bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcomes in patients with schizophrenia treated with risperidone long-acting injection or oral antipsychotics in Spain: Results from the electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR)
Authors: Olivares J.M. , Rodriguez-Morales A. , Diels J. , Povey M. , Jacobs A. , Zhao Z. , Lam A. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackgroundThe electronic Schizophrenia Treatment Adherence Registry (e-STAR) is a prospective, observational study of patients with schizophrenia designed to evaluate long-term treatment outcomes in routine clinical practice.MethodsParameters were assessed at baseline and at 3 month intervals for 2 years in patients initiated on risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI) (n= 1345) or a new oral antipsychotic (AP) (n= 277; 35.7% and 36.5% on risperidone and olanzapine, respectively) in Spain. Hospitalization prior to therapy was assessed by a retrospective chart review.ResultsAt 24 months, treatment retention (81.8% for RLAI versus 63.4% for oral APs,p< 0.0001) and reduction in Clinical Global Impression Severity scores (−1.14 for RLAI versus −0.94 for APs,p= 0.0165) were significantly higher with RLAI. Compared to the pre-switch period, RLAI patients had greater reductions in the number (reduction of 0.37 stays per patient versus 0.2,p< 0.05) and days (18.74 versus 13.02,p< 0.01) of hospitalizations at 24 months than oral AP patients.ConclusionsThis 2 year, prospective, observational study showed that, compared to oral antipsychotics, RLAI was associated with better treatment retention, greater improvement in clinical symptoms and functioning, and greater reduction in hospital stays and days in hospital in patients with schizophrenia. Improved treatment adherence, increased efficacy and reduced hospitalization with RLAI offer the opportunity of substantial therapeutic improvement in schizophrenia.
A case-comparison study of executive functions in alcohol-dependent adults with maternal history of alcoholism
Authors: Cottencin Olivier , Nandrino Jean-Louis , Karila Laurent , Mezerette Caroline , Danel Thierry 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIntroductionAs executive dysfunctions frequently accompany alcohol dependence, we suggest that reports of executive dysfunction in alcoholics are actually due, in some case to a maternal history of alcohol misuse (MHA+). A history of maternal alcohol dependence increases the risk for prenatal alcohol exposure to unborn children. These exposures likely contribute to executive dysfunction in adult alcoholics. To assess this problem, we propose a case-comparison study of alcohol-dependent subjects with and without a MHA.MethodsTen alcohol-dependent subjects, with a maternal history of alcoholism (MHA) and paternal history of alcoholism (PHA), were matched with 10 alcohol-dependent people with only a paternal history of alcoholism (PHA). Executive functions (cancellation, Stroop, and trail-making A and B tests) and the presence of a history of three mental disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, violent behavior while intoxicated, and suicidal behavior) were evaluated in both populations.ResultsAlcohol-dependent subjects with MHA showed a significant alteration in executive functions and significantly more disorders related to these functions than PHA subjects. The major measures of executive functioning deficit are duration on task accomplishment in all tests. Rates of ADHD and suicidality were found to be higher in MHA patients compared to the controls.ConclusionA history of MHA, because of the high risk of PAE (in spite of the potential confounding factors such as environment) must be scrupulously documented when evaluating mental and cognitive disorders in a general population of alcoholics to ensure a better identification of these disorders. It would be helpful to replicate the study with more subjects.
Impact of severity of personality disorder on the outcome of depression
Authors: Kelly Brendan D. , Nur Ula A. , Tyrer Peter , Casey Patricia 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe influence of severity of personality disorder on outcome of depression is unclear. Four hundred and ten patients with depression in 9 urban and rural communities in Finland, Ireland, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom, were randomised to individual problem-solving treatment (n = 121), group sessions on depression prevention (n = 106) or treatment as usual (n = 183). Depressive symptoms were recorded at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Personality assessment was performed using the Personality Assessment Schedule and analysed by severity (no personality disorder, personality difficulty, simple personality disorder, complex personality disorder). Complete personality assessments were performed on 301 individuals of whom 49.8% had no personality disorder; 19.3% had personality difficulties; 13.0% had simple personality disorder; and 17.9% had complex personality disorder. Severity of personality disorder was correlated with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores at baseline (Spearman's r = 0.21; p < 0.001), 6 months (r = 0.14; p = 0.02) and 12 months (r = 0.21; p = 0.001). On multi-variable analysis, BDI at baseline (p < 0.001) and type of treatment offered (individual therapy, group therapy, treatment as usual) (p = 0.01) were significant independent predictors of BDI at 6 months. BDI at baseline was the sole significant independent predictor of BDI at 12 months (p < 0.001). There was no interaction between personality disorder and treatment type for depression.While multi-variable analyses indicate that depressive symptoms at baseline are the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months, the strong correlations between severity of personality disorder and depressive symptoms make it difficult to establish the independent effect of personality disorder on outcome of depression.
Tea consumption during pregnancy and the risk of pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Wei Shu‐Qin , Xu Hairong , Xiong Xu , Luo Zhong‐Cheng , Audibert Francois , Fraser William D. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the effects of tea consumption during pregnancy on the risk of pre‐eclampsia.MethodsA case‐control study was carried out among nulliparous pregnant women in Quebec between January 2003 and March 2006. Data were collected using a structured study questionnaire. A total of 92 women with pre‐eclampsia and 245 controls were analyzed. Univariate analysis and multivariate regression were performed to examine the association between tea consumption and pre‐eclampsia.ResultsCompared with non‐tea drinking during pregnancy, the crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR (aOR) of pre‐eclampsia for tea drinking were 1.34 (95% CI, 0.80–2.25) and 1.39 (95% CI, 0.81–2.41), respectively. The OR and aOR of severe pre‐eclampsia for tea drinking were 1.39 (95% CI, 0.78–2.46) and 2.14 (95% CI, 1.01–4.54), respectively. The aORs for persistent tea consumption in pre‐eclampsia and severe pre‐eclampsia were 1.88 (95% CI, 1.01–3.51) and 1.95 (95% CI, 1.06–3.57), respectively.ConclusionPersistent tea drinking during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of pre‐eclampsia.
Helminths of the teiid lizard Kentropyx calcarata (Squamata) from an Amazonian site in western Brazil
Authors: Ávila R.W. , da Silva R.J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractDespite being conspicuous members of neotropical lizard communities, aspects of the life history of many teiid lizard species are poorly known, especially endoparasites infecting the genus Kentropyx. We studied seven specimens of K. calcarata collected at an Amazonian site in Mato Grosso state, Central Brazil in 2007. Four species of helminth were recovered: Oswaldocruzia sp., Piratuba digiticauda, Physaloptera retusa and Physalopteroides venancioi. Piratuba digiticauda, a body-cavity, parasite had the highest prevalence (42.9%), whereas the stomach parasites P. venancioi and P. retusa presented the highest intensity of infection and abundance, respectively. Moreover, this is the first report of Oswaldocruzia sp., P. digiticauda and P. venancioi in K. calcarata and new locality records for all nematodes were assigned.
Natural infection ofFasciola hepatica(Trematoda: Fasciolidae) inBulinus truncatus(Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in northern Tunisia
Authors: Hamed N. , Hammami H. , Khaled S. , Rondelaud D. , Ayadi A. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractMonthly samples ofBulinus truncatuswere collected during a year from a cattle-breeding farm located in the region of Sejnane (North Tunisia) to detect natural infections withFasciola hepaticaand determine seasonal variations of the prevalence throughout a year. Of the 163 adult bulinids, larval forms ofF. hepaticawere found in 39% of snails. Two peaks in prevalence, the first in June and the second in October, were also noted.Bulinus truncatuscan be added to the list of potential intermediate hosts ofF. hepatica.
Optimal design of photoreceptor mosaics: Why we do not see color at night
Authors: MANNING JEREMY R. , BRAINARD DAVID H. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWhile color vision mediated by rod photoreceptors in dim light is possible (Kelber & Roth, 2006), most animals, including humans, do not see in color at night. This is because their retinas contain only a single class of rod photoreceptors. Many of these same animals have daylight color vision, mediated by multiple classes of cone photoreceptors. We develop a general formulation, based on Bayesian decision theory, to evaluate the efficacy of various retinal photoreceptor mosaics. The formulation evaluates each mosaic under the assumption that its output is processed to optimally estimate the image. It also explicitly takes into account the statistics of the environmental image ensemble. Using the general formulation, we consider the trade-off between monochromatic and dichromatic retinal designs as a function of overall illuminant intensity. We are able to demonstrate a set of assumptions under which the prevalent biological pattern represents optimal processing. These assumptions include an image ensemble characterized by high correlations between image intensities at nearby locations, as well as high correlations between intensities in different wavelength bands. They also include a constraint on receptor photopigment biophysics and/or the information carried by different wavelengths that produces an asymmetry in the signal-to-noise ratio of the output of different receptor classes. Our results thus provide an optimality explanation for the evolution of color vision for daylight conditions and monochromatic vision for nighttime conditions. An additional result from our calculations is that regular spatial interleaving of two receptor classes in a dichromatic retina yields performance superior to that of a retina where receptors of the same class are clumped together.
Bayesian decision theory as a model of human visual perception: Testing Bayesian transfer
Authors: MALONEY LAURENCE T. , MAMASSIAN PASCAL 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBayesian decision theory (BDT) is a mathematical framework that allows the experimenter to model ideal performance in a wide variety of visuomotor tasks. The experimenter can use BDT to compute benchmarks for ideal performance in such tasks and compare human performance to ideal. Recently, researchers have asked whether BDT can also be treated as aprocess modelof visuomotor processing. It is unclear what sorts of experiments are appropriate to testing such claims and whether such claims are even meaningful. Any such claim presupposes that observers’ performance is close to ideal, and typical experimental tests involve comparison of human performance to ideal. We argue that this experimental criterion, while necessary, is weak. We illustrate how to achieve near-optimal performance in combining perceptual cues with a process model bearing little resemblance to BDT. We then propose experimental criteria termedtransfer criteriathat constitute more powerful tests of BDT as a model of perception and action. We describe how recent work in motor control can be viewed as tests of transfer properties of BDT. The transfer properties discussed here comprise the beginning of anoperationalization(Bridgman, 1927) of what it means to claim that perception is or is not Bayesian inference (Knill & Richards, 1996). They are particularly relevant to research concerning natural scenes since they assess the ability of the organism to rapidly adapt to novel tasks in familiar environments or carry out familiar tasks in novel environments without learning.
VICTORIANS LIVE
Authors: Sussman Herbert 
Published: February 2009

Victorians Live examines the afterlife of the Victorians, the ways that Victorian literature and culture remain alive, continue to live in our own day.Twenty-First Century MillaisELIZABETH PRETTEJOHNThe Labor of PhotographyGEOFFREY BATCHENArt & Emancipation in Jamaica: Isaac Mendes Belisario and His WorldsHERBERT SUSSMANSondheim's Sweeney Todd on Stage and ScreenSHARON ARONOFSKY WELTMAN
Should prospective payments be differentiated for public and private healthcare providers?
Authors: MASON ANNE , STREET ANDREW , MIRALDO MARISA , SICILIANI LUIGI 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe English government has encouraged private providers – known as Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) – to treat publicly funded (NHS) patients. All providers are to be remunerated under a prospective payment system that offers a price per case treated, adjusted by the Market Forces Factor (MFF) to reflect geographical variation in specific input costs. This payment system presupposes that any remaining cost differentials between providers result from inefficiencies. However, the validity of this assumption is unclear. This article describes the constraints that could cause public and private provider costs to differ for reasons outside their control. These constraints may be regulatory in nature, such as taxes and performance management regimens, or relate to the production process, such as input costs, the provision of emergency care, and case mix issues. Most of these exogenous cost differentials can be rectified by adjustments either to the regulatory system or to the payment method. However, differences in capital costs appear less tractable and further investigation into possible solutions is warranted.
A reanalysis of phospholipid fatty acids as ecological biomarkers for methanotrophic bacteria
Authors: Bodelier Paul L E , Bär Gillisen Marie-José , Hordijk Kees , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S , Rijpstra W Irene C , Geenevasen Jan A J , Dunfield Peter F 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (MB) are the primary terrestrial sinks for the greenhouse gas methane. A distinct characteristic of MB is the presence of specific phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA) in their membranes that differentiate them from each other and also from all other organisms. These distinct PLFA patterns facilitate microbial ecology studies. For example, the assimilation of C from methane into PLFA can be traced in environmental samples using stable isotope (13C) probing (SIP), which links the activity of MB to their community composition in situ. However, the phylogenetic resolution of this method is low because of a lack of PLFA profiles from cultured MB species. In this study, PLFA profiles of 22 alphaproteobacterial (type II) MB were analysed after growth on methane, methanol or both substrates together. Growth on different substrates did not affect the PLFA profiles of the investigated strains. A number of Methylocystis strains contained novel C18:2 fatty acids (ω7c,12c and ω6c,12c) that can be used as diagnostic biomarkers. The detection of these novel PLFA, combined with the analyses of multiple type II strains, increased the phylogenetic resolution of PLFA analysis substantially. Multivariate analysis of the expanded MB PLFA database identified species groups that closely reflected phylogenies based on 16S rRNA and pmoA gene sequences. The PLFA database therefore provides a robust framework for linking identity to activity in MB communities with a higher resolution than was previously possible.
Post-translational import of protein into the endoplasmic reticulum of a trypanosome: an in vitro system for discovery of anti-trypanosomal chemical entities
Authors: Patham Bhargavi , Duffy Josh , Lane Ariel , Davis Richard C. , Wipf Peter , Fewell Sheara W. , Brodsky Jeffrey L. , Mensa-Wilmot Kojo 
Published: February 2009

HAT (human African trypanosomiasis), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, is an emerging disease for which new drugs are needed. Expression of plasma membrane proteins [e.g. VSG (variant surface glycoprotein)] is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of an infection by T. brucei. Transport of a majority of proteins to the plasma membrane involves their translocation into the ER (endoplasmic reticulum). Thus inhibition of protein import into the ER of T. brucei would be a logical target for discovery of lead compounds against trypanosomes. We have developed a TbRM (T. brucei microsome) system that imports VSG_117 post-translationally. Using this system, MAL3-101, equisetin and CJ-21,058 were discovered to be small molecule inhibitors of VSG_117 translocation into the ER. These agents also killed bloodstream T. brucei in vitro; the concentrations at which 50% of parasites were killed (IC50) were 1.5 μM (MAL3-101), 3.3 μM (equisetin) and 7 μM (CJ-21,058). Thus VSG_117 import into TbRMs is a rapid and novel assay to identify ‘new chemical entities’ (e.g. MAL3-101, equisetin and CJ-21,058) for anti-trypanosome drug development.
Antibody-mediated disruption of the interaction between PCSK9 and the low-density lipoprotein receptor
Authors: Duff Christopher J. , Scott Martin J. , Kirby Ian T. , Hutchinson Sue E. , Martin Steve L. , Hooper Nigel M. 
Published: February 2009

PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) promotes degradation of the LDLR [LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor] through an as-yet-undefined mechanism, leading to a reduction in cellular LDLc (LDL-cholesterol) and a concomitant increase in serum LDLc. Central to the function of PCSK9 is a direct protein–protein interaction formed with the LDLR. In the present study, we investigated a strategy to modulate LDL uptake by blocking this interaction using specific antibodies directed against PCSK9. Studies using surface plasmon resonance demonstrated that direct binding of PCSK9 to the LDLR could be abolished with three different anti-PCSK9 antibodies. Two of these antibodies were raised against peptide epitopes in a region of the catalytic domain of PCSK9 that is involved in the interaction with the LDLR. Such antibodies restored LDL uptake in HepG2 cells treated with exogenous PCSK9 and in HepG2 cells engineered to overexpress recombinant PCSK9. This latter observation indicates that antibodies blocking the PCSK9–LDLR interaction can inhibit the action of PCSK9 produced endogenously in a cell-based system. These antibodies also disrupted the higher-affinity interaction between the natural gain-of-function mutant of PCSK9, D374Y, and the LDLR in both the cell-free and cell-based assays. These data indicate that antibodies targeting PCSK9 can reverse the PCSK9-mediated modulation of cell-surface LDLRs.
Role of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors as potential biomarkers of left ventricular remodelling in the athlete's heart
Authors: Vianello Annamaria , Caponi Laura , Franzoni Ferdinando , Galetta Fabio , Rossi Marco , Taddei Marco , Malvaldi Gino , Pietrini Pietro , Santoro Gino 
Published: February 2009

The aim of the present study was to verify whether plasma MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) and TIMPs (tissue inhibitors of MMPs) could be used as potential markers of paraphysiological remodelling in the athlete's heart, and to correlate these matrix parameters with echocardiographic signs of LV (left ventricular) remodelling. Plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured by zymography, and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were measured by ELISA in 42 veteran marathoners with AH (athlete's heart), and in 25 sedentary healthy subjects (CTL). All subjects were submitted to a clinical examination and two-dimensional colour Doppler echocardiography together with the measurement of circulating NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide); GGT (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase) was evaluated as a marker of cardiovascular disease. Veteran athletes had a significant elevation in LV dimensions and calculated LV mass index. Diastolic and systolic functions were normal for both groups. MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in AH than in CTL subjects (56.9±4.3 compared with 119.4±21.5 m-units/l, P&lt;0.01). There were significant differences in MMP-2 between the two groups, with a down-regulation in the AH subjects (182.5±16.8 units/ml in CTL compared with 117.1±9.1 units/ml in AH, P&lt;0.01). MMP-2 and MMP-2/TIMP-2 were inversely correlated with myocardial indices of hypertrophy in AH and CTL subjects. AH and CTL subjects showed similar TIMP values. The results of the present study indicate that MMPs and TIMPs could represent potential biomarkers of adaptive heart remodelling in the athletes. In addition, the inverse correlation of the MMP-2/TIMP-2 system with echocardiographic signs of myocardial hypertrophy could represent a new diagnostic and prognostic indicator useful in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk in athletes.
qvality: non-parametric estimation of q-values and posterior error probabilities
Authors: Käll Lukas , Storey John D. , Noble William Stafford 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Summary: Qvality is a C++ program for estimating two types of standard statistical confidence measures: the q-value, which is an analog of the p-value that incorporates multiple testing correction, and the posterior error probability (PEP, also known as the local false discovery rate), which corresponds to the probability that a given observation is drawn from the null distribution. In computing q-values, qvality employs a standard bootstrap procedure to estimate the prior probability of a score being from the null distribution; for PEP estimation, qvality relies upon non-parametric logistic regression. Relative to other tools for estimating statistical confidence measures, qvality is unique in its ability to estimate both types of scores directly from a null distribution, without requiring the user to calculate p-values.
Availability: A web server, C++ source code and binaries are available under MIT license at http://noble.gs.washington.edu/proj/qvality
Contact: lukas.kall@cbr.su.se
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Radié: visualizing taxon properties and parsimonious mappings using a radial phylogenetic tree
Authors: Whalley Jacqueline , Brooks Stephen , Beiko Robert G. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Summary: A phenotypic character has a convex mapping to a given phylogenetic tree if each character state can be assigned a single point of origin in the tree. However, phenomena such as convergent evolution and lateral genetic transfer can lead to intermingling of character states and a consequent non-convex mapping. The phylogenetic heterogeneity of different characters can identify subsets of states that are non-randomly associated or which may have been transferred from one lineage to another. We have developed Radié, an interactive 3D Java application for mapping character states to the leaves and internal edges of a radial phylogenetic tree. In Radié each state of a given character is associated with a unique color, and internal edges with many descendant character states can be represented in a number of different ways to illustrate the diversity within each group.
Availability: Radié is freely available for download at http://kiwi.cs.dal.ca/~beiko/software-and-data/radie; source code is available upon request from the authors.
Contact: beiko@cs.dal.ca
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.