bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Myotubular myopathy and the neuromuscular junction: a novel therapeutic approach from mouse models
Authors: Dowling James J. , Joubert Romain , Low Sean E. , Durban Ashley N. , Messaddeq Nadia , Li Xingli , Dulin-Smith Ashley N. , Snyder Andrew D. , Marshall Morgan L. , Marshall Jordan T. , Beggs Alan H. , Buj-Bello Anna , Pierson Christopher R. 
Published: May 2012

Summary
Myotubular myopathy (MTM) is a severe congenital muscle disease characterized by profound weakness, early respiratory failure and premature lethality. MTM is defined by muscle biopsy findings that include centralized nuclei and disorganization of perinuclear organelles. No treatments currently exist for MTM. We hypothesized that aberrant neuromuscular junction (NMJ) transmission is an important and potentially treatable aspect of the disease pathogenesis. We tested this hypothesis in two murine models of MTM. In both models we uncovered evidence of a disorder of NMJ transmission: fatigable weakness, improved strength with neostigmine, and electrodecrement with repetitive nerve stimulation. Histopathological analysis revealed abnormalities in the organization, appearance and size of individual NMJs, abnormalities that correlated with changes in acetylcholine receptor gene expression and subcellular localization. We additionally determined the ability of pyridostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, to ameliorate aspects of the behavioral phenotype related to NMJ dysfunction. Pyridostigmine treatment resulted in significant improvement in fatigable weakness and treadmill endurance. In all, these results describe a newly identified pathological abnormality in MTM, and uncover a potential disease-modifying therapy for this devastating disorder.
The “K-9 Corps” of the Third Dynasty of Ur: The Dog Handlers at Drehem and the Army
Authors: Tsouparopoulou Christina 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
The use of dogs in Mesopotamian military history has so far been obscure due to the apparent absence of any documentary evidence. This also holds true for the Ur III period, one of the best-documented periods in Mesopotamian history. However, a close examination of Drehem administrative texts documenting dog handlers provides evidence that dogs were indeed used in the Ur III military and were part of the military personnel stationed at Drehem and beyond.
Industrializing Data Integration Projects using a Metadata Driven
Assembly Line
Authors: Maier Albert , Oberhofer Martin , Schwarz Thomas 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
Data integration is essential for the success of many enterprise business
initiatives, but also a very significant contributor to the costs and risks of
the IT projects supporting these initiatives. Highly skilled consultants and
data stewards re-design the usage of data in business processes, define the
target landscape and its data models, and map the current information landscape
into the target landscape. Still, the largest part of a typical data integration
effort is dedicated to the implementation of transformation, cleansing, and data
validation logic in robust and highly performing commercial systems. This effort
is simple and doesn´t demand skills beyond commercial product knowledge, but it
is very labour-intensive and error prone. In this paper we describe a new
commercial approach to data integration that helps to “industrialize” data
integration projects and significantly lowers the amount of simple, but
labour-intensive work. The key idea is that the target landscape for a data
integration project has pre-defined data models and associated meta data which
can be leveraged for building and automating the data integration process. This
approach has been implemented in the context of the support of SAP consolidation
projects and is used in some of the largest data integration projects
world-wide.
Multi-Scale Data Integration Challenges in the Observational Science
Data Space
Authors: Berti-Équille Laure 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
In Europe, more than one thousand of laboratories intensively collect data to
measure various properties of the Earth. Scientists observe environmental
conditions, ecosystems and biological species. The ability to understand complex
phenomena (e. g., global warming) and predict trends from spatio-temporal data
becomes a major issue in observational science. However, theoretical and
technical advances in multi-scale data integration are necessary to achieve
this. This paper will present some challenging research directions for
integrating such massive multi-scale scientific data.
Frontiers in Crowdsourced Data Integration
Authors: Braunschweig Katrin , Eberius Julian , Thiele Maik , Lehner Wolfgang 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
There is an ever-increasing amount and variety of open web data available that is
insufficiently examined or not considered at all in decision making processes.
This is because of the lack of end-user friendly tools that help to reuse this
public data and to create knowledge out of it. Therefore, we propose a
schema-optional data repository that provides the flexibility necessary to store
and gradually integrate heterogeneous web data. Based on this repository, we
propose a semi-automatic schema enrichment approach that efficiently augments
the data in a “pay-as-you-go” fashion. Due to the inherently appearing
ambiguities we further propose a crowd-based verification component that is able
to resolve such conflicts in a scalable manner.
Managing Uncertainty: The Road Towards Better Data
Interoperability
Authors: van Keulen Maurice 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
Data interoperability encompasses the many data management activities needed for
effective information management in anyone´s or any organization´s everyday work
such as data cleaning, coupling, fusion, mapping, and information extraction. It
is our conviction that a significant amount of money and time in IT that is
devoted to these activities, is about dealing with one problem: “semantic
uncertainty”. Sometimes data is subjective, incomplete, not current, or
incorrect, sometimes it can be interpreted in different ways, etc. In our
opinion, clean correct data is only a special case, hence data management
technology should treat data quality problems as a fact of life, not as
something to be repaired afterwards. Recent approaches treat uncertainty as an
additional source of information which should be preserved to reduce its impact.
We believe that the road towards better data interoperability, is to be found in
teaching our data processing tools and systems about all forms of doubt and how
to live with them. In this paper, we show for several data interoperability use
cases (deduplication, data coupling/fusion, and information extraction) how to
formally model the associated data quality problems as semantic uncertainty.
Furthermore, we provide an argument why our approach leads to better data
interoperability in terms of natural problem exposure and risk assessment, more
robustness and automation, reduced development costs, and potential for natural
and effective feedback loops leveraging human attention.
Source-Path-Goal: Investigating the Cross-Linguistic Potential of
Frame-Semantic Text Analysis
Authors: Čulo Oliver , de Melo Gerard 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
The ability to analyse natural language semantically has been a long-standing
goal in information technology. In the last few decades, the increased
availability of annotated text collections and new statistical methods have led
to great advances in this area. Frame-semantic annotation, as exemplified by the
FrameNet project, describes the meaning of a sentence in terms of the involved
cognitive scenarios and the roles of individual participants (e. g. the buyer
and the seller in a commerce scenario, but also abstract entities like source,
path, and goal in a travel scenario). This contribution studies the
cross-linguistic potential of FrameNet from multiple perspectives. It
investigates a statistical method to determine frame-semantic relatedness of
individual words across languages. It also shows how commonalities and
differences between languages in expressing states of affairs can be analysed
and extracted from annotated parallel corpora.
Flexible Polymer Atomic Switches using Ink-Jet Printing Technique
Authors: Mohapatra Saumya R. , Tsuruoka Tohru , Hasegawa Tsuyoshi , Terabe Kazuya , Aono Masakazu 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTGapless-type atomic switches were fabricated on a flexible plastic substrate by printing ‘solid polymer electrolyte’ (SPE) layers using suitable ink and drop-on-demand ink-jet technique. High surface energy difference between Pt microelectrode patterned on the plastic substrate and the substrate itself, led to the successful printing of electrolytic solution on a bottom Pt electrodes. Bipolar resistive switching behavior was observed in Ag/SPE/Pt cross-point structures under electrical bias. The switching between ON and OFF states is attributed to the formation and dissolution of a metal filament between the electrodes. The cells also exhibited stable switching behavior under mechanical stress as performed by substrate bending. Switching characteristics measured under mechanical stress and without stress are matching well. The results demonstrate that the SPE-printed atomic switch has great potential for flexible switch/memory applications.
Time-Dependent Forming Characteristics in Pt/NiO/Pt Stack Structures for Resistive Random Access Memory
Authors: Nishi Yusuke , Iwata Tatsuya , Horie Daisuke , Kimoto Tsunenobu 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTConstant voltage Time-Dependent Forming (TDF) measurements in as-deposited Pt/NiO/Pt stack structures have been conducted. From TDF characteristics, formation of conductive filaments at forming process by applying voltage follows weakest link theory. Furthermore, weakest spots are almost randomly distributed in NiO thin films according to Poisson statistics, each of which can contribute conductive paths locally generated. A “percolating layer” in which the conductive filaments percolate by applying voltage may exist in the NiO thin film. The thickness of the layer is much smaller than that of NiO thin films.
Association of Leptin in Periodontitis and Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Gundala Rupasree , Chava Vijay K. , Ramalingam K. 
Published: May 2012

Background: Serum leptin concentrations are reported to be elevated in patients with periodontal diseases and may have a modulating role in cardiovascular diseases. Serum leptin concentrations have not been assessed in periodontitis associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to date. The purpose of this study was to assess the concentration of serum leptin in periodontitis associated with AMI.Methods: A cross‐sectional clinical study was conducted comprising a sample size of 120 participants divided into four groups (n = 30 each) based on their clinical signs: 1) control; 2) AMI; 3) generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP); and 4) GCP + AMI. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and recorded for all the subjects based on BMI chart of the World Health Organization. After thorough clinical and oral examination, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (AL) were recorded. In addition, 2 mL venous blood was collected by venipuncture from all participants to determine serum leptin concentration using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method.Results: A strong correlation of serum leptin concentration to BMI was observed in AMI, GCP, and GCP + AMI groups. Serum leptin levels were significantly elevated in AMI, GCP, and GCP + AMI groups compared to the control group. Significant associations between serum leptin concentration and PI, GI, PD, and AL were also seen in the GCP group. PI, GI, PD, and AL were statistically significantly elevated in GCP + AMI and AMI groups.Conclusion: Elevated serum leptin concentration was associated with increased BMI, GCP, and AMI and may serve as a risk marker for these conditions.
Splinted and Unsplinted Short Implants in Mandibles: A Retrospective Evaluation With 5 to 16 Years of Follow‐Up
Authors: Sivolella Stefano , Stellini Edoardo , Testori Tiziano , Di Fiore Adolfo , Berengo Mario , Lops Diego 
Published: May 2012

Background: The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate the medium‐ to long‐term prognosis of short implants in partially and totally edentulous patients with mandibular bone atrophy.Methods: The study involved 109 patients with 280 implants placed in the mandible. The implants were 7 or 8.5 mm long and 3.75 or 4 mm in diameter. The implant surfaces were machined (M; n = 176) or rough (R; n = 104). Patients were asked to attend a radiographic and clinical follow‐up, and their previous clinical records and radiographs were assessed. Implant‐related and prosthetic failures and complications were recorded.Results: The mean follow‐up was 9 years (range of 5 to 16 years). The survival rate (SSR) and success rate (SR) were calculated using life‐table analysis for both M and R short implants. The M implants had a 16‐year SSR of 95.7% and a corresponding SR of 93.9%, whereas the 16‐year SSR and SR for the R implants were 97.2% and 95.2%, respectively. The mean ± SD bone resorption for all implants was 1.37 ± 0.5 mm. For marginal bone loss, there was no statistically significant difference between the two implant lengths (P = 0.38) or diameters (P = 0.34) or between the M and R implant surfaces (P = 0.47).Conclusions: Different implant lengths, diameters, and surface treatments do not appear to influence the prognosis of the implant. Within the limitation that most of the short implants were splinted to longer implants, the reduced length of the fixtures did not worsen the long‐term survival of the implant‐supported fixed prostheses.
Brain surgery in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Chen Ching-Chang , Hsu Peng-Wei , Lee Shih-Tseng , Chang Chen-Nen , Wei Kuo-Chen , Wu Chieh-Tsai , Hsu Yung-Hsin , Lin Tzu-Kang , Lee Sai-Cheung , Huang Yin-Cheng 
Published: May 2012

Object
Liver cirrhosis was identified as an independent predictor of poor outcomes in patients suffering trauma and in those undergoing major surgeries. The aim of this study was to report the authors' experiences treating patients with cirrhosis who undergo brain surgeries.

Methods
Between 2004 and 2009, 121 consecutive patients with cirrhosis underwent 144 brain procedures. Patients were categorized as Child-Turcotte-Pugh (referred to as “Child”) Class A, B, or C. The patient profiles, including the severity of cirrhosis, reason for surgery, complications, and prognosis factors, were analyzed.

Results
In this retrospective study, the overall surgical complication rate for patients with cirrhosis was 52.1% and the mortality rate was 24.3%. For patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), the complication, rebleeding, and mortality rates reached 84.4%, 68.8%, and 37.5%, respectively. Surgery for TBI was a significant risk factor for postoperative complications (p = 0.0002) and postoperative hemorrhage (p < 0.0001). Otherwise, according to the Child classification, the complication rate increased in a stepwise fashion from 38.7% to 60% to 84.2%, the rebleeding rate from 29.3% to 48.0% to 63.2%, and the mortality rate from 5.3% to 38% to 63.2% for Child A, B, and C, respectively. The Child classification was associated with higher risk of complications—Child B vs A OR 2.84 (95% CI 1.28–6.29), Child C vs A OR 5.39 (95% CI 1.32–22.02). It was also associated with risk of death—Child C vs A OR 30.43 (95% CI 7.71–120.02), Child B vs A OR 10.88 (95% CI 3.42–34.63).

Conclusions
Liver cirrhosis is a poor comorbidity factor for brain surgery. The authors' results suggest that the Child classification used independently is a poor prognostic factor; in addition, grave outcomes were observed in patients with TBI.
Multivariate analysis of C-5 palsy incidence after cervical posterior fusion with instrumentation
Authors: Nakashima Hiroaki , Imagama Shiro , Yukawa Yasutsugu , Kanemura Tokumi , Kamiya Mitsuhiro , Yanase Makoto , Ito Keigo , Machino Masaaki , Yoshida Go , Ishikawa Yoshimoto , Matsuyama Yukihiro , Hamajima Nobuyuki , Ishiguro Naoki , Kato Fumihiko 
Published: May 2012

Object
Postoperative C-5 palsy is a significant complication resulting from cervical decompression procedures. Moreover, when cervical degenerative diseases are treated with a combination of decompression and posterior instrumented fusion, patients are at increased risk for C-5 palsy. However, the clinical and radiological features of this condition remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the risk factors for developing postoperative C-5 palsy.

Methods
Eighty-four patients (mean age 60.1 years) who had undergone posterior instrumented fusion using cervical pedicle screws to treat nontraumatic lesions were independently reviewed. The authors analyzed the medical records of some of these patients who developed postoperative C-5 palsy, paying particular attention to their plain radiographs, MRI studies, and CT scans. Risk factors for postoperative C-5 palsy were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The cutoff values for the pre- and postoperative width of the intervertebral foramen (C4–5) were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results
Ten (11.9%) of 84 patients developed postoperative C-5 palsy. Seven patients recovered fully from the neurological complications. The pre- and postoperative C4–5 angles showed significant kyphosis in the C-5 palsy group. The pre- and postoperative diameters of the C4–5 foramen on the palsy side were significantly smaller than those on the opposite side in the C-5 palsy group and those bilaterally in the non–C5 palsy group. Risk factors identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis were as follows: 1) ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (relative risk [RR] 7.22 [95% CI 1.03–50.55]); 2) posterior shift of the spinal cord (C4–5) (RR 1.73 [95% CI 1.00–2.98]); and 3) postoperative width of the C-5 intervertebral foramen (RR 0.33 [95% CI 0.14–0.79]). The cutoff values of the pre- and postoperative widths of the C-5 intervertebral foramen for C-5 palsy were 2.2 and 2.3 mm, respectively.

Conclusions
Patients with preoperative foraminal stenosis, posterior shift of the spinal cord, and additional iatrogenic foraminal stenosis due to cervical alignment correction were more likely to develop postoperative C-5 palsy after posterior instrumentation with fusion. Prophylactic foraminotomy at C4–5 might be useful when preoperative foraminal stenosis is present on CT. Furthermore, it might be useful for treating postoperative C-5 palsy. To prevent excessive posterior shift of the spinal cord, the authors recommend that appropriate kyphosis reduction should be considered carefully.
Les précurseurs des voyageurs et représentants de commerce parmi les hommes d'affaires toscans de la Renaissance (fin XIVe-début XVIe siècle)
Authors: Orlandi Angela 
Published: May 2012

Résumé On peut trouver des contrats régissant les activités analogues à celles de voyageur de commerce ou d’agent commercial dans les livres de compte et la correspondance des marchands toscans de la fin du Moyen Âge. Par exemple, dans les dernières années du XIV e siècle, Tucci di Gennaio, qui était employé par le comptoir des Datini à Valence, travaillait de façon analogue à un voyageur de commerce dans le territoire espagnol du Maestrazgo : avec toute liberté de négocier, il achetait de la laine lorsqu’il rencontrait les bergers de cette région. Il recevait un fixe plus une commission et une indemnité de séjour incluant le logement et les repas. Au début du XVI e siècle, le marchand florentin Bernardo dei Bardi effectuait des voyages de Florence à Constantinople à la manière d’un commis voyageur : il n’était pas employé par ses donneurs d’ordres et ne recevait d’eux qu’une commission fondée sur les transactions réalisées. Contrairement à la plupart des représentants de commerce actuels, il travaillait pour plusieurs clients, ayant un certain degré de liberté pour fixer le prix des biens qui lui étaient confiés pour être vendus au cours de son voyage et dans les villes du Bosphore.
Les représentants des « marchands-magasiniers » et le rôle de leurs voyages dans l'organisation régionale du commerce lorrain au XVIIIe siècle (années 1720-années 1770)
Authors: Villain Julien 
Published: May 2012

Résumé Malgré la relative facilité des communications par lettre ou par route, les grossistes lorrains du XVIII e siècle envoyaient fréquemment leurs commis en « tournée » auprès de leurs clients de la province, pour en récupérer acomptes et commandes. Les petites foires locales ou régionales étaient pour ce faire des moments privilégiés. C’était toutefois lors de la préparation des grandes foires de Champagne ou de Francfort, où les grossistes lorrains s’approvisionnaient massivement, que les voyages des commis étaient les plus nombreux. Ces derniers se voyaient toutefois confier des missions plus occasionnelles, de recouvrement des créances auprès des mauvais payeurs, notamment.
L'expérimentation d'une nouvelle pratique commerciale : la maison Moët d'Épernay et ses commis voyageurs (1790-1815)
Authors: Musset Benoît 
Published: May 2012

Résumé À partir des années 1760-1780, les négociants en vins de Champagne entreprennent des voyages de prospection dans l’Est de l’Europe, afin d’y placer leurs vins, déjà connus dans la région, en plus grandes quantités. Dans les années 1790, toutes les maisons importantes disposent d’un ou plusieurs voyageurs, en particulier en Allemagne. La maison Moët d’Epernay participe à ce mouvement avec Charles Küssel, embauché en 1789. Jean-Rémy Moët, jeune dirigeant de la maison, découvre alors la difficulté d’utiliser un voyageur à distance : autonomie trop grande, défense variable de ses intérêts, rivalités personnelles. Après cette première expérience, achevée en 1795, Moët se repose sur une famille allemande, les Geiger, dont quatre membres ont voyagé pour lui de 1796 à 1814, tissant un réseau plus solide dans l’intérieur de l’Allemagne, poussant même, contre sa volonté, en Russie, à Vienne et en Angleterre. Malgré cet appui, la couverture de plusieurs dizaines de villes allemandes a été, jusqu’en 1815, un défi très imparfaitement surmonté. Les difficultés de la tournée allemande, l’irrégularité des commandes sous l’effet des guerres, les recouvrements difficiles de créances sans parler des fatigues du voyage entraînèrent un turn-over très important. À l’inverse, Henri-Jacob et Frédéric Geiger se sédentarisaient à Vienne et Saint-Pétersbourg, s’imposant davantage comme des agents, délaissant le statut de commis voyageur. Moët cédait dans un premier temps, les ventes se soutenant, mais rappelait furieusement ses voyageurs à leurs devoirs, sans succès, rompant finalement avec l’un en 1810, et avec l’autre en 1813. Cependant c’est lui-même qui installait un agent à Londres, Martell, tout en conservant officiellement le statut de voyageur. Le négociant restait, à la sortie d’une période troublée, dans une phase d’indécision quant à la structure commerciale de sa maison à l’exportation, tout en ayant acquis une grande expérience pendant 25 ans dans l’emploi des commis voyageurs.