bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simulation Experiment Description Markup Language (SED-ML) : Level 1 Version 1
Authors: Waltemath Dagmar , Bergmann Frank , Adams Richard , Le Novere Nicolas 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe Simulation Experiment Description Markup Language (SED-ML) is an XML-based format for encoding simulation experiments, following the requirements defined in the MIASE guidelines. SED-ML allows one to define the model to use, the experimental task to run, and which result to produce.
Affordances of distractors and compatibility effects: a study with the computational model TRoPICALS
Authors: Caligiore Daniele , Borghi Anna M. , Parisi Domenico , Ellis Rob , Cangelosi Angelo , Baldassarre Gianluca 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSeeing an object activates in the brain both visual and action codes. Crucial evidence supporting this view is offered by compatibility effect experiments (Ellis et al. (2007). J Exp Psychol: Hum Percept Perform): perception of an object can facilitate or interfere with the execution of an action (e.g. grasping) even when the viewer has no intention of interacting with the object. TRoPICALS (Caligiore et al. (2010). Psychol Rev) is a computational model developed to study compatibility effects. It provides a general hypothesis about the brain mechanisms underlying compatibility effects, suggesting that the top-down bias from prefrontal cortex (PFC), and its agreement or disagreement with the affordances of objects, plays a key role in such phenomena. Compatibility effects have been investigated in the presence of a distractor object in (Ellis et al. (2007). J Exp Psychol: Hum Percept Perform). The reaction times (RTs) results confirmed compatibility effects found in previous experiments without the distractor. Interestingly, results also showed an unexpected effect of the distractor: responding to a target with a grip compatible with the size of the distractor produced slower RTs in comparison to the incompatible case. Here we present an enhanced version of TRoPICALS that reproduces and explains these new results. This explanation is based on the idea according to which PFC might play a double role in its top-down guidance of action selection producing: (a) a positive bias in favor of the action requested by the experimental task; (b) a negative bias directed to inhibiting the action evoked by the distractor. The model also provides two testable predictions on the possible consequences on compatibilities effects of the target and distractor objects in Parkinsonian disease patients with damages of inhibitory circuits.
Making connections between ultrafast protein folding kinetics and molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Cellmer Troy , Buscaglia Marco , Henry Eric R. , Hofrichter James , Eaton William A. 
Published: March 2011

Determining the rate of forming the truly folded conformation of ultrafast folding proteins is an important issue for both experiments and simulations. The double-norleucine mutant of the 35-residue villin subdomain is the focus of recent computer simulations with atomistic molecular dynamics because it is currently the fastest folding protein. The folding kinetics of this protein have been measured in laser temperature-jump experiments using tryptophan fluorescence as a probe of overall folding. The conclusion from the simulations, however, is that the rate determined by fluorescence is significantly larger than the rate of overall folding. We have therefore employed an independent experimental method to determine the folding rate. The decay of the tryptophan triplet-state in photoselection experiments was used to monitor the change in the unfolded population for a sequence of the villin subdomain with one amino acid difference from that of the laser temperature-jump experiments, but with almost identical equilibrium properties. Folding times obtained in a two-state analysis of the results from the two methods at denaturant concentrations varying from 1.5–6.0 M guanidinium chloride are in excellent agreement, with an average difference of only 20%. Polynomial extrapolation of all the data to zero denaturant yields a folding time of 220 (+100,-70) ns at 283 K, suggesting that under these conditions the barrier between folded and unfolded states has effectively disappeared—the so-called “downhill scenario.”
On the strong and selective isotope effect in the UV excitation of N
2
with implications toward the nebula and Martian atmosphere
Authors: Muskatel B. H. , Remacle F. , Thiemens Mark H. , Levine R. D. 
Published: March 2011

Isotopic effects associated with molecular absorption are discussed with reference to natural phenomena including early solar system processes, Titan and terrestrial atmospheric chemistry, and Martian atmospheric evolution. Quantification of the physicochemical aspects of the excitation and dissociation processes may lead to enhanced understanding of these environments. Here we examine a physical basis for an additional isotope effect during photolysis of molecular nitrogen due to the coupling of valence and Rydberg excited states. The origin of this isotope effect is shown to be the coupling of diabatic electronic states of different bonding nature that occurs after the excitation of these states. This coupling is characteristic of energy regimes where two or more excited states are nearly crossing or osculating. A signature of the resultant isotope effect is a window of rapid variation in the otherwise smooth distribution of oscillator strengths vs. frequency. The reference for the discussion is the numerical solution of the time dependent Schrödinger equation for both the electronic and nuclear modes with the light field included as part of the Hamiltonian. Pumping is to all extreme UV dipole-allowed, valence and Rydberg, excited states of N
2
. The computed absorption spectra are convoluted with the solar spectrum to demonstrate the importance of including this isotope effect in planetary, interstellar molecular cloud, and nebular photochemical models. It is suggested that accidental resonance with strong discrete lines in the solar spectrum such as the CIII line at 97.703 nm can also have a marked effect.
Changes of attachment status among women with personality disorders undergoing inpatient treatment
Authors: Strauss Bernhard M. , Mestel Robert , Kirchmann Helmut A. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground: Attachment has increasingly received attention in psychotherapy and has been used as a predictor of process and outcome. Studies investigating changes of attachment styles during psychotherapy are very rare. Method: Forty women with either borderline (BPD) or avoidant personality disorders (AVPD), treated as inpatients, were investigated using an attachment interview (interpersonal relations assessment (IRA)), and questionnaires to determine therapy outcome at the beginning and after seven weeks of therapy. The IRA uses similar questions as the adult attachment interview (AAI) and is used as the basis for the adult attachment prototype rating (AAPR), a procedure to assign individuals to prototypical categories of attachment. Results: The study showed that the therapy in general was effective. In contrast to other studies, we did not find many women classified as secure at the end of their therapy. Comparisons of pre‐post‐ratings revealed instead that clients within both subgroups received higher ratings for the avoidant prototypes at the end of therapy, indicating deactivation of attachment. Changes from ambivalent to avoidant attachment were linked with better outcome among women with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Conclusions: This study adds further evidence to the result that attachment styles do not change dramatically during a time‐limited psychological treatment of personality disorder. Instead, the study showed that features of preoccupied/ambivalent attachment were less significant after seven weeks of therapy. For women with BPD, these changes were linked with a more favourable outcome which might reflect a more structured and deactivated attachment status as a result of inpatient therapy.
Management of Button Battery–induced Hemorrhage in Children
Authors: Brumbaugh David E , Colson Steven B , Sandoval John A , Karrer Frederick M , Bealer John F , Litovitz Toby , Kramer Robert E 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTObjectives:Button battery ingestions are potentially life threatening for children. Catastrophic and fatal injuries can occur when the battery becomes lodged in the esophagus, where battery‐induced injury can extend beyond the esophagus to the trachea or aorta. Increased production of larger, more powerful button batteries has coincided with more frequent reporting of fatal hemorrhage secondary to esophageal battery impaction, but no recommendations exist for the management of button battery–induced hemorrhage in children.Materials and Methods:We reviewed all of the reported pediatric fatalities due to button battery–associated hemorrhage. Our institution engaged subspecialists from a wide range of disciplines to develop an institutional plan for the management of complicated button battery ingestions.Results:Ten fatal cases of button battery–associated hemorrhage were identified. Seven of the 10 cases have occurred since 2004. Seventy percent of cases presented with a sentinel bleeding event. Fatal hemorrhage can occur up to 18 days after endoscopic removal of the battery. Guidelines for the management of button battery–associated hemorrhage were developed.Conclusions:Pediatric care facilities must be prepared to act quickly and concertedly in the case of button battery–associated esophageal hemorrhage, which is most likely to present as a “sentinel bleed” in a toddler.
Effect of Age on Fructose Malabsorption in Children Presenting With Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Authors: Jones Hilary F , Burt Esther , Dowling Kate , Davidson Geoff , Brooks Doug A , Butler Ross N 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTObjectives:Fructose malabsorption can produce symptoms such as chronic diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Here, we retrospectively review breath hydrogen test (BHT) results to determine whether age has an effect on the clinical application of the fructose BHT and compare this with the lactose BHT.Patients and Methods:Patients were referred to a gastroenterology breath‐testing clinic (2003–2008) to investigate carbohydrate malabsorption as a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients received either 0.5 g/kg body weight of fructose (maximum of 10 g) or 2 g/kg of lactose (maximum of 20 g), in water, and were tested for 2.5 hours.Results:Patient age showed a significant effect on the fructose BHT results (P < 0.001, 0.1–79 years old, n = 1093). The odds of testing positive for fructose malabsorption in paediatric patients (15 years old or younger, n = 760) decreased by a factor of 0.82/year (95% confidence interval 0.79–0.86, P < 0.001). There were 88.2% positive in younger than 1‐year‐olds, 66.6% in 1‐ to 5‐year‐olds, 40.4% in 6‐ to 10‐year‐olds, and 27.1% in 10‐ to 15‐year‐olds. In contrast, 39.3% of lactose BHTs were positive, with no significant relation between patient age and test result (P = 0.115, 0.1–89 years old, n = 3073).Conclusions:The majority of infants with gastrointestinal symptoms exhibited fructose malabsorption, but the capacity to absorb fructose increased with patient age up to 10 years old. The low threshold for fructose absorption in younger children has significant implications for the performance and interpretation of the fructose BHT and for the dietary consumption of fructose in infants with gastrointestinal symptoms.
Cisapride Improves Enteral Tolerance in Pediatric Short‐bowel Syndrome With Dysmotility
Authors: Raphael Bram P , Nurko Samuel , Jiang Hongyu , Hart Kristen , Kamin Daniel S , Jaksic Tom , Duggan Christopher 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTBackground and Objectives:Gastrointestinal dysmotility is common in pediatric short‐bowel syndrome, leading to prolonged parenteral nutrition dependence. There is limited literature regarding the safety and efficacy of cisapride for this indication. The aim of the study was to describe the safety and efficacy of cisapride for enteral intolerance in pediatric short‐bowel syndrome.Methods:Open‐labeled pilot study in a limited access program for cisapride. Indications were short‐bowel syndrome with underlying dysmotility and difficulty advancing enteral feeds despite standard therapies and without evidence of anatomic obstruction. Patients received cisapride 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg per dose for 3 to 4 doses per day. We collected electrocardiogram, nutrition, and anthropometric data prospectively at study visits.Results:Ten patients with mean (SD) age of 30.3 (30.5) months were enrolled in our multidisciplinary pediatric intestinal rehabilitation program. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) duration of follow‐up was 8.7 (3.1–14.3) months. Median (IQR) residual bowel length was 102 (85–130) cm. Median (IQR) citrulline level was 14.5 (10.5–31.3) μmol/L. Diagnoses included isolated gastroschisis (n = 3), gastroschisis with intestinal atresia (n = 4), necrotizing enterocolitis (n = 2), and long‐segment Hirschsprung disease (n = 1). Six subjects had at least 1 prior bowel‐lengthening procedure. Median (IQR) change in percentage enteral energy intake was 19.9% (15.4%–29.8%) during follow‐up (P = 0.01). Seven patients improved in enteral tolerance during treatment and 2 were weaned completely from parenteral nutrition. Complications during therapy were prolonged corrected QT interval (n = 2), gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 2), D‐lactic acidosis (n = 1), and death due to presumed sepsis (n = 1). Longitudinal analysis (general estimating equation model) showed a strong positive association between cisapride duration and improved enteral tolerance. Mean percentage of enteral intake increased by 2.9% for every month of cisapride treatment (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:Cisapride is a potentially useful therapy in patients with pediatric short‐bowel syndrome with gastrointestinal dysmotility. We observed modest improvement in feeding tolerance where prior treatments failed; however, patients treated with cisapride require careful cardiac monitoring because corrected QT prolongation occurred in 20% of our cohort.
Do Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Have a Higher Frequency of Parietal Cell Antibodies Than Healthy Controls?
Authors: Fröhlich‐Reiterer Elke E , Huber Julia , Katz Hermann , Suppan Elisabeth , Obermayer‐Pietsch Barbara , Deutschmann Andrea , Demel Ulrike , Acham‐Roschitz Birgit , Weinhandl Gudrun , Ambros‐Rudolph Christina M , Hauer Almuth , Borkenstein Martin H 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTObjectives:Parietal cell antibodies (PCA) are markers of autoimmune gastritis (AG). AG can lead to hypergastrinemia and iron‐deficiency anaemia (IDA). Compared to healthy controls, adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) show a higher prevalence of PCA (1% vs 20%). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of PCA in children and adolescents with T1DM compared to healthy controls and the clinical and biochemical markers.Patients and Methods:We studied 170 patients (87 boys) with T1DM (mean age 12.9 years) and 101 healthy controls (49 boys; mean age 13.0 years). PCA, free T4, free T3, thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid antibodies were measured in all of the patients. In addition, gastrin, pepsinogen I, iron, ferritin, vitamin B12, and folate were measured in patients with T1DM only. Gastroscopy was carried out in patients with T1DM having high (>100 U/mL) PCA levels.Results:The frequency of PCA in patients with T1DM was 5.29% compared to 1.98% in healthy controls (not significant). PCA was strongly correlated to both thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and gastrin levels (P = 0.001). IDA was present in 4 of 9 patients from the PCA‐positive group compared to 4 of 160 patients from the PCA‐negative group. Hypergastrinemia was found in 2 PCA‐positive patients. Histopathologically, 1 of 4 patients showed early symptoms of AG.Conclusions:Children and adolescents with T1DM have a lower frequency of PCA than is reported for adults. Compared to healthy controls, they seem to be at increased risk for developing PCA, in particular if positive for TPOAb, but overt clinical disease is rare in children with T1DM.
Randomized controlled trials in pregnancy: scientific and ethical aspects. Exposure to different opioid medications during pregnancy in an intra‐individual comparison
Authors: Unger Annemarie , Jagsch Reinhold , Jones Hendree , Arria Amelia , Leitich Harald , Rohrmeister Klaudia , Aschauer Constantin , Winklbaur Berndadette , Bäwert Andjela , Fischer Gabriele 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTBackground  Chronic medical conditions such as opioid dependence require evidence‐based treatment recommendations. However, pregnant women are under‐represented in clinical trials. We describe the first within‐subject comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes for methadone‐ versus buprenorphine‐exposed pregnancies. Although methadone is the established treatment of pregnant opioid‐dependent women, recent investigations have shown a trend for a milder neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) under buprenorphine. However, it is not only the choice of maintenance medication that determines the occurrence of NAS; other factors such as maternal metabolism, illicit substance abuse and nicotine consumption also influence its severity and duration and represent confounding factors in the assessment of randomized clinical trials.Case series description  Three women who were part of the European cohort of a randomized, double‐blind multi‐center trial with a contingency management tool [the Maternal Opioid Treatment: Human Experimental Research (MOTHER) study], each had two consecutive pregnancies and were maintained on either methadone or buprenorphine for their first and then the respective opposite, still‐blinded medication for their second pregnancy. Birth measurements, the total neonatal abstinence score, the total amounts of medication used to treat NAS and the days of NAS treatment duration were assessed.Results  Both medications were effective and safe in reducing illicit opioid relapse and avoiding preterm labor. Methadone maintenance yielded to a significantly higher neonatal birth weight. Data patterns suggest that buprenorphine exposure was associated with lower neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) scores. Findings from this unique case series are consistent with earlier reports using between‐group analyses.Conclusions  Buprenorphine has the potential to become an established treatment alternative to methadone for pregnant opioid‐dependent women. Under special consideration of ethical boundaries, psychopharmacological treatment during pregnancy must be addressed as an integral part of clinical research projects in order to optimize treatment for women and neonates.
Is ideal body image related to obesity and lifestyle behaviours in African American adolescents?
Authors: Chen X. , Wang Y. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractBackground  Childhood obesity epidemic has become a public health issue in the USA, especially among African American youths. Research on the association between ideal body image (IBI) and obesity and related lifestyle factors among African American children and adolescents is limited.Methods  Data collected from 402 low‐income African American adolescents aged 10–14 years in four Chicago public schools were used. Questionnaires were used to assess IBI, weight perception, weight control practices, and self‐efficacy towards food and physical activity. Body mass index was calculated using measured weight and height. Associations between IBI and weight perception, overweight/obesity and lifestyle behaviours were assessed using linear and logistic regression models.Results  The most frequently chosen ideal body size was the fourth of eight silhouettes (from thinnest to heaviest) for boys (55%) and girls (49%). Overweight and obese girls selected larger ideal body figures than the others (trend test: P < 0.001). Compared with those with middle ideal body figures, girls who selected smaller ones were twice as likely to have an unhealthy diet as indicated by less fruit and milk consumption; the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were 2.40 (1.15–5.02) for fruits intake (<once/week) and 2.13 (1.06–4.29) for milk consumption (<once/day), respectively. Boys with larger IBI were less likely to eat snack often [≥once/day; OR = 0.11 (0.02–0.50)]. Girls with larger IBI were less likely to spend more screen time [OR = 0.12 (0.02–0.70)] and reported better food choice intentions (P < 0.05). Overweight and obese boys and girls appeared to have better food choice intentions and food self‐efficacy than their non‐overweight peers (trend test: both P < 0.01).Conclusions  Ideal body image is associated with weight status, food self‐efficacy and lifestyle behaviours among low‐income African American adolescents.
Eosinophilic oesophagitis: latest intelligence
Authors: Schoepfer A. M. , Simon D. , Straumann A. 
Published: March 2011

SummaryEosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), first described in the early 1990s, has rapidly evolved as a distinctive chronic inflammatory oesophageal disease with increasing incidence and prevalence in the westernized countries. Currently, EoE represents the main cause of dysphagia in adult patients. This disease is more prevalent in males and is frequently associated with allergies. The diagnosis is established based on the presence of oesophageal symptoms and dense eosinophilic oesophageal infiltration once other conditions leading to oesophageal eosinophilia are excluded. It is currently under discussion to what extent and by which methods allergic testing should be performed. Topical corticosteroids lead to a rapid improvement of active EoE clinically and histologically. Especially in children, elimination diets can have similar efficacy as topical corticosteroids. Oesophageal dilation of EoE‐induced oesophageal strictures can also be effective in improving symptoms, but this therapy has no effect on the underlying inflammation. Neither the diagnostic nor the long‐term therapeutic strategies are as yet defined. Cite this as: A. M. Schoepfer, D. Simon and A. Straumann, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 630–639.
Regulatory T cells and chronic immune activation in human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1)-infected children
Authors: Freguja R , Gianesin K , Mosconi I , Zanchetta M , Carmona F , Rampon O , Giaquinto C , De Rossi A 
Published: March 2011

SummaryThe function of CD4+ T cells with regulatory activity (Tregs) is the down-regulation of immune responses. This suppressive activity may limit the magnitude of effector responses, resulting in failure to control human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection, but may also suppress chronic immune activation, a characteristic feature of HIV-1 disease. We evaluated the correlation between viral load, immune activation and Tregs in HIV-1-infected children. Eighty-nine HIV-1-infected children (aged 6–14 years) were included in the study and analysed for HIV-1 plasmaviraemia, HIV-1 DNA load, CD4 and CD8 cell subsets. Treg cells [CD4+ CD25highCD127lowforkhead box P3 (FoxP3high)] and CD8-activated T cells (CD8+CD38+) were determined by flow cytometry. Results showed that the number of activated CD8+CD38+ T cells increased in relation to HIV-1 RNA plasmaviraemia (r = 0·403, P &lt; 0·0001). The proportion of Tregs also correlated positively with HIV-1 plasmaviraemia (r = 0·323, P = 0·002), but correlated inversely with CD4+ cells (r = −0·312, P = 0·004), thus suggesting a selective expansion along with increased viraemia and CD4+ depletion. Interestingly, a positive correlation was found between the levels of Tregs and CD8+CD38+ T cells (r = 0·305, P = 0·005), and the percentage of Tregs tended to correlate with HIV-1 DNA load (r = 0·224, P = 0·062). Overall, these findings suggest that immune activation contributes to the expansion of Treg cells. In turn, the suppressive activity of Tregs may impair effector responses against HIV-1, but appears to be ineffective in limiting immune activation.