bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) in combination with inulin modulates both the intestinal environment and immune status in healthy subjects, while XOS alone only shows prebiotic properties
Authors: Lecerf Jean-Michel , Dépeint Flore , Clerc Elise , Dugenet Yann , Niamba Claude N. , Rhazi Larbi , Cayzeele Amélie , Abdelnour Ghenwa , Jaruga Arnaud , Younes Hassan , Jacobs Heidi , Lambrey Guy , Abdelnour Afif M. , Pouillart Philippe R. 
Published: January 2012

The purpose of the present study was to establish the prebiotic effect of a new xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) and of an inulin-and-XOS mixture (INU–XOS) and to determine their effect on endotoxaemia (lipopolysaccharides (LPS)) and immune parameters. In this randomised, parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, sixty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to three groups, receiving either 5 g XOS, INU–XOS (3 g inulin +1 g XOS) or an equivalent weight of wheat maltodextrin (placebo) during 4 weeks. Faecal samples were collected to assess the effects of these products on microbiota, as well as SCFA composition, enzymatic activities and secretory IgA production. Circulating LPS was measured in plasma samples, and whole blood was incubated with LPS to measure cytokine expression. Consumption of XOS alone increased the faecal concentrations ofBifidobacteriumand butyrate and activities of α-glucosidase and β-glucuronidase, while decreasing the concentrations of acetate andp-cresol. Consumption of XOS in combination with inulin did not decrease the concentrations of acetate andp-cresol, but increased in addition the faecal concentrations of total SCFA and propionate. Furthermore, consumption of XOS in combination with inulin decreased LPS concentrations in blood and attenuated LPS-induced increases in gene expression in IL-1β and LPS-induced decreases in gene expression in IL-13 in blood. In conclusion, consumption of XOS alone or in combination with inulin results in beneficial albeit different changes in the intestinal microbiome on a high-fat diet. In addition, consumption of XOS in combination with inulin attenuates the proinflammatory effects of a high-fat diet in the blood of healthy subjects.
Adequacy of usual dietary intake and nutritional status among pregnant women in the context of nutrition transition: the DEPOSIT Study
Authors: Abu-Saad Kathleen , Shahar Danit R. , Fraser Drora , Vardi Hillel , Friger Michael , Bolotin Arkardy , Freedman Laurence S. 
Published: January 2012

Bedouin Arabs in southern Israel are a traditionally semi-nomadic population undergoing the nutrition transition in a context of urbanisation. The effect of these changes on the nutritional status of pregnant women is unknown. The Dietary Exposures and Pregnancy Outcomes in a Society In Transition (DEPOSIT) study evaluated the adequacy of pregnant Bedouin women's usual dietary intake and their nutritional status. Dietary intake was assessed in a cross-sectional study design using repeat 24 h recall (24HR) questionnaires. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate the usual intake of selected nutrients. The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) was used to evaluate nutrient intake adequacy. Measured weight and height data were used to calculate the participants' BMI. A total of 1109 24HR were obtained from 683 participants, of which 8 % contained no animal-source protein and an additional 43 % contained no haeme-Fe. Animal-source protein intake reached less than half of the EAR for most participants (71 %). Over 90 % had inadequate intakes of Ca, Fe, animal-source Zn, vitamin A and folate. The probability of consuming haeme-source Fe was higher among urban than rural participants (OR 1·68, 95 % CI 1·17, 2·41), and among those with employed v. unemployed husbands (OR 1·81, 95 % CI 1·27, 2·58). Only 14 % reported consuming home-produced animal products. According to pre-pregnancy BMI, 42 % were overweight or obese. The DEPOSIT study findings suggest that Bedouin Arab women are in need of interventions that address the co-existing problems of inadequate nutrient intakes and increased risk of obesity.
Human milk oligosaccharides reduceEntamoeba histolyticaattachment and cytotoxicityin vitro
Authors: Jantscher-Krenn Evelyn , Lauwaet Tineke , Bliss Laura A. , Reed Sharon L. , Gillin Frances D. , Bode Lars 
Published: January 2012

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), complex sugars that are highly abundant in breast milk, block viral and bacterial attachment to the infant's intestinal epithelium and lower the risk of infections. We hypothesised that HMO also prevent infections with the protozoan parasiteEntamoeba histolytica,as its major virulence factor is a lectin that facilitates parasite attachment and cytotoxicity and binds galactose (Gal) andN-acetyl-galactosamine. HMO contain Gal, are only minimally digested in the small intestine and reach the colon, the site ofE. histolyticainfection. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether HMO reduceE. histolyticaattachment and cytotoxicity. Ourin vitroresults show that physiological concentrations of isolated, pooled HMO detachE. histolyticaby more than 80 %. In addition, HMO rescueE. histolytica-induced destruction of human intestinal epithelial HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The cytoprotective effects were structure-specific. Lacto-N-tetraose with its terminal Gal rescued up to 80 % of the HT-29 cells, while HMO with fucose α1–2-linked to the terminal Gal had no effect. Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which also contain terminal Gal and are currently added to infant formula to mimic some of the beneficial effects of HMO, completely abolishedE. histolyticaattachment and cytotoxicity at 8 mg/ml. Although our results need to be confirmedin vivo, they may provide one explanation for why breast-fed infants are at lower risk ofE. histolyticainfections. HMO and GOS are heat tolerant, stable, safe and in the case of GOS, inexpensive, which could make them valuable candidates as alternative preventive and therapeutic anti-amoebic agents.
Association of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene variant (rs9939609) with dietary intake in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study
Authors: Lappalainen Tiina , Lindström Jaana , Paananen Jussi , Eriksson Johan G. , Karhunen Leila , Tuomilehto Jaakko , Uusitupa Matti 
Published: January 2012

A cluster of variants in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene are associated with the common form of obesity. Well-documented dietary data are required for identifying how the genetic risk can be modified by dietary factors. The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations between the FTO risk allele (rs9939609) and dietary intake, and to evaluate how dietary intake affects the association between FTO and BMI in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study during a mean follow-up of 3·2 years. A total of 479 (BMI >25 kg/m2) men and women were genotyped for rs9939609. The participants completed a 3 d food record at baseline and before every annual study visit. The average intakes at baseline and during the years 1, 2 and 3 were calculated. At baseline, the FTO variant rs9939609 was not associated with the mean values of total energy intake, macronutrients or fibre. At baseline, a higher BMI by the FTO risk genotype was detected especially in those who reported a diet high in fat with mean BMI of 30·6 (sd 4·1), 31·3 (sd 4·6) and 34·5 (sd 6·2) kg/m2 for TT, TA and AA carriers, respectively (P =0·005). Higher BMI was also observed in those who had a diet low in carbohydrates (P =0·028) and fibre (P =0·015). However, in the analyses adjusted for total energy intake, age and sex, significant interactions between FTO and dietary intakes were not found. These findings suggest that the association between the FTO genotype and obesity is influenced by the components of dietary intake, and the current dietary recommendations are particularly beneficial for those who are genetically susceptible for obesity.
Vodec: A fast Voronoi algorithm for car-like robot path planning in dynamic scenarios
Authors: López García Diego A. , Gomez-Bravo Fernando 
Published: January 2012

SUMMARYTraditionally, robot motion planners use Voronoi Diagrams for generating admissible paths that connect an initial with a final configuration. When dynamic scenarios are involved, these techniques imply a heavy computational cost. The novelty of the technique presented here is that it can provide fast and particularly suitable routes without considering the full scenario if environmental changes appear. The new method is designed to work with a post-process technique in order to provide admissible paths for car-like robots coping with kinematic constraints. This new approach is capable of supplying continuous paths and also elaborate maneuvers if cluttered environments are involved.
Exploring the plutonic-volcanic link: a zircon U-Pb, Lu-Hf and O isotope study of paired volcanic and granitic units from southeastern Australia
Authors: Kemp A.I.S. , Hawkesworth C.J. , Paterson B.A. , Foster G.L. , Kinny P.D. , Whitehouse M.J. , Maas R. , EIMF  
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe relationship between plutonic and volcanic rocks is central to understanding the geochemical evolution of silicic magma systems, but it is clouded by ambiguities associated with unravelling the plutonie record. Here we report an integrated U-Pb, O and Lu-Hf isotope study of zircons from three putative granitic-volcanic rock pairs from the Lachlan Fold Belt, southeastern Australia, to explore the connection between the intrusive and extrusive realms. The data reveal contrasting petrogenetic scenarios for the S- and I-type pairs. The zircon Hf-O isotope systematics in an 1-type dacite are very similar to those of their plutonie counterpart, supporting an essentially co-magmatic relationship between these units. The elevated δ18O of zircons in these I-type rocks confirm a significant supracrustal source component. The S-type volcanic rocks are not the simple erupted equivalents of the granites, although the extrusive and plutonie units can be related by open-system magmatic evolution. Zircons in the S-type rocks define covariant εΗf—βO arrays that attest to mixing or assimilation processes between two components, one being the Ordovician metasedimentary country rocks, the other either an I-type magma or a mantle-derived magma. The data are consistent with models involving incremental melt extraction from relatively juvenile magmas undergoing open-system differentiation at depth, followed by crystal-liquid mixing upon emplacement in shallow magma reservoirs, or upon eruption. The latter juxtaposes crystals with markedly different petrogenetic histories and determines whole-rock geochemical and textural properties. This scenario can explain the puzzling decoupling between the bulk rock isotope and geochemical compositions commonly observed for granite suites.
INCIDENCE-BASED COST-OF-ILLNESS MODEL FOR METASTATIC BREAST CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Sorensen Sonja V. , Goh Jo Wern , Pan Feng , Chen Connie , Yardley Denise , Martín Miguel , Knopf Kevin , Benedict Ágnes , Giorgetti Carla , Iyer Shrividya 
Published: January 2012

Objectives:This study aims to estimate the annual U.S. societal costs associated with treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients using an incidence-based cost-of-illness (COI) framework.Methods:An incidence-based COI model was constructed in which MBC patients were simulated from diagnosis through active treatment, palliative care, and death over 5 years. Key model parameters included: annual incidence of breast cancer in the metastatic stage, utilization of cancer therapies and other medical care resources, treatment-related adverse events, unit costs, work days missed by patient and caregiver, and wage rates. Overall survival was based on SEER data and costs were assigned to living patients monthly, according to their disease management phase. The outcomes measures were total discounted societal costs, cost/year, and cost/patient-year.Results:The annual incidence of MBC in the United States in 2007 was estimated to be 49,674 patients (de novoand progressed from earlier stages). The total discounted cost to society attributable to MBC was $12.2 billion for the incident cohort, or $98,571 per patient-year. The 5-year direct medical cost of this incident cohort was $9.3 billion, or $75,415 per patient-year. Treatment-related costs (active treatment, toxicity management, and medical follow-up) contributed 44 percent of MBC expenditure, followed by palliative/best supportive care costs (31 percent). Lost productivity accounted for approximately 21 percent of the total cost ($2.6 billion over 5 years or $21,153 per patient-year).Conclusions:The societal burden of MBC in the United States is substantial. Earlier detection and effective treatment could lead to a significant decrease in costs while improving overall disease prognosis.
COST EFFECTIVENESS OF PEER SUPPORT FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Authors: Gillespie Paddy , O'Shea Eamon , Paul Gillian , O'Dowd Tom , Smith Susan M. 
Published: January 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the cost-effectiveness of a group-based peer support intervention in general practice for patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:Incremental cost utility analysis combining within trial and beyond trial components to compare the lifetime costs and benefits of alternative strategies:Control:standardized diabetes care;Intervention:group-based peer support in addition to standardized diabetes care. Within trial analysis was based on a cluster randomized controlled trial of 395 patients with type 2 diabetes in the east of Ireland. Beyond trial analysis was conducted using the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Outcomes Model. Uncertainty was explored using a range of sensitivity analyses and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were generated.Results: Compared with the control strategy, the intervention was associated with an increase of 0.09 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], −0.05 to 0.25) in mean quality-adjusted life-years per patient and savings of €637.43 (95 percent CI, −2455.19 to 1125.45) in mean healthcare cost per patient and €623.39 (95 percent CI, −2507.98 to 1298.49) in mean total cost per patient respectively. The likelihood of the intervention being cost-effective was appreciably higher than 80 percent for a range of potential willingness-to-pay cost-effectiveness thresholds.Conclusions: Our results suggest that while a group-based peer support intervention shows a trend toward improved risk factor management, we found no significant differences in final cost or effectiveness endpoints between intervention and control. The probabilistic results suggest that the intervention was more cost-effective, with probability values of higher than 80 percent across a range of potential cost-effectiveness threshold values.
Level of Recall, Retrieval Speed, and Variability on the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST) in Individuals with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Ramratan Wendy S. , Rabin Laura A. , Wang Cuiling , Zimmerman Molly E. , Katz Mindy J. , Lipton Richard B. , Buschke Herman 
Published: January 2012

AbstractIndividuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show deficits on traditional episodic memory tasks and reductions in speed of performance on reaction time tasks. We present results on a novel task, the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST), designed to simultaneously measure level and speed of retrieval. A total of 390 older adults (mean age, 80.2 years), learned 16 words based on corresponding categorical cues. In the retrieval phase, we measured accuracy (% correct) and retrieval speed/reaction time (RT; time from cue presentation to voice onset of a correct response) across 6 trials. Compared to healthy elderly adults (HEA, n = 303), those with aMCI (n = 87) exhibited poorer performance in retrieval speed (difference = −0.13; p < .0001) and accuracy on the first trial (difference = −0.19; p < .0001), and their rate of improvement in retrieval speed was slower over subsequent trials. Those with aMCI also had greater within-person variability in processing speed (variance ratio = 1.22; p = .0098) and greater between-person variability in accuracy (variance ratio = 2.08; p = .0001) relative to HEA. Results are discussed in relation to the possibility that computer-based measures of cued-learning and processing speed variability may facilitate early detection of dementia in at-risk older adults. (JINS, 2012, 18, 260–268)
Preclinical Cognitive Trajectories Differ for Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia
Authors: Laukka Erika J. , MacDonald Stuart W.S. , Fratiglioni Laura , Bäckman Lars 
Published: January 2012

AbstractWe investigated differences between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) from the appearance of the first cognitive symptoms, focusing on both time of onset and rate of accelerated decline for different cognitive functions before dementia diagnosis. Data from a longitudinal population-based study were used, including 914 participants (mean age = 82.0 years,SD= 5.0) tested with a cognitive battery (word recall and recognition, Block Design, category fluency, clock reading) on up to four occasions spanning 10 years. We fit a series of linear mixed effects models with a change point to the cognitive data, contrasting each dementia group to a control group. Significant age-related decline was observed for all five cognitive tasks. Relative to time of diagnosis, the preclinical AD persons deviated from the normal aging curve earlier (up to 9 years) compared to the preclinical VaD persons (up to 6 years). However, once the preclinical VaD persons started to decline, they deteriorated at a faster rate than the preclinical AD persons. The results have important implications for identifying the two dementia disorders at an early stage and for selecting cognitive tasks to evaluate treatment effects for persons at risk of developing AD and VaD. (JINS, 2012,18, 191–199)
Clinical Measures of Prospective Memory in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Delprado Jacinta , Kinsella Glynda , Ong Ben , Pike Kerryn , Ames David , Storey Elsdon , Saling Michael , Clare Linda , Mullaly Elizabeth , Rand Elizabeth 
Published: January 2012

AbstractRecent research has established that individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have impaired prospective memory (PM); however, findings regarding differential deficits on time-based versus event-based PM have been less clear. Furthermore, the diagnostic utility of PM measures has received scant attention. Healthy older adults (n = 84) and individuals with aMCI (n = 84) were compared on the Cambridge Prospective Memory Test (CAMPROMPT) and two single-trial event-based PM tasks. The aMCI participants showed global impairment on all PM measures. Measures of retrospective memory and complex attention predicted both time and event PM performance for the aMCI group. Each of the PM measures was useful for discriminating aMCI from healthy older adults and the time- and event-based scales of the CAMPROMPT were equivalent in their discriminative ability. Surprisingly, the brief PM tasks were as good as more comprehensive measures of PM (CAMPROMPT) at predicting aMCI. Results indicate that single-trial PM measures, easily integrated into clinical practice, may be useful screening tools for identifying aMCI. As PM requires retrospective memory skills along with complex attention and executive skills, the interaction between these skills may explain the global PM deficits in aMCI and the good discriminative ability of PM for diagnosing aMCI. (JINS, 2012, 18, 295–304)
Discerning Temporal Expectancy Effects in Script Processing: Evidence from Pupillary and Eye Movement Recordings
Authors: Landgraf Steffen , Raisig Susanne , van der Meer Elke 
Published: January 2012

AbstractAccessing the temporal position of events (early or late in the event sequence) can influence the generation of predictions about upcoming events. However, it is unclear how the temporal position is processed strategically. To investigate this, we presented event pairs to 23 healthy volunteers manipulating temporal order (chronological, inverse) and temporal position (early, late). Pupil dilation, eye movements, and behavioral data, showed that chronological and early event pairs are processed with more ease than inverse and late event pairs. Indexed by the pupillary response late events and inversely presented event pairs elicited greater cognitive processing demands than early events and chronologically presented event pairs. Regarding eye movements, fixation duration was less sensitive to temporal position than to temporal order. Looking at each item of the event sequence only once was behaviorally more effective than looking multiple times at each event regardless of whether temporal position or temporal order was processed. These results emphasize that accessing temporal position and temporal order information results in dissociable behavioral patterns. While more cognitive resources are necessary for processing late and inverse items, change of information acquisition strategies turns out to be most effective when temporal order processing is required. (JINS, 2012,18, 351–360)
Microstructural Characterization of Next Generation Nuclear Graphites
Authors: Karthik Chinnathambi , Kane Joshua , Butt Darryl P. , Windes William E. , Ubic Rick 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThis article reports the microstructural characteristics of various petroleum and pitch based nuclear graphites (IG-110, NBG-18, and PCEA) that are of interest to the next generation nuclear plant program. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy imaging was used to identify and understand the different features constituting the microstructure of nuclear graphite such as the filler particles, microcracks, binder phase, rosette-shaped quinoline insoluble (QI) particles, chaotic structures, and turbostratic graphite phase. The dimensions of microcracks were found to vary from a few nanometers to tens of microns. Furthermore, the microcracks were found to be filled with amorphous carbon of unknown origin. The pitch coke based graphite (NBG-18) was found to contain higher concentration of binder phase constituting QI particles as well as chaotic structures. The turbostratic graphite, present in all of the grades, was identified through their elliptical diffraction patterns. The difference in the microstructure has been analyzed in view of their processing conditions.
Konstruktvalidierung und Skalenbeschreibung in der Kompetenzdiagnostik durch die Vorhersage von Aufgabenschwierigkeiten
Authors: Hartig Johannes , Frey Andreas 
Published: January 2012

Zusammenfassung. Kompetenzkonstrukte in der empirischen Bildungsforschung werden in der Regel auf kontinuierlichen Skalen abgebildet. Bei der Verwendung von Messmodellen der Item-Response-Theorie (IRT) kann auf Basis der gemeinsamen Metrik für individuelle Kompetenzausprägungen und Itemschwierigkeiten eine kriteriumsorientierte Testwertbeschreibung vorgenommen werden. Da die gemessene Kompetenz hierbei bezogen auf Itemschwierigkeiten beschrieben wird, ist es von großem Interesse, warum bestimmte Items empirisch schwieriger sind als andere. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt zunächst den generellen Nutzen der Vorhersage von Itemschwierigkeiten dar. Dieser besteht (1) in der Prüfung von Hypothesen über die gemessene Kompetenz im Sinne einer Konstruktvalidierung, (2) in der Fundierung einer kriteriumsorientierten Skaleninterpretation und (3) in der Steuerung und Optimierung der Itemkonstruktion. Die IRT-basierte Vorhersage von Itemschwierigkeiten wird auf Basis von Daten aus dem DFG-Schwerpunktprogramm-Projekt zur Kompetenzmodellierung in Englisch als Fremdsprache illustriert (N = 9409). Für den Bereich Leseverstehen in Englisch als Fremdsprache kann gezeigt werden, dass sowohl die sprachlichen Anforderungen des Textes als auch die Anforderungen hinsichtlich der Informationsverarbeitung für das Konstrukt bedeutsam sind.