bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reproducibility of Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging for the Measurement of Abdominal Muscle Activity: A Systematic Review
Authors: Costa Leonardo Oliveira Pena , Maher Chris G. , Latimer Jane , Smeets Rob J.E.M. 
Published: June 2009

BackgroundRehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) measures of abdominal wall muscles are used to indirectly measure muscle activity. These measures are used to identify suitable patients and to monitor progress of motor control exercise treatment of people with low back pain.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to systematically review reproducibility studies of RUSI for measuring thickness of abdominal wall muscles.Data SourcesEligible studies were identified via searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The authors also searched personal files and tracked references of the retrieved studies via the Web of Science Index.Study SelectionStudies involving any type of reliability and or agreement of any type of ultrasound measurements (B or M mode) for any of the abdominal wall muscles were selected.Data ExtractionTwo independent reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality.Data SynthesisDue to heterogeneity of the studies’ designs, pooling the data for a meta-analysis was not possible. Twenty-one studies were included, and these studies were typically of low quality and studied subjects who were healthy rather than people seeking care for low back pain. The studies reported good to excellent reliability for single measures of thickness and poor to good reliability for measures of thickness change (reflecting the muscle activity). Interestingly, no studies checked reliability of measures of the difference in thickness changes over time (representing improvement or deterioration in muscle activity).ConclusionsThe current evidence of the reproducibility of RUSI for measuring abdominal muscle activity is based mainly on studies with suboptimal designs and the study of people who were healthy. The critical question of whether RUSI provides reliable measures of improvement in abdominal muscle activity remains to be evaluated.
The influence of the relative timing of arterial and subarachnoid space pulse waves on spinal perivascular cerebrospinal fluid flow as a possible factor in syrinx development
Authors: Bilston Lynne E. , Stoodley Marcus A. , Fletcher David F. 
Published: June 2009

Object
The mechanisms of syringomyelia have long puzzled neurosurgeons and researchers alike due to difficulties in identifying the driving forces behind fluid flow into a syrinx, apparently against a pressure gradient between the spinal cord and the subarachnoid space (SAS). Recently, the synchronization between CSF flow and the cardiac cycle has been postulated to affect fluid flow in the spinal cord. This study aims to determine the effect of changes in the timing of SAS pressure on perivascular flow into the spinal cord.

Methods
This study uses a computational fluid dynamics model to investigate whether the relative timing of a spinal artery cardiovascular pulse wave and fluid pressure in the spinal SAS can influence CSF flow in the perivascular spaces.

Results
The results show that the mass flow rate of CSF through a model periarterial space is strongly influenced by the relative timing of the arterial pulse wave and the SAS pressure.

Conclusions
These findings suggest that factors that might alter the timing of the pulse wave or the fluid flow in the SAS could potentially affect fluid flow into a syrinx.
Thrombolysis and angioplasty for acute occlusion of intracranial vertebrobasilar arteries
Authors: Nakayama Teiji , Tanaka Keisei , Kaneko Mitsuo , Yokoyama Tetsuo , Uemura Kenichi 
Published: June 2009

✓ Three cases of intracranial vertebrobasilar occlusion were successfully treated in the acute stage by thrombolysis and angioplasty. All three patients were admitted to the hospital because of consciousness disturbance and other brainstem signs. Initial angiography revealed intracranial vertebrobasilar occlusions. At first, a microcatheter was introduced into the distal site of the occlusion and thrombolysis was attempted by using urokinase. Recanalization was achieved in all cases but severe stenosis of the intracranial vertebral and basilar arteries was found. The recanalization was followed by transluminal balloon angioplasty and the stenosis was successfully resolved. Marked neurological improvement was achieved in each case. Follow-up cerebral angiography demonstrated sufficient patency at the angioplasty site after 3 to 6 months.
Residual severe stenosis of vertebrobasilar arteries after thrombolytic therapy carries the possibility of reocclusion. Combining angioplasty with thrombolysis to avoid rethrombosis and obtain sufficient distal blood flow is of significant benefit in treating vertebrobasilar occlusion.
Passive Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) Chemical Sensors for Homeland Security Applications
Authors: Potyrailo Radislav A. , Surman Cheryl , Morris William G. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis article provides a brief overview of chemical and biological threats, focuses in detail on modern concepts in chemical sensing, examines the origins of the most significant unmet needs in existing chemical sensors, and introduces a new philosophy in selective chemical sensing. This new approach for selective chemical sensing involves the combination of a sensing material that has different response mechanisms to different species of interest with a transducer that has a multivariable signal transduction ability to detect these independent changes. This new selective chemical‐sensing approach was realized using an attractive ubiquitous platform of battery‐free passive radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags adapted for chemical sensing. In the numerous laboratory and field experiments, the action of several response mechanisms in a single sensing film to different vapors was demonstrated, which resulted in the independent detection of these responses with individual RFID sensors and correction for variable ambient conditions, including high levels of ambient relative humidity (RH). Performance of developed RFID sensors is illustrated in measurements of toxic industrial materials (TIMs) with the detection limit of 15–80 ppb, humidity‐independent (0–76% RH) detection of toxic organic vapors, and selective determination of blood chemical agent (CA) simulants with individual sensors.
Parkin gene modifies the effect of RLS4 on the age at onset of restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Authors: Pichler Irene , Marroni Fabio , Pattaro Cristian , Lohmann Katja , de Grandi Alessandro , Klein Christine , Hicks Andrew A. , Pramstaller Peter P. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractA co‐occurrence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkin mutations has been described. In South Tyrolean RLS patients, a novel RLS locus has been found (RLS4) and recurrent Parkin mutations have been reported. By a systematic screen we investigated the presence of founder Parkin mutations in South Tyrolean RLS patients with known carrier status at the RLS4 locus and assessed whether these mutations alone or in combination influence the RLS phenotype measured by three quantitative RLS traits (age at onset (AAO) and two severity measurements). The Parkin mutation alone showed no effect, whereas RLS4 had a significant effect on the AAO (P = 0.0096, decrease of AAO of 9.1 years), but did not influence severity. Carriers of both, a Parkin mutation and the RLS4 haplotype, showed an association with AAO (P = 0.0016), corresponding to an anticipation of RLS onset age of 16.9 years. However, there was no effect on the disease severity. Our results suggest that the occurrence of a heterozygous Parkin mutation works in tandem with the gene at the RLS4 locus to lower the AAO in RLS. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) gene, schizophrenia susceptibility, and suicidal behavior: A multi‐centre case–control study and meta‐analysis
Authors: Saetre Peter , Lundmark Per , Wang August , Hansen Thomas , Rasmussen Henrik B. , Djurovic Srdjan , Melle Ingrid , Andreassen Ole A. , Werge Thomas , Agartz Ingrid , Hall Håkan , Terenius Lars , Jönsson Erik G. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractSerotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamin; 5‐HT) alternations has since long been suspected in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Tryptophan hydroxylase (tryptophan 5‐monooxygenase; TPH) is the rate‐limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of 5‐HT, and sequence variation in intron 6 of the TPH1 gene has been associated with schizophrenia. The minor allele (A) of this polymorphism (A218C) is also more frequent in patients who have attempted suicide and individuals who died by suicide, than in healthy control individuals. In an attempt to replicate previous findings, five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 837 Scandinavian schizophrenia patients and 1,473 controls. Three SNPs spanning intron 6 and 7, including the A218C and A779C polymorphisms, were associated with schizophrenia susceptibility (P = 0.019). However there were no differences in allele frequencies of these loci between affected individuals having attempted suicide at least once and patients with no history of suicide attempts (P = 0.84). A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis support the A218C polymorphism as a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia (odds ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.29). Association studies on suicide attempts are however conflicting (heterogeneity index I2 = 0.54) and do not support the A218C/A779C polymorphisms being a susceptibility locus for suicidal behavior among individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (OR = 0.96 [0.80–1.16]). We conclude that the TPH1 A218/A779 locus increases the susceptibility of schizophrenia in Caucasian and Asian populations. In addition, the data at hand suggest that the locus contributes to the liability of psychiatric disorders characterized by elevated suicidal rates, rather than affecting suicidal behavior of individuals suffering from a psychiatric disorder. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Common weaknesses in traditional abstracts in the social sciences
Authors: Hartley James , Betts Lucy 
Published: June 2009

AbstractDetailed checklists and questionnaires have been used in the past to assess the quality of structured abstracts in the medical sciences. The aim of this article is to report the findings when a simpler checklist was used to evaluate the quality of 100 traditional abstracts published in 53 different social science journals. Most of these abstracts contained information about the aims, methods, and results of the studies. However, many did not report details about the sample sizes, ages, or sexes of the participants, or where the research was carried out. The correlation between the lengths of the abstracts and the amount of information present was 0.37 (p < .001), suggesting that word limits for abstracts may restrict the presence of key information to some extent. We conclude that authors can improve the quality of information in traditional abstracts in the social sciences by using the simple checklist provided in this article.
A decision support system for public research organizations participating in national research assessment exercises
Authors: Abramo Giovanni , D'Angelo Ciriaco Andrea 
Published: June 2009

AbstractWe are witnessing a rapid trend toward the adoption of exercises for evaluation of national research systems, generally based on peer review. They respond to two main needs: stimulating higher efficiency in research activities by public laboratories, and realizing better allocative efficiency in government funding of such institutions. However, the peer review approach is typified by several limitations that raise doubts for the achievement of the ultimate objectives. In particular, subjectivity of judgment, which occurs during the step of selecting research outputs to be submitted for the evaluations, risks heavily distorting both the final ratings of the organizations evaluated and the ultimate funding they receive. These distortions become ever more relevant if the evaluation is limited to small samples of the scientific production of the research institutions. The objective of the current study is to propose a quantitative methodology based on bibliometric data that would provide a reliable support for the process of selecting the best products of a laboratory, and thus limit distortions. Benefits are twofold: single research institutions can maximize the probability of receiving a fair evaluation coherent with the real quality of their research. At the same time, broader adoptions of this approach could also provide strong advantages at the macroeconomic level, since it guarantees financial allocations based on the real value of the institutions under evaluation. In this study the proposed methodology was applied to the hard science sectors of the Italian university research system for the period 2004–2006.
Applying centrality measures to impact analysis: A coauthorship network analysis
Authors: Yan Erjia , Ding Ying 
Published: June 2009

AbstractMany studies on coauthorship networks focus on network topology and network statistical mechanics. This article takes a different approach by studying micro‐level network properties with the aim of applying centrality measures to impact analysis. Using coauthorship data from 16 journals in the field of library and information science (LIS) with a time span of 20 years (1988–2007), we construct an evolving coauthorship network and calculate four centrality measures (closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, degree centrality, and PageRank) for authors in this network. We find that the four centrality measures are significantly correlated with citation counts. We also discuss the usability of centrality measures in author ranking and suggest that centrality measures can be useful indicators for impact analysis.
A robust approach for assessing misclassification rates under the two‐component measurement error model
Authors: Cocchi Daniela , Scagliarini Michele 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe majority of actions designed to improve processes and quality include the assessment of the capability of a measurement system. The statistical model relating the measured value to the true, but not observable, value of a product characteristic is usually Gaussian and additive. In this paper we propose to extend the said model to a more general formulation by introducing the structure of the two‐component error model. An approximated method for evaluating the misclassification rates under the two‐component error model is proposed and assessed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Central vasopressin and oxytocin receptor distributions in two species of singing mice
Authors: Campbell Polly , Ophir Alexander G. , Phelps Steven M. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are key modulators of vertebrate sociality. Although some general behavioral functions of AVP and OT are broadly conserved, the detailed consequences of peptide release seem to be regulated by species‐specific patterns of receptor distribution. We used autoradiography to characterize central vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) and OT receptor (OTR) distributions in two species of singing mice, ecologically specialized Central American rodents with a highly developed form of vocal communication. While both species exhibited high V1aR binding in the auditory thalamus (medial geniculate), binding in structures involved in vocal production (periaqueductal gray and anterior hypothalamus) was significantly higher in the more vocal species, Scotinomys teguina. In S. xerampelinus, receptor binding was significantly higher in a suite of interconnected structures implicated in social and spatial memory, including OTR in the hippocampus and medial amygdala, and V1aR in the anterior and laterodorsal thalamus. This pattern is concordant with species differences in population density and social spacing, which should favor enhanced sociospatial memory in S. xerampelinus. We propose that V1aR and OTR distributions in singing mice support an integral role for the AVP/OT system in several aspects of sociality, including vocal communication and sociospatial memory. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:321–333, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Increased proximal bifurcation of CA1 pyramidal apical dendrites in sema3A mutant mice
Authors: Nakamura Fumio , Ugajin Kozue , Yamashita Naoya , Okada Takako , Uchida Yutaka , Taniguchi Masahiko , Ohshima Toshio , Goshima Yoshio 
Published: June 2009

AbstractSemaphorin‐3A (Sema3A) is an attractive guidance molecule for cortical apical dendrites. To elucidate the role of Sema3A in hippocampal dendritic formation, we examined the Sema3A expression pattern in the perinatal hippocampal formation and analyzed hippocampal dendrites of the brains from young adult sema3A mutant mice. Sema3A protein was predominantly expressed in the hippocampal plate and the inner marginal zone at the initial period of apical dendritic growth. Neuropilin‐1 and plexin‐A, the receptor components for Sema3A, were also localized in the same regions. The Golgi impregnation method revealed that in wildtype mice more than 90% of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons extended a single trunk or apical trunks bifurcated in stratum radiatum. Seven percent of the pyramidal neurons showed proximal bifurcation of apical trunks in stratum pyramidale or at the border of the stratum pyramidale and stratum radiatum. In sema3A mutant mice, proximally bifurcated apical dendrites were increased to 32%, while the single apical dendritic pyramidal neurons were decreased. We designate this phenotype in sema3A mutant mice as “proximal bifurcation.” In the dissociated culture system, approximately half of the hippocampal neurons from wildtype mice resembled pyramidal neurons, which possess a long, thick, and tapered dendrite. In contrast, only 30% of the neurons from sema3A mutants exhibited pyramidal‐like morphology. Proximal bifurcation of CA1 pyramidal neurons was also increased in the mutant mice of p35, an activator of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). Thus, Sema3A may facilitate the initial growth of CA1 apical dendrites via the activation of p35/Cdk5, which may in turn signal hippocampal development. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:360–375, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of the Gata3 transcription factor in the acoustic ganglion of the developing avian inner ear
Authors: Jones Jennifer M. , Warchol Mark E. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractDuring the development of the inner ear, auditory and vestibular ganglion neurons are generated in a highly regulated sequential process. First, neuroblasts are specified, delaminate from the epithelium of the otocyst, and migrate to form the auditory‐vestibular ganglion (AVG). These neuroblasts then undergo proliferation and differentiate into afferent neurons of the auditory and vestibular ganglia. The zinc finger transcription factor Gata3 has been shown to play a role in cell proliferation and differentiation in various regions of the inner ear. Here we profile the spatiotemporal expression pattern of Gata3 in the developing auditory and vestibular ganglia of the chick embryo. Gata3 is expressed in a distinct population of sensorineural precursor cells within the otic epithelium, but is not expressed in migrating or proliferating neuroblasts. Following terminal mitosis, Gata3 expression is restricted to very few cells in the auditory ganglion and is not expressed in any cells of the vestibular ganglion. Gata3 expression levels then increase in auditory neurons as they mature. The increase of Gata3 in auditory ganglion neurons is accompanied by decreased expression of NeuroD. Our results suggest that Gata3 may be specifically involved in the differentiation of auditory ganglion neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:507–518, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acid sensitivity and ultrastructure of the retrotrapezoid nucleus in Phox2b‐EGFP transgenic mice
Authors: Lazarenko Roman M. , Milner Teresa A. , Depuy Seth D. , Stornetta Ruth L. , West Gavin H. , Kievits Justin A. , Bayliss Douglas A. , Guyenet Patrice G. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) contains noncholinergic noncatecholaminergic glutamatergic neurons that express the transcription factor Phox2b (chemically coded or “cc” RTN neurons). These cells regulate breathing and may be central chemoreceptors. Here we explore their ultrastructure and their acid sensitivity by using two novel BAC eGFP‐Phox2b transgenic mice (B/G, GENSAT JX99) in which, respectively, 36% and 100% of the cc RTN neurons express the transgene in complete or partial anatomical isolation from other populations of eGFP neurons. All but one of the eGFP‐labeled RTN neurons recorded in these mice were acid activated in slices. These cells contained VGLUT2 mRNA, and 50% contained preprogalanin mRNA (determined by single‐cell PCR in the B/G mouse). Two neuronal subgroups were revealed, which differed in discharge rate at pH 7.3 (type I ∼2; type II ∼4 Hz) and the degree of alkalization that silenced the cells (type I 7.4–7.6, type II 7.8–8.0). Medial to the RTN, C1 neurons recorded in a tyrosine hydroxylase‐GFP mouse were pH insensitive between pH 6.9 and pH 7.5. Ultrastructural studies demonstrated that eGFP‐labeled RTN neurons were surrounded by numerous capillaries and were often in direct contact with glial cells, pericytes, and the basement membrane of capillaries. Terminals contacting large proximal eGFP dendrites formed mainly symmetric, likely inhibitory, synapses. Terminals on more distal eGFP dendrites formed preferentially asymmetric, presumably excitatory, synapses. In sum, C1 cells are pH insensitive, whereas cc RTN neurons are uniformly acid sensitive. The RTN neurons receive inhibitory and excitatory synaptic inputs and may have unfettered biochemical interactions with glial cells and the local microvasculature. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:69–86, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A bushy cell network in the rat ventral cochlear nucleus
Authors: Gómez‐Nieto Ricardo , Rubio María E. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractGeometry of the dendritic tree and synaptic organization of afferent inputs are essential factors in determining how synaptic input is integrated by neurons. This information remains elusive for one of the first brainstem neurons involved in processing of the primary auditory signal from the ear, the bushy cells (BCs) of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). Here, we labeled the BC dendritic trees with retrograde tracing techniques to analyze their geometry and synaptic organization after immunofluorescence for excitatory and inhibitory synaptic markers, electron microscopy, morphometry, double tract‐tracing methods, and 3D reconstructions. Our study revealed that BC dendrites provide space for a large number of compartmentalized excitatory and inhibitory synaptic interactions. The dendritic inputs on BCs are of cochlear and noncochlear origin, and their proportion and distribution are dependent on the branching pattern and orientation of the dendritic tree in the VCN. Three‐dimensional reconstructions showed that BC dendrites branch and cluster with those of other BCs in the core of the VCN. Within the cluster, incoming synaptic inputs establish divergent multiple‐contact synapses (dyads and triads) between BCs. Furthermore, neuron–neuron connections including puncta adherentia, sarcoplasmic junctions, and gap junctions are common between BCs, which suggests that these neurons are electrically coupled. Overall, our study demonstrates the existence of a BC network in the rat VCN. This network may establish the neuroanatomical basis for acoustic information processing by individual BCs as well as for enhanced synchronization of the output signal of the VCN. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:241–263, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.