bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of the hemiparasitic plant Pedicularis kansuensis on plant community structure in a degraded grassland
Authors: Bao Gensheng , Suetsugu Kenji , Wang Hongsheng , Yao Xiang , Liu Li , Ou Jing , Li Chunjie 
Published: February 2015

AbstractSpecies‐rich grasslands have high conservation value because they support diverse floral and faunal assemblages. Alpine grassland is an important and characteristic ecosystem of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, but ca. 30 % has been severely degraded by the combined effects of climate change, human activity, overgrazing and rodent damage. One potential method to restore grassland diversity involves using hemiparasitic plants to modify the competitive relationships among neighboring species. A possible candidate is Pedicularis kansuensis, a hemiparasitic plant found in grasslands throughout the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, but more information on its host associations and its effects on surrounding vegetation is required to assess its suitability. Thus, we examined host associations of P. kansuensis by direct root excavation at a selected site on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and found that haustoria formation is non‐randomly distributed among host species, with preferential bias for members of Poaceae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae. We also found that aboveground biomass of grasses and legumes was higher in quadrats from which the parasite had been removed than in intact controls, while the biomass of sedges and forbs was unaffected by parasite removal. However, removal significantly decreased plant species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity. These results suggest that P. kansuensis modifies the competitive balance in grassland communities of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, allowing for colonization by subordinate species and thereby enhancing species diversity and contributing to restoration of these degraded grasslands.
Combined PET/MR: The Real Work Has Just Started. Summary Report of the Third International Workshop on PET/MR Imaging; February 17–21, 2014, Tübingen, Germany
Authors: Bailey D. L. , Antoch G. , Bartenstein P. , Barthel H. , Beer A. J. , Bisdas S. , Bluemke D. A. , Boellaard R. , Claussen C. D. , Franzius C. , Hacker M. , Hricak H. , la Fougère C. , Gückel B. , Nekolla S. G. , Pichler B. J. , Purz S. , Quick H. H. , Sabri O. , Sattler B. , Schäfer J. , Schmidt H. , van den Hoff J. , Voss S. , Weber W. , Wehrl H. F. , Beyer T. 
Published: February 2015

Abstract
This paper summarises the proceedings and discussions at the third annual workshop held in Tübingen, Germany, dedicated to the advancement of the technical, scientific and clinical applications of combined PET/MRI systems in humans. Two days of basic scientific and technical instructions with “hands-on” tutorials were followed by 3 days of invited presentations from active researchers in this and associated fields augmented by round-table discussions and dialogue boards with specific themes. These included the use of PET/MRI in paediatric oncology and in adult neurology, oncology and cardiology, the development of multi-parametric analyses, and efforts to standardise PET/MRI examinations to allow pooling of data for evaluating the technology. A poll taken on the final day demonstrated that over 50 % of those present felt that while PET/MRI technology underwent an inevitable slump after its much-anticipated initial launch, it was now entering a period of slow, progressive development, with new key applications emerging. In particular, researchers are focusing on exploiting the complementary nature of the physiological (PET) and biochemical (MRI/MRS) data within the morphological framework (MRI) that these devices can provide. Much of the discussion was summed up on the final day when one speaker commented on the state of PET/MRI: “the real work has just started”.
Abnormal cortico-limbic connectivity during emotional processing correlates with symptom severity in schizophrenia
Authors: Vai B. , Sferrazza Papa G. , Poletti S. , Radaelli D. , Donnici E. , Bollettini I. , Falini A. , Cavallaro R. , Smeraldi E. , Benedetti F. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundImpaired emotional processing is a core feature of schizophrenia (SZ). Consistent findings suggested that abnormal emotional processing in SZ could be paralleled by a disrupted functional and structural integrity within the fronto-limbic circuitry. The effective connectivity of emotional circuitry in SZ has never been explored in terms of causal relationship between brain regions. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) to characterize effective connectivity during implicit processing of affective stimuli in SZ.MethodsWe performed DCM to model connectivity between amygdala (Amy), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC), fusiform gyrus (FG) and visual cortex (VC) in 25 patients with SZ and 29 HC. Bayesian Model Selection and average were performed to determine the optimal structural model and its parameters.ResultsAnalyses revealed that patients with SZ are characterized by a significant reduced top-down endogenous connectivity from DLPFC to Amy, an increased connectivity from Amy to VPFC and a decreased driving input to Amy of affective stimuli compared to HC. Furthermore, DLPFC to Amy connection in patients significantly influenced the severity of psychopathology as rated on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.ConclusionsResults suggest a functional disconnection in brain network that contributes to the symptomatic outcome of the disorder. Our findings support the study of effective connectivity within cortico-limbic structures as a marker of severity and treatment efficacy in SZ.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Caused by Gout: Clinical Presentations, Surgical Findings, and Outcomes after Surgery
Authors: Joseph Mak Kwok-Chu , Fu-Keung Ip , Tak-Chuen Wong , Siu-Ho Wan , Sze-Yan Chan 
Published: February 2015

Background/Purpose Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by gout is rare. We presented our experience in treating these patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of cases treated from 2010 to 2013. Eight patients were identified out of 348 carpal tunnel releases performed. Results All patients were male. All patients had gouty tophi on the same hand and other locations on the body. Open carpal tunnel release was performed on all patients. There was gouty tenosynovitis in all patients but no encasement of the median nerve. The mean follow-up was 16 months. Numbness improved in seven out of eight patients. Conclusion Gout should be considered a cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, particularly in patient with a history of gout. Early surgical outcome is promising. Longer follow-up is needed to detect recurrence.
Vasopressor and Inotrope Use in Canadian Emergency Departments: Evidence Based Consensus Guidelines
Authors: Djogovic Dennis , MacDonald Shavaun , Wensel Andrea , Green Rob , Loubani Osama , Archambault Patrick , Bordeleau Simon , Messenger David , Szulewski Adam , Davidow Jon , Kircher Janeva , Gray Sara , Smith Katherine , Lee James , Marc Benoit Jean , Howes Dan 
Published: February 2015

AbstractPatients may present to Emergency Departments (ED) in shock for various reasons. Emergency medicine physicians may require the use of vasopressors or inotropes to manage these patients. The Critical Care Practice Committee of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (C4) conducted an intensive literature search and guideline development process to help create an evidence based approach for use of these agents in the stabilization of shock.
Early-life dietary spray-dried plasma influences immunological and intestinal injury responses to later-lifeSalmonellatyphimuriumchallenge
Authors: Boyer P. E. , D'Costa S. , Edwards L. L. , Milloway M. , Susick E. , Borst L. B. , Thakur S. , Campbell J. M. , Crenshaw J. D. , Polo J. , Moeser A. J. 
Published: February 2015

Increasing evidence supports the concept that early-life environmental influences, including nutrition and stress, have an impact on long-term health outcomes and disease susceptibility. The objective of the present study was to determine whether dietary spray-dried plasma (SDP), fed during the first 2 weeks post-weaning (PW), influences subsequent immunological and intestinal injury responses toSalmonellatyphimuriumchallenge. A total of thirty-two piglets (age 16–17 d) were weaned onto nursery diets containing 0, 2·5 % SDP (fed for 7 d PW) or 5 % SDP (fed for 14 d PW), and were then fed control diets (without SDP), for the remainder of the experiment. At 34 d PW (age 50 d), pigs were challenged with 3 × 109colony-forming units ofS. typhimurium. A control group (non-challenged) that was fed 0 % SDP in the nursery was included. At 2 d post-challenge, the distal ileum was harvested for the measurement of inflammatory, histological and intestinal physiological parameters.S.typhimuriumchallenge induced elevated ileal histological scores, myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL-8 and TNF, and increased intestinal permeability (indicated by reduced transepithelial voltage (potential difference) and elevated 4 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD4) flux rates). Compared withS.typhimurium-challenged controls (0 % SDP), pigs fed the 5 % SDP-14 d diet exhibited reduced ileal histological scores, MPO levels, IL-8 levels and FD4 flux rates. Pigs fed the 5 % SDP-14 d nursery diet exhibited increased levels of plasma and ileal TNF-α in response to the challenge, compared with the other treatments. These results indicate that inclusion of SDP in PW diets can have an influence on subsequent immunological and intestinal injury responses induced by later-lifeS.typhimuriumchallenge.
PEARL MILLET PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN SEMI-ARID WEST AFRICA: A REVIEW
Authors: MASON STEPHEN C. , MAMAN NOURI , PALÉ SIÉBOU 
Published: February 2015

SUMMARYPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucumL.) is an important grain crop for millions of poor farmers and consumers in the semi-arid region of West Africa. During the past 40 years, much research on pearl millet production practices and adoption in this region has been conducted, but an attempt to summarize these results has not been previously completed and these research results are not readily available to many West African scientists. This review was completed to address this need and integrate knowledge, and at the same time identify research needs for the future and extension priorities for semi-arid West African agro-ecological zones. Research has shown that selection of improved varieties and cropping systems, appropriate cultural practices, and recommended integrated soil, nutrient, residue and pest management can greatly increase grain and stover yields of pearl millet. However, adoption by farmers has been minimal due to limited profitability, high risk and labour demand, limited input supply, market availability and appropriate public policy. This review has 196 articles included as in-text citations (Table 1) compared to 149 articles in the reference list, indicating that only one in four articles integrated two or more topics in the research. The obvious conclusion is that most of the past research has not addressed the ‘system’ but rather one or two management practices. In addition, most studies have interpreted responses in terms of yield without addressing other important considerations for farmer adoption. Recent conservation agriculture research moves closer to addressing the larger integrative types of research needed. Such research is complex and requires sustained funding for field and laboratory activities, but also for computer simulation modelling and economic assessment.
Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in developing countries: a resurvey of Albania 22 years after the fall of communism
Authors: Balestrieri Alessandro , Messina Simone , Pella Francesca , Prigioni Claudio , Saino Nicola , Fasola Mauro 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn countries with emerging and developing economies the need to promote development and the lack of information on the status of the Near Threatened Eurasian otter Lutra lutra have given rise for concern about the conservation status of the species. In Albania information about the distribution of this otter dates from 1985. In 2013 we resurveyed 31 sites previously surveyed in 1985, and a further 42 sites throughout the country. At each site nine habitat variables of potential importance to otters were recorded and analysed. Overall the distribution pattern in 2013 did not differ from that recorded in 1985, although a reduction in marking intensity suggested a possible decline in otter numbers. Distribution of the otter has been influenced by land use and human density, suggesting man-induced habitat changes since the fall of communism may have affected the quality and fragmentation of otter habitats.
Exploring gender, age, time and space in research with older Pakistani Muslims in the United Kingdom: formalised research ‘ethics’ and performances of the public/private divide in ‘the field’
Authors: ZUBAIR MARIA , VICTOR CHRISTINA 
Published: February 2015

ABSTRACTIn recent years, there has been an increasing interest in researching ageing ethnic minority populations in the West. However, older people from such minority communities have received comparatively little attention in wide-ranging discussions on appropriate research methodologies. By a process of critically reflecting on our experiences of undertaking fieldwork for our Economic and Social Research Council New Dynamics of Ageing study of ‘Families and Caring in South Asian Communities', this paper maps out the key methodological and ethical challenges we faced and, in the process, highlights the importance of developing socially appropriate research methodologies and ethical frameworks for research with such populations. With a reflexive approach, we specifically explore the significance of gender, age, time and space to the fieldwork processes and the ‘field’ relationships formed at various stages of the research process. In particular, we explore three key emergent issues which conflicted with our formal research protocols and presented particular challenges for us and our older Pakistani Muslim participants: (a) structuring of time in daily life; (b) gendered use of public and private spaces; and (c) orality of informal social contexts and relationships. Using illustrations from our fieldwork which reveal the particular significance of these issues to our fieldwork experiences and performativities of public/private identities, we highlight important tensions between formalised ethical and methodological dimensions of conducting funded research and the realities of being in ‘the field’. We conclude the paper by emphasising the need to explore further not only the ways in which researchers can adopt more socially and culturally sensitive data collection processes and methodologies at the micro level of their interactions with research participants, but also contextualising the particular challenges experienced by researchers and their participants in terms of the wider research frameworks and agendas as well as the broader social contexts within which they live and work.
Justifying answer sets using argumentation
Authors: SCHULZ CLAUDIA , TONI FRANCESCA 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAn answer set is a plain set of literals which has no further structure that would explain why certain literals are part of it and why others are not. We show how argumentation theory can help to explain why a literal is or is not contained in a given answer set by defining two justification methods, both of which make use of the correspondence between answer sets of a logic program and stable extensions of the assumption-based argumentation (ABA) framework constructed from the same logic program.Attack Treesjustify a literal in argumentation-theoretic terms, i.e. using arguments and attacks between them, whereasABA-Based Answer Set Justificationsexpress the same justification structure in logic programming terms, that is using literals and their relationships. Interestingly, an ABA-Based Answer Set Justification corresponds to an admissible fragment of the answer set in question, and an Attack Tree corresponds to an admissible fragment of the stable extension corresponding to this answer set.
Legal Aspects (Barriers) of Granting Compulsory Licenses for Clean Technologies in Light of WTO/TRIPS Rules: Promise or Mirage?
Authors: NI KUEI-JUNG 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe development and use of clean technologies constitute a useful means of mitigating global warming. Although certain developing countries have become major emitters of greenhouse gases, they are not in a position to access the clean technologies that are prevalent in developed nations. In advocating technology transfers under the United Nations' climate change regime, developing countries argue that the intellectual property regime covering climate-related technologies must be ameliorated. In their proposals, they argue that compulsory licensing for clean technologies can be instrumental in furthering global access.This paper examines the legal issues associated with granting compulsory licenses for clean technologies. I analyze the legal challenges to authorizing such licenses, particularly in light of WTO/TRIPS and of national practices.An analysis of the previous practices surrounding the application of compulsory licensing reveals the severe hurdles facing competent national authorities and indicates the costs and burdens of such an action, which not every WTO member can afford. Jumping to the conclusion that the compulsory licensing of clean technologies is simply an illusory option may be premature; nevertheless, the legal barriers and burdens may dissuade developing nations from using such licenses injudiciously.
Humanizing the Outgroup in Contexts of Protracted Intergroup Conflict
Authors: Gubler Joshua Ronald , Halperin Eran , Hirschberger Gilad 
Published: February 2015

AbstractCurrent approaches to humanizing members of an outgroup in contexts marked by protracted intergroup conflict see mixed success. In both Study 1, conducted on a random sample of Israeli Jews (N = 103), and Study 2, conducted on a nationally diverse sample of Israeli Jews (N = 670), we experimentally test the effect of a unique approach to humanizing the outgroup based on empathy. Instead of requiring individuals to express empathy for outgroup suffering they might have caused, this approach requires an expression of empathy for suffering unrelated to the conflict between the groups. Results suggest that such an expression of empathy from one group member toward the other group can lead to “reciprocal empathy” which facilitates a greater willingness to accept the humanity of all members of the other group.
Control of cytoplasmic dynein force production and processivity by its C-terminal domain
Authors: Nicholas Matthew P. , Höök Peter , Brenner Sibylle , Wynne Caitlin L. , Vallee Richard B. , Gennerich Arne 
Published: February 2015

AbstractCytoplasmic dynein is a microtubule motor involved in cargo transport, nuclear migration and cell division. Despite structural conservation of the dynein motor domain from yeast to higher eukaryotes, the extensively studied S. cerevisiae dynein behaves distinctly from mammalian dyneins, which produce far less force and travel over shorter distances. However, isolated reports of yeast-like force production by mammalian dynein have called interspecies differences into question. We report that functional differences between yeast and mammalian dynein are real and attributable to a C-terminal motor element absent in yeast, which resembles a ‘cap’ over the central pore of the mammalian dynein motor domain. Removal of this cap increases the force generation of rat dynein from 1 pN to a yeast-like 6 pN and greatly increases its travel distance. Our findings identify the CT-cap as a novel regulator of dynein function.
Traditional Chinese Medication Qiliqiangxin attenuates cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction in mice
Authors: Tao Lichan , Shen Sutong , Fu Siyi , Fang Hongyi , Wang Xiuzhi , Das Saumya , Sluijter Joost P. G. , Rosenzweig Anthony , Zhou Yonglan , Kong Xiangqing , Xiao Junjie , Li Xinli 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn a multicenter randomized double-blind study we demonstrated that Qiliqiangxin (QLQX), a traditional Chinese medicine, had a protective effect in heart failure patients. However, whether and via which mechanism QLQX attenuates cardiac remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still unclear. AMI was created by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in mice. Treating the mice in the initial 3 days after AMI with QLQX did not change infarct size. However, QLQX treatment ameliorated adverse cardiac remodeling 3 weeks after AMI including better preservation of cardiac function, decreased apoptosis and reduced fibrosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) was down-regulated in control animals after AMI and up-regulated by QLQX administration. Interestingly, expression of AKT, SAPK/JNK and ERK was not altered by QLQX treatment. Inhibition of PPARγ reduced the beneficial effects of QLQX in AMI remodeling, whereas activation of PPARγ failed to provide additional improvement in the presence of QLQX, suggesting a key role for PPARγ in the effects of QLQX during cardiac remodeling after AMI. This study indicates that QLQX attenuates cardiac remodeling after AMI by increasing PPARγ levels. Taken together, QLQX warrants further investigation as as a therapeutic intervention to mitigate remodeling and heart failure after AMI.
The Genetics of POAG in Black South Africans: A Candidate Gene Association Study
Authors: Williams Susan E. I. , Carmichael Trevor R. , Allingham R. Rand , Hauser Michael , Ramsay Michele 
Published: February 2015

AbstractMultiple loci have been associated with either primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or heritable ocular quantitative traits associated with this condition. This study examined the association of these loci with POAG, with central corneal thickness (CCT), vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR) and with diabetes mellitus in a group of black South Africans (215 POAG cases and 214 controls). The population was homogeneous and distinct from other African and European populations. Single SNPs in the MYOC, COL8A2, COL1A1 and ZNF469 gene regions showed marginal associations with POAG. No association with POAG was identified with tagging SNPs in TMCO1, CAV1/CAV2, CYP1B1, COL1A2, COL5A1, CDKN2B/CDKN2BAS-1, SIX1/SIX6 or the chromosome 2p16 regions and there were no associations with CCT or VCDR. However, SNP rs12522383 in WDR36 was associated with diabetes mellitus (p = 0.00008). This first POAG genetic association study in black South Africans has therefore identified associations that require additional investigation in this and other populations to determine their significance. This highlights the need for larger studies in this population if we are to achieve the goal of facilitating early POAG detection and ultimately preventing irreversible blindness from this condition.