacine , Dvorak Gabriella 
Published: December 2014

AbstractAimVitamin D deficiency is considered to diminish bone regeneration. Yet, raising the serum levels takes months. A topic application of the active vitamin D metabolite, calcitriol, may be an effective approach. Thus, it becomes important to know the effect of vitamin D deficiency and local application on alveolar bone regeneration.Material and MethodsSixty rats were divided into three groups; two vitamin depletion groups and a control group. Identical single defects (2 mm diameter) were created in the maxilla and mandible treated with calcitriol soaked collagen in one deficiency group while in the other two groups not. Histomorphometric analysis and micro CTs were performed after 1 and 3 weeks. Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and PTH were determined.ResultsBone formation rate significantly increased within the observation period in all groups. Bone regeneration was higher in the maxilla than in the mandible. However, bone regeneration was lower in the control group compared to vitamin depletion groups, with no significant effects by local administration of calcitriol (micro CT mandible p = 0.003, maxilla p < 0.001; histomorphometry maxilla p = 0.035, mandible p = 0.18).ConclusionVitamin D deficiency not necessarily impairs bone regeneration in the rat jaw and a single local calcitriol application does not enhance healing.
Lmax and imiquimod 3.75%: the new standard in AK management
Authors: Stockfleth E. 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe new target for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK) is the detection and clearance of clinical and subclinical lesions across an entire sun‐exposed field. This is because patients with AK have field cancerization as ultraviolet light affects the entire sun‐exposed area and because it is not possible to predict which AK lesions will progress into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. To fully assess the effectiveness of field‐directed therapies against the full burden of AK, a new efficacy concept has been developed which is based on the reduction in lesions from Lmax, or the maximum lesion count during treatment. This new parameter enables the efficacy of a field‐directed therapy against both clinical and subclinical lesions to be assessed. Imiquimod 3.75% is a novel field‐directed therapy which uniquely can detect and clear both clinical and subclinical lesions across a large sun‐exposed field such as the full face or balding scalp, and so far is the only AK treatment to have had its efficacy assessed with the Lmax concept. The detection of subclinical lesions is evidenced by an increase in lesion count during each of the 2‐week treatment cycles, which are separated by a 2‐week treatment‐free interval. The median percentage reduction in lesions from Lmax with imiquimod 3.75% is 92%, and the effective clearance of both clinical and subclinical lesions leads to sustained lesion clearance for at least 1 year. Imiquimod 3.75% has an acceptable tolerability profile. Rest periods from treatment may be taken if required to manage local skin reactions, with no loss in efficacy. In conclusion, Lmax and imiquimod 3.75% together set the new standard in the management of patients with AK.
Evaluation of demographic factors affecting predictability of the sacro‐femoral‐pubic angle in healthy adolescents
Authors: Liu Zhen , Bao Hongda , Qiu Yong , Qiao Jun , Xu Leilei , Zhu Feng , Qian Bangping , Zhu Zezhang 
Published: December 2014

AbstractThe objectives of the present study are to evaluate the correlation between pelvic tilt (PT) and the sacro‐femoral‐pubic (SFP) angle in Asian healthy adolescents, to provide the normal value of SFP angle as reference data in Asian adolescents, and to clarify whether the predictability of PT could be affected by gender and ontogenesis. In all, 100 girls with a mean age of 12.66 years (range 8–18 years) and 70 boys with a mean age of 13.35 years (range 8–18 years) were recruited in this retrospective study. SFP angles and PT were obtained on long‐cassette standing upright radiographs. The subjects were grouped based on age. Independent‐sample t‐tests were performed to compare age, SFP angle, and PT between genders. In all age groups, the relationship between SFP angle and PT was analyzed by Pearson's correlation analysis and linear regression analysis, respectively. Reliability analysis showed high intra‐ and inter‐observer agreements in PT and SFP, with an intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) > 0.8. SFP angle averaged 71.64° ± 4.91 in all the normal subjects, of which the mean PT was 72.03°± 4.94 in the female group and 71.09°± 4.83 in the male group. SFP and PT were strongly correlated in all the age groups according to Pearson's correlation analysis. The overall coefficient was 0.679 in girls and 0.584 in boys. The present study is the first to describe the normal value of SFP angle in healthy Asian adolescents to serve as a reference data. In all age groups, SFP angles can be used to predict PT when lateral radiographs do not permit assessment of PT. The predictability of SFP angle for PT was not affected by gender or maturation status.
Diagnostic tools for rapid detection and quantification of Weissella ceti NC36 infections in rainbow trout
Authors: Snyder A.K. , Hinshaw J.M. , Welch T.J. 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Weissellosis of rainbow trout is caused by the Gram-positive bacteria Weissella ceti and has been reported in China, Brazil and the United States. This disease can result in high mortality in market-sized fish and thus can cause significant economic loss. Thus far, phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA sequencing have been used to confirm a Weissellosis diagnosis. Here, we present the development of PCR-based diagnostic tools for the rapid identification and quantification of W. ceti within bacteriological culture and infected tissues. A duplex PCR, which amplifies both genus- and strain-specific targets, positively identifies isolates as W. ceti NC36. A qPCR assay was also developed to quantify pathogen load from infected tissues, using a W. ceti NC36 unique locus. A proof of concept study was performed to demonstrate that quantification using traditional plate count methods and qPCR were significantly correlated when assessed from infected brain and spleen tissue. These tools were also used to confirm diagnosis of Weissellosis in a commercial rainbow trout farm during an outbreak investigation. These are the first diagnostic tools developed for identification and quantification of W. ceti infection within rainbow trout, contributing to rapid Weissellosis diagnosis, enhanced pathogen surveillance and epidemiological studies.

Significance and Impact of the Study
Weissellosis is a rapidly emerging infectious disease of farmed rainbow trout caused by Weissella ceti, a Gram-positive lactic-acid bacterium. This disease can cause significant economic loss, and thus, efforts to limit its spread are urgently needed and are dependent on the development of diagnostic tools. The article presents the development of PCR-based diagnostic assays for the rapid identification of W. ceti and for quantification of pathogen load directly from tissues without the need for bacterial amplification or isolation. These tools are critical for rapid confirmation of Weissellosis diagnosis and for studying the epidemiology of this emerging pathogen.