bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of amlodipine besylate, losartan potassium, olmesartan medoxomil, and other antihypertensives on central aortic blood pressure and biomarkers of vascular function
Authors: Khan Bobby V.
Published: September 2011

Biomarkers are being increasingly used in the study of cardiovascular disease because they provide readily quantifiable surrogate endpoints and allow accurate assessment of the effects of therapy on particular pathological processes. However, in order to be useful, biomarkers must be relevant, predictable, accurate, and reproducible. There is compelling evidence from large-scale clinical trials that inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system [angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin type II receptor blockers (ARBs)] and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) may have beneficial effects beyond blood pressure control in the treatment of hypertension. Biomarkers are expected to provide further insight into these beneficial effects and allow for quantitative assessment. This review summarizes the published clinical evidence on the effects of various antihypertensive drugs, particularly ARBs (e.g. losartan and olmesartan medoxomil) and CCBs (e.g. amlodipine), alone and in combination with other agents (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide), on central aortic pressure and the biomarkers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), adiponectin, cystatin C, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), procollagen, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. Of these biomarkers, the benefits of antihypertensive therapy on hsCRP, adiponectin, and HOMA-IR reflect a potential for quantifiable long-term vascular benefits.
Cellular therapy following allogeneic stem-cell transplantation
Authors: Rager Alison , Porter David L.
Published: September 2011

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the most effective approach for many patients with hematologic malignancies. Unfortunately, relapse remains the most common cause of death after allogeneic HSCT, and the prognosis of relapsed disease is poor for most patients. Induction of a graft- versus-leukemia (GVL), or graft- versus-tumor, effect through the use of donor leukocyte infusion (DLI), or donor lymphocyte infusion, has been remarkably successful for relapsed chronic myelogenous leukemia. Unfortunately, response to DLI in other hematologic malignancies is much less common and depends on many factors including histology, pace and extent of relapse, and time from HSCT to relapse. Furthermore, graft- versus-host disease (GVHD) is common after DLI and often limits successful immunotherapy. Ultimately, manipulations to minimize GVHD while preserving or enhancing GVL are necessary to improve outcomes for relapse after allogeneic HSCT.
The antineoplastic effect of nitric oxide-donating acetylsalicylic acid (NO-ASA) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells is highly dependent on its positional isomerism
Authors: Gehrke Iris , Razavi Regina , Poll-Wolbeck Simon Jonas , Berkessel Albrecht , Hallek Michael , Kreuzer Karl-Anton
Published: September 2011

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is not curable in patients that are not eligible for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Therefore, new treatment options are highly desirable. Chemically modified nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as nitric-oxide-donating acetylsalicylic acid (NO-ASA), have been described to possess antineoplastic capacity. Recently, we could demonstrate a potent apoptosis induction in primary CLL cells in vitro and tumor growth inhibition by para-NO-ASA in a xenograft mouse model. However, little is known about the impact of positional isomerism of NO-ASA on its antineoplastic capacity in CLL.

Methods: Primary CLL cells were treated with the meta- or para-isomer of NO-ASA at varying concentrations and durations. Viability was assessed flow cytometrically by annexin V-FITC/PI staining and by CellTiter-Glo luminescence cell viability assay. Caspase and PARP cleavage as well as involvement of β-catenin/Lef-1 signaling was determined by immunoblotting. For caspase inhibition, BD™ ApoBlock was used. Nude mice were xenografted with JVM3 cells and treated with meta-NO-ASA, para-NO-ASA or vehicle control.

Results: The meta-isomer was entirely ineffective in inducing CLL cell apoptosis in concentrations up to 100 µM, while para-NO-ASA acted in the low micromolar range. meta-NO-ASA, in contrast to para-NO-ASA, did not alter caspase activity. While para-NO-ASA action involved inhibition of β-catenin/Lef-1 signaling, meta-NO-ASA did not show any impact on this signaling pathway. Further, meta-NO-ASA did not significantly reduce tumor growth in a CLL xenograft mouse model, while para-NO-ASA was highly potent.

Conclusion: We conclude that positional isomerism is crucial for the antineoplastic effect of NO-ASA in CLL. It can be suggested that the para-isomer, but not the meta-isomer, generates a chemical structure which is essential for the neoplastic effect of NO-ASA.
Zebrafish Ext2 is necessary for Fgf and Wnt signaling, but not for Hh signaling
Authors: Fischer Sabine , Filipek-Gorniok Beata , Ledin Johan
Published: September 2011

Background

Heparan sulfate (HS) biosynthesis is tightly regulated during vertebrate embryo development. However, potential roles for HS biosynthesis in regulating the function of paracrine signaling molecules that bind to HS are incompletely understood.

Results

In this report we have studied Fgf, Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in ext2 mutants, where heparan sulfate content is low. We found that Fgf targeted gene expression is reduced in ext2 mutants and that the remaining expression is readily inhibited by SU5402, an FGF receptor inhibitor. In the ext2 mutants, Fgf signaling is shown to be affected during nervous system development and reduction of Fgf ligands in the mutants affects tail development. Also, Wnt signaling is affected in the ext2 mutants, as shown by a stronger phenotype in ext2 mutants injected with morpholinos that partially block translation of Wnt11 or Wnt5b, compared to injected wild type embryos. In contrast, Hh dependent signaling is apparently unaffected in the ext2 mutants; Hh targeted gene expression is not reduced, the Hh inhibitor cyclopamine is not more affective in the mutants and Hh dependent cell differentiation in the retina and in the myotome are normal in ext2 mutants. In addition, no genetic interaction between ext2 and shha during development could be detected.

Conclusion

We conclude that ext2 is involved in Fgf and Wnt signaling but not in Hh signaling, revealing an unexpected specificity for ext2 in signaling pathways during embryonic development. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that regulation of heparan sulfate biosynthesis has distinct instructive functions for different signaling factors.
The ColRS system is essential for the hunger response of glucose-growing Pseudomonas putida
Authors: Putrinš Marta , Ainelo Andres , Ilves Heili , Hõrak Rita
Published: September 2011

Background

The survival of bacteria largely depends on signaling systems that coordinate cell responses to environmental cues. Previous studies on the two-component ColRS signal system inPseudomonas putidarevealed a peculiar subpopulation lysis phenotype ofcolRmutant that grows on solid glucose medium. Here, we aimed to clarify the reasons for the lysis of bacteria.

Results

We present evidence that the lysis defect ofP. putida colRmutant is linked to hunger response. A subpopulation prone to lysis was located in the periphery of bacterial cultures growing on solid medium. Cell lysis was observed in glucose-limiting, but not in glucose-rich conditions. Furthermore, lysis was also alleviated by exhaustion of glucose from the medium which was evidenced by a lower lysis of central cells compared to peripheral ones. Thus, lysis takes place at a certain glucose concentration range that most probably provides bacteria a hunger signal. An analysis of membrane protein pattern revealed several hunger-induced changes in the bacterial outer membrane: at glucose limitation the amount of OprB1 channel protein was significantly increased whereas that of OprE was decreased. Hunger-induced up-regulation of OprB1 correlated in space and time with the lysis of thecolRmutant, indicating that hunger response is detrimental to thecolR-deficient bacteria. The amount of OprB1 is controlled post-transcriptionally and derepression of OprB1 in glucose-limiting medium depends at least partly on the carbon catabolite regulator protein Crc. The essentiality of ColR in hunger response can be bypassed by reducing the amount of certain outer membrane proteins. In addition to depletion of OprB1, the lysis defect ofcolRmutant can be suppressed by the down-regulation of OprF levels and the hindering of SecB-dependent protein secretion.

Conclusions

We show thatPseudomonas putidagrowing on solid glucose medium adapts to glucose limitation through up-regulation of the sugar channel protein OprB1 that probably allows enhanced acquisition of a limiting nutrient. However, to survive such hunger response bacteria need signalling by the ColRS system. Hence, the ColRS system should be considered a safety factor in hunger response that ensures the welfare of the cell membrane during the increased expression of certain membrane proteins.
The somatostatinergic system in the mammalian cochlea
Authors: Radojevic Vesna , Hanusek Claudia , Setz Cristian , Brand Yves , Kapfhammer Josef P , Bodmer Daniel
Published: September 2011

Background

Little is known about expression and function of the somatostatinergic system in the mammalian cochlea. We have previously shown that somatostatin administration may have a protective effect on gentamicin-induced hair cell loss. In this study, we have analyzed the cochlear expression of somatostatin receptor 1 (SST1) and somatostatin receptor 2 (SST2) at both the mRNA and the protein level in wild-type mice, as well as in SST1 and SST2 knock-out (KO) mice and in cultivated neurosensory cells.

Results

We demonstrate that the somatostatin receptors SST1 and SST2 are specifically expressed in outer and inner hair cells (HCs) of the organ of Corti (OC), as well as in defined supporting cells. The expression of SST1 and SST2 receptors in cultivated P5 mouse OC explants was similar to their expression in inner and outer hair cells. Somatostatin itself was not expressed in the mammalian cochlea, suggesting that somatostatin reaches its receptors either through the blood-labyrinthine barrier from the systemic circulation or via the endolymphatic duct from the endolymphatic sac. We used mice with a deletion of either SST1 or SST2 to learn more about the regulation of SST1 and SST2 receptor expression. We demonstrate that in SST1 KO mice, SST2 was expressed in outer HCs and Deiters' cells, but not in pillar cells or inner HCs, as compared with wild-type mice. In contrast, in SST2 KO mice, the expression pattern of the SST1 receptor was not altered relative to wild-type mice.

Conclusions

These findings reveal that somatostatin receptors demonstrate specific expression in HCs and supporting cells of the mouse cochlea, and that absence of SST1 alters the expression of SST2. This specific expression pattern suggests that somatostatin receptors may have important functional roles in the inner ear.
Acute inhalation of hypertonic saline does not improve mucociliary clearance in all children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Laube Beth L , Sharpless Gail , Carson Kathryn A , Kelly Amber , Mogayzel Peter J
Published: September 2011

Background

Little is known of how mucociliary clearance (MCC) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and normal pulmonary function compares with healthy adults, or how an acute inhalation of 7% hypertonic saline (HS) aerosol affects MCC in these same children.

Methods

We compared MCC in 12 children with CF and normal pulmonary function after an acute inhalation of 0.12% saline (placebo), or HS, admixed with the radioisotope 99 mtechnetium sulfur colloid in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. Mucociliary clearance on the placebo day in the children was also compared to MCC in 10 healthy, non-CF adults. Mucociliary clearance was quantified over a 90 min period, using gamma scintigraphy, and is reported as MCC at 60 min (MCC60) and 90 min (MCC90).

Results

Median [interquartile range] MCC60 and MCC90 in the children on the placebo visit were 15.4 [12.4-24.5]% and 19.3 [17.3-27.8%]%, respectively, which were similar to the adults with 17.8 [6.4-28.7]% and 29.6 [16.1-43.5]%, respectively. There was no significant improvement in MCC60 (2.2 [-6.2-11.8]%) or MCC90 (2.3 [-1.2-10.5]%) with HS, compared to placebo. In addition, 5/12 and 4/12 of the children showed a decrease in MCC60 and MCC90, respectively, after inhalation of HS. A post hoc subgroup analysis of the change in MCC90 after HS showed a significantly greater improvement in MCC in children with lower placebo MCC90 compared to those with higher placebo MCC90 (p = 0.045).

Conclusions

These data suggest that percent MCC varies significantly between children with CF lung disease and normal pulmonary functions, with some children demonstrating MCC values within the normal range and others showing MCC values that are below normal values. In addition, although MCC did not improve in all children after inhalation of HS, improvement did occur in children with relatively low MCC values after placebo. This finding suggests that acute inhalation of hypertonic saline may benefit a subset of children with low MCC values.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01293084
Occult HCV or delayed viral clearance from lymphocytes of Chronic HCV genotype 3 patients after interferon therapy
Authors: Muazzam Ambreen G , Qureshi Saleem , Mansoor Atika , Ali Lubna , Iqbal Musarrat , Siddiqi Saima , Khan Khalid M , Mazhar Kehkashan
Published: September 2011

Background

A recently discovered occult HCV entity reported by various investigators seems to be highly controversial. Especially, the clinical significance of these findings remains uncertain. For optimal outcome of antiviral therapy, investigation of occult HCV needs a broad-based probe in order to investigate the results of viral therapy and its host/viral interaction. The current study was aimed at determining the prevalence of occult HCV in peripheral blood lymphocytes of predominantly genotype 3 HCV-infected patients after completion of antiviral therapy and to investigate long term outcomes in the presence or absence of PBMC positivity.

Method

A total of 151 chronic, antiHCV and serum RNA-positive patients were enrolled in the study. Patients with a complete virological response at the end of treatment were screened for the presence of viral RNA in their PBMCs and were followed for up to one year for the presence of serum and PBMC viral genomic RNA.

Results

Out of 151 patients, 104 (70%) responded to the prescribed interferon treatment and showed viral-clearance from serum. These were screened for the presence of genomic RNA in their PBMCs. Sixteen samples were PBMC-positive for viral RNA at the end of treatment (EOT). All these patients had also cleared the virus from peripheral blood cells after the 6-12 month follow-up study.

Conclusion

True occult hepatitis C virus does not exist in our cohort. Residual viremia at the EOT stage merely reflects a difference in viral kinetics in various compartments that remains a target of immune response even after the end of antiviral therapy and is eventually cleared out at the sustained viral response (SVR).
Semiconducting properties of layered cadmium sulphide-based hybrid nanocomposites
Authors: López-Cabaña Zoraya , Sotomayor Torres Clivia Marfa , González Guillermo
Published: September 2011

A series of hybrid cadmium salt/cationic surfactant layered nanocomposites containing different concentrations of cadmium sulphide was prepared by exchanging chloride by sulphide ions in the layered precursor CdX
x
(OH)
y
(CnTA)
z
in a solid phase/gas reaction, resulting in a series of layered species exhibiting stoichiometries corresponding to CdS
v
X
x
(OH)
y
(CnTA)
z
, constituted by two-dimensional CdCl2/CdS ultra-thin sheets sandwiched between two self-assembled surfactant layers. The electronic structure of CdS in the nanocomposite is similar to that of bulk, but showing the expected features of two-dimensional confinement of the semiconductor. The nanocomposite band gap is found to depend in a non-linear manner on both the length of the hydrocarbon chain of the surfactant and the concentration of the sulphide in the inorganic sheet. The products show photocatalytic activity at least similar and usually better than that of "bulk" CdS in a factor of two.
Call admission control with heterogeneous mobile stations in cellular/WLAN interworking systems
Authors: Lim Hyung-Taig , Kim Younghyun , Pack Sangheon , Kang Chul-Hee
Published: September 2011

Although different call admission control (CAC) schemes have been proposed for cellular-wireless local area network (WLAN) interworking systems, no studies consider mobile stations (MSs) only with a single interface (for either WLANs or cellular networks) and thus these MSs will experience higher call blocking and dropping probabilities. In this article, we propose a new CAC scheme that considers both the MSs with a single interface and with dual interfaces. By employing the concept of guard-bands, the proposed CAC scheme gives higher priority to MSs with a single interface than those with dual interfaces to accommodate more MSs. The call blocking and dropping probabilities are analyzed using Markov chains and how to determine appropriate guard bands for CAC is investigated through cost minimization problems. Analytical and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve lower blocking probabilities compared with existing schemes that do not include single interface MSs.
Strong convergence theorems for variational inequalities and fixed points of a countable family of nonexpansive mappings
Authors: Bunyawat Aunyarat , Suantai Suthep
Published: September 2011

A new general iterative method for finding a common element of the set of solutions of variational inequality and the set of common fixed points of a countable family of nonexpansive mappings is introduced and studied. A strong convergence theorem of the proposed iterative scheme to a common fixed point of a countable family of nonexpansive mappings and a solution of variational inequality of an inverse strongly monotone mapping are established. Moreover, we apply our main result to obtain strong convergence theorems for a countable family of nonexpansive mappings and a strictly pseudocontractive mapping, and a countable family of uniformly k-strictly pseudocontractive mappings and an inverse strongly monotone mapping. Our main results improve and extend the corresponding result obtained by Klin-eam and Suantai (J Inequal Appl 520301, 16 pp, 2009).

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 47H09, 47H10
Some results over thin-thick sets in cone locally convex spaces
Authors: Cancan Murat
Published: September 2011

In this article, it is investigated some concepts of normed space like norming, thin-thick sets in cone locally convex spaces. It is also worked some impacts of thick sets over the uniform quasi-boundedness principles in cone locally convex spaces such that weak*-bounded sets are strong*-bounded iff the space is a B - M space. It is demonstrated that these principles emerge under some weaker conditions with aim to thick sets. Moreover, it is displayed that the concept of thick is a duality invariant, that is, all suitable topologies for some cone locally convex space have the same thick sets.
Fixed point theorems and Δ-convergence theorems for generalized hybrid mappings on CAT(0) spaces
Authors: Lin Lai-Jiu , Chuang Chih-Sheng , Yu Zenn-Tsun
Published: September 2011

In this paper, we introduce generalized hybrid mapping on CAT(0) spaces. The class of generalized hybrid mappings contains the class of nonexpansive mappings, nonspreading mappings, and hybrid mappings. We study the fixed point theorems of generalized hybrid mappings on CAT(0) spaces. We also consider some iteration processes for generalized hybrid mappings on CAT(0) spaces, and our results generalize some results of fixed point theorems on CAT(0) spaces and Hilbert spaces.
An overview on ELISA techniques for FMD
Authors: Ma Li-na , Zhang Jie , Chen Hao-tai , Zhou Jian-hua , Ding Yao-zhong , Liu Yong-sheng
Published: September 2011

Background

FMD is one of the major causes of economic loss of cloven-hoofed animals in the world today. The assessment of dominant genotype/lineage and prevalent trends and confirmation the presence of infection or vaccination not only provides scientific basis and first-hand information for appropriate control measure but also for disease eradication and regaining FMD free status following an outbreak. Although different biological and serological approaches are still applied to study this disease, ELISA test based on the distinct format, antigen type and specific antibody reinforce its predominance in different research areas of FMD, and this may replace the traditional methods in the near future. This review gives comprehensive insight on ELISA currently available for typing, antigenic analysis, vaccination status differentiation and surveillance vaccine purity and content at all stages of manufacture in FMDV. Besides, some viewpoint about the recent advances and trends of ELISA reagent for FMD are described here.

Methods

More than 100 studies regarding ELISA method available for FMD diagnosis, antigenic analysis and monitor were thoroughly reviewed. We investigated previous sagacious results of these tests on their sensitivity, specificity.

Results

We found that in all ELISA formats for FMD, antibody-trapping and competitive ELISAs have high specificity and RT-PCR (oligoprobing) ELISA has extra sensitivity. A panel of monoclonal antibodies to different sites or monoclonal antibody in combination of antiserum is the most suitable combination of antibodies in ELISA for FMD. Even though from its beginning, 3ABC is proven to be best performance in many studies, no single NSP can differentiate infected from vaccinated animals with complete confidence. Meanwhile, recombinant antigens and peptide derived from FMDV NPs, and NSPs have been developed for use as an alternative to the inactivated virus antigen for security.

Conclusions

There is a need of target protein, which accurately determines the susceptible animal status based on the simple, fast and reliable routine laboratory test. A further alternative based on virus-like particle (VLP, also called empty capsids) in combination of high throughput antibody technique (Phage antibody library/antibody microarray) may be the powerful ELISA diagnostic reagents in future.
Chromatin regulated interchange between polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)-Ezh2 and PRC2-Ezh1 complexes controls myogenin activation in skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Stojic Lovorka , Jasencakova Zuzana , Prezioso Carolina , Stützer Alexandra , Bodega Beatrice , Pasini Diego , Klingberg Rebecca , Mozzetta Chiara , Margueron Raphael , Puri Pier Lorenzo , Schwarzer Dirk , Helin Kristian , Fischle Wolfgang , Orlando Valerio
Published: September 2011

Background

Polycomb group (PcG) genes code for chromatin multiprotein complexes that are responsible for maintaining gene silencing of transcriptional programs during differentiation and in adult tissues. Despite the large amount of information on PcG function during development and cell identity homeostasis, little is known regarding the dynamics of PcG complexes and their role during terminal differentiation.

Results

We show that two distinct polycomb repressive complex (PRC)2 complexes contribute to skeletal muscle cell differentiation: the PRC2-Ezh2 complex, which is bound to the myogenin (MyoG) promoter and muscle creatine kinase (mCK) enhancer in proliferating myoblasts, and the PRC2-Ezh1 complex, which replaces PRC2-Ezh2 on MyoG promoter in post-mitotic myotubes. Interestingly, the opposing dynamics of PRC2-Ezh2 and PRC2-Ezh1 at these muscle regulatory regions is differentially regulated at the chromatin level by Msk1 dependent methyl/phospho switch mechanism involving phosphorylation of serine 28 of the H3 histone (H3S28ph). While Msk1/H3S28ph is critical for the displacement of the PRC2-Ezh2 complex, this pathway does not influence the binding of PRC2-Ezh1 on the chromatin. Importantly, depletion of Ezh1 impairs muscle differentiation and the chromatin recruitment of MyoD to the MyoG promoter in differentiating myotubes. We propose that PRC2-Ezh1 is necessary for controlling the proper timing of MyoG transcriptional activation and thus, in contrast to PRC2-Ezh2, is required for myogenic differentiation.

Conclusions

Our data reveal another important layer of epigenetic control orchestrating skeletal muscle cell terminal differentiation, and introduce a novel function of the PRC2-Ezh1 complex in promoter setting.
Social Psychology, Unemployment and Macroeconomics
Authors: Darity William , Goldsmith Arthur H
Published: September 2011

In a conventional macroeconomic model, following a policy change, as nominal wages adjust the economy returns to its original real levels of employment, output, and unemployment. This description of events ignores the social psychological consequences of exposure to unemployment. On theoretical grounds, unemployment is expected to damage psychological health, which in turn harms personal productivity. Empirical work supports both of these propositions. This paper presents a ‘behavioral’ macroeconomic model that accounts for elements of simultaneity between employment outcomes and psychological well-being. Implications of this model for the ‘natural’ rate hypothesis, the concept of full employment, and unemployment hysteresis are explored.
Why Do So Many Young American Men Commit Crimes and What Might We Do About It?
Authors: Freeman Richard B
Published: September 2011

This paper shows that participation in crime and involvement with the criminal justice system has reached extraordinary levels among young men. With approximately 2 percent as many men incarcerated as in the labor force, the crime rate should have plummeted. It didn't. Evidence suggests that the depressed labor market for low-skill American workers contributed to the continued high level of crime by less-educated men, despite incapacitation and the deterrent effect of imprisonment. The costs of incarceration are such that even marginally effective prevention policies can be socially desirable.
Crime, Punishment, and the Market for Offenses
Authors: Ehrlich Isaac
Published: September 2011

Crime is a subject of intense emotions, conflicting ideologies. However, economists have generally explained it as a reflection of individual choice and equilibrating market forces. Two major themes of the literature are outlined: the evolution of a ‘market model’ to explain the diversity of crime across time and space, and the debate about the usefulness of ‘positive’ versus ‘negative’ incentives. Systematic analyses generally indicate that crime is affected on the margin by both positive and negative incentives; there are serious limitations to the effectiveness of incapacitation and rehabilitation; and optimal enforcement strategies involve trade-offs between narrow efficiency and equity considerations.
The Economics of Convention
Authors: Young H. Peyton
Published: September 2011

The purpose of conventions is to coordinate people's expectations in economic and social interactions that have multiple equilibria. Conventions often emerge endogenously from the accumulation of many precedents, a process that can be modeled as a stochastic dynamical system. The theory leads to specific predictions about the ways in which conventions form and are displaced, and identifies key properties of conventions that are most likely to withstand the test of time. The theory is illustrated by the evolution of left-wing driving conventions in Europe and patterns of sharecropping contracts in agriculture.
Data Watch: The Panel Study of Income Dynamics
Authors: Brown Charles , Duncan Greg J , Stafford Frank P
Published: September 2011

By collecting annual economic and demographic information from a large and representative sample of U.S. households for over a quarter century, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics has compiled a remarkably useful set of microdata. This article describes the PSID and how its unique longitudinal and, in some cases, intergenerational features have been used for studies of intertemporal models of labor supply; wages, employment, and job tenure; consumption; poverty dynamics; extended-family behavior; and the intergenerational transmission of economic status.
How Far Has the Transition Progressed?
Authors: Murrell Peter
Published: September 2011

As the opening contribution to a four-page symposium, this paper provides an overview of the economic transformation in reforming countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, describing reforms, their consequences, and lessons economists might derive from transition. The topics covered are political developments, liberalization, institutional reconstruction, reforms of systems for social protection, and the early results of transition. The final section considers future possibilities in the light of the last few years’ events, concluding that the process of democratic capitalism is well established in central Europe, but uncertainty still prevails in most of the former Soviet Union.
A Successful Accident: Recollections and Speculations about the CEA
Authors: Stein Herbert
Published: September 2011

As originally conceived, the President's Council of Economic Advisers would have a unique relation with the president, using Keynesian analysis to advise him on maintaining full employment. After fifty years, the Council has evolved into being a useful cog in a large decision-making apparatus, dealing with the whole range of federal problems of economic policy and bringing to bear whatever economics has to say. The initial Keynesian predisposition has faded. The Council has participated in some mistakes but it has made a valuable contribution, primarily by persistent representation of the value of the free market.
Keynesianism, Pennsylvania Avenue Style: Some Economic Consequences of the Employment Act of 1946
Authors: De Long J. Bradford
Published: September 2011

The Employment Act of 1946 created the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)--and served as a convenient marker of the government's acceptance of the burden of stabilizing the macroeconomy. The willingness of post-WWII governments to let automatic stabilizers function in recessions may well have moderated the post-WWII business cycle. The CEA has also served as an advocate of allocative efficiency in economic policy. Its relative success can be primarily ascribed to Chairman Arthur Burns, who hired a CEA staff composed of short-term appointees whose principal loyalty was to economic rationality.
Econometrics and Presidential Elections
Authors: Fair Ray C
Published: September 2011

This paper discusses an econometric equation that explains votes for president as a function of economic events and incumbency information. The history of the equation is reviewed, the update after the 1992 election is discussed, and a prediction for the 1996 election is made conditional on an economic forecast.
School Resources and Student Outcomes: An Overview of the Literature and New Evidence from North and South Carolina
Authors: Card David , Krueger Alan B
Published: September 2011

This paper reviews and interprets the literature on the effects of school resources on students’ eventual earnings and educational attainment. In addition, new evidence is presented on the impact of the great disparity in school resources between black and white students in North and South Carolina that existed in the first half of the twentieth century, and the subsequent narrowing of these resource disparities. Following birth cohorts over time, gaps in earnings and educational attainment for blacks and whites in the Carolinas tend to mirror the gaps in school resources.
Are Efficiency and Equity in School Finance Substitutes or Complements?
Authors: Hoxby Caroline Minter
Published: September 2011

This paper analyzes cases made for local and centralized school finance and policies such as vouchers, categorical aid, and equalization aid. An ideal system of school finance would achieve efficiency and equity by ensuring every person invests in the amount of schooling that is socially optimal for him. The author evaluates the empirical evidence for, and the merit and importance of, arguments for each policy. She concludes that the theoretical arguments for centralized finance not only exaggerate the efficiency-equity tradeoff but actually make better arguments for a system combining local school finance with categorical aid and means-tested vouchers.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Saving Incentives
Authors: Hubbard R. Glenn , Skinner Jonathan S
Published: September 2011

The authors argue that there is more to be learned from recent research on the effectiveness of targeted saving incentives than the wide variation in empirical estimates suggests. They conclude that characterizations of ‘all new saving’ or ‘no new saving’ are extreme IRAs and 401(k) plans appear to stimulate moderate amounts of new saving. The authors suggest a cost-benefit approach to ask: What is the incremental gain in capital accumulation per dollar of foregone revenue? For quite conservative measures of the saving impacts of IRAs or 401(k)s, the incremental gains in capital accumulation per dollar of lost revenue are large.
How Retirement Saving Programs Increase Saving
Authors: Poterba James M , Venti Steven F , Wise David A
Published: September 2011

This paper summarizes the authors work on the effect of IRA and 401(k) contributions on net personal saving. They consider many different nonparametric approaches to controlling for heterogeneity in individual saving behavior and conclude that the weight of the available evidence suggests that contributions to both IRAs and 401(k)s largely represent new saving. The authors devote particular attention to reconciling their results with the findings in other studies that reach different conclusions, sometimes using the same databases that the authors analyze. Methodological limitations that undermine the reliability of results in other studies explain many of these disparities.
Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway is crucial in chemokine production from hepatocytes infected by dengue virus
Authors: Tsai Yi-Ting , Chen Yi-Hsin , Chang Deh-Ming , Chen Pei-Chih , Lai Jenn-Haung
Published: September 2011

Hepatocytes are one of the important targets in dengue virus (DV) infection. Chemokines produced in DV infection play important immunopathogenic roles. We previously showed that DV infection can directly activate signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in dendritic cells. In the present study, we examined the possible involvement of the Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT3 pathway in chemokine production from DV-infected hepatocytes. HepG2 cells were infected by DV. The activation of STAT3, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF- κB) and other transcription factors was determined by Western blotting or electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The concentrations of chemokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Virus titers were determined by plaque assays. A genetic manipulation with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was applied to knock-down STAT3. Chemotaxis assays were used to evaluate cell migration. We observed that DV infection induced phosphorylation of STAT3 and its DNA-binding activity and such effects were attenuated by the inhibitor of JAK2 or JAK3. Blocking JAK2 or JAK3 reduced DV-induced cell migration and production of chemokines like interleukin-8 and regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). At high doses, the JAK2 but not JAK3 inhibitor could significantly inhibit DV production. Knocking down STAT3 with shRNA suppressed DV-induced STAT3, NF- κB and AP-1 activation. Furthermore, reduction of STAT3 suppressed DV-induced chemokine production and cell migration but had no effect on virus production. In conclusion, the results show that the JAK/STAT3 pathway is critical in chemokine production from DV-infected hepatocytes. Targeting this pathway may be of benefit in the therapy of DV-induced immunopathologies.
Phytotherapy in a rat model of hyperoxaluria: the antioxidant effects of quercetin involve serum paraoxonase 1 activation
Authors: Amengual-Cladera Emilia , Nadal-Casellas Antònia , Gómez-Pérez Yolanda , Gomila Isabel , Prieto Rafael M , Proenza Ana María , Lladó Isabel
Published: September 2011

Serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has been reported to be an important contributor to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of HDL, avoiding LDL oxidation. The activity of this enzyme is reduced in patients with renal insufficiency, caused by elevated oxidative stress and disturbances of apolipoprotein metabolism. Therapeutic utilization of antioxidants to control renal oxidative stress may be an effective therapy in renal protection. The aim was to investigate the protective effects of several antioxidant compounds against the oxidative stress associated to renal failure induced by ethylene glycol (EG), focusing on the possible role of serum PON1 activity. Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to six groups ( n = 9): an untreated control (C) group, an EG-treated group, a catechin (CAT)-treated group, an epicatechin (EPI)-treated group, a quercetin (QUE)-treated group and a folk herbal extract (FHE)-treated group. After 16 d of treatment, calcium oxalate lithiasis was induced in the rats using EG. After eight days (treatment + EG), the animals were sacrificed. EG treatment impaired kidney composition, increased oxidative damage, and decreased serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities. CAT, QUE and the FHE Fagolitos improved oxidative status by enhancing antioxidant defenses – superoxide dismutase and PON1 activities – and reducing oxidative damage, thus reinforcing the idea of a possible role of PON1 in the protective effects of QUE against the deleterious consequences of oxidative stress in kidney.
Performance of endovenous foam sclerotherapy in the USA
Authors: Rathbun S , Norris A , Morrison N , Gibson K , Hohenwalter E , Lohr J , Raymond-Martimbeau P , Worthington-Kirsch R , Stoner J
Published: September 2011

Purpose

To assess practice patterns of endovenous foam sclerotherapy (EFS) use in the USA.

Methods

A multidisciplinary panel of US experts was convened and developed a questionnaire to assess use of EFS. US attendees at the American College of Phlebology 2009 Annual Congress were asked to complete the questionnaire.

Results

Of 776 questionnaires distributed, 239 were completed (31%). The majority of respondents (87%) reported using EFS for the treatment of venous disorders. Foam sclerotherapy was used by a wide variety of specialists in every region of the USA. The most common indication was sclerosis of recurrent truncal or tributary veins of the leg. There was variation among practitioners in the indications for use, pre- and postprocedural evaluation and procedure methodology.

Conclusions

The results of this questionnaire show widespread usage of EFS and are important in the development of national quality improvement guidelines for the performance of EFS.
Determination of asymmetric dimethyl arginine in human serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: clinical application in hypertensive subjects
Authors: Gervasoni Jacopo , Bonelli Fabio , Zuppi Cecilia , Zappacosta Bruno , Mordente Alvaro , Calvani Riccardo , Persichilli Silvia
Published: September 2011

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase plays an important role in endothelial dysfunction processes. Recent studies have linked high ADMA levels with several pathological conditions. The interest as a marker of endothelial dysfunction has increased in the last few years. In this paper, a method for serum ADMA quantification by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry has been described. To test the utility in a pathological condition ADMA levels in hypertensive subjects have been measured.

HPLC separation was performed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography using acetonitrile/water containing 0.1% formic acid and 20 mmol/L ammonium formate. Selected reaction monitoring was performed following the transitions m/z 203.1→46.4 for ADMA and 210.1→46.3 for the internal standard [

The method was linear up to 10 μmol/L, limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.005 μmol/L and 0.01 μmol/L, respectively. Recovery was higher than 96%. Intra- and inter-assay imprecision were lower than 6%. The accuracy, expressed as bias %, was <2.5. ADMA in “healthy” subjects ranged from 0.343 to 0.608 μmol/L and resulted significantly lower than that measured in hypertensive subjects (p<0.001).

The method developed is selective and sensitive, thus suitable not only for research purposes, but also for routinely work.
Influence of hemolysis on troponin testing: studies on Beckman Coulter UniCel Dxl 800 Accu-TnI and overview of the literature
Authors: Lippi Giuseppe , Avanzini Paola , Dipalo Mariella , Aloe Rosalia , Cervellin Gianfranco
Published: September 2011

Hemolyzed specimens are the leading pre-analytical problem in the laboratory practice, and exert a negative impact on test results. We assessed the reliability of Beckman Coulter UniCel Dxl 800 Accu-TnI testing on hemolyzed specimens.

Twelve non-hemolyzed K

As compared with aliquot #A (HI: 0), a progressive increase of hemolysis occurred in aliquots #B (HI: 25) and #C (HI: 45). The concentration of Accu-TnI gradually decreased from aliquots #A (0.89 μg/L, 0.20–20.16 μg/L), to aliquots #B (0.81 μg/L, 95% CI 0.17–18.37 μg/L; p=0.041) and #C (0.78 μg/L, 95% CI 0.15–17.48 μg/L; p=0.026). In 0/12 (aliquots #B) and 3/12 cases (aliquots #C) the percent decrease exceeded 20% variation. The values remained unchanged in nine samples with Accu-TnI <0.04 μg/L.

Accu-TnI values decrease in hemolyzed samples, but the bias might not be clinically significant in samples with hemoglobin <14.5 g/L.
Hedgehog signalling promotes germ cell survival in the rat testis
Authors: Mäkelä Juho-Antti , Saario Vuokko , Bourguiba-Hachemi Sonia , Nurmio Mirja , Jahnukainen Kirsi , Parvinen Martti , Toppari Jorma
Published: September 2011

Hedgehog (Hh) signalling has a crucial role in testis development. Sertoli cell-derived desert hedgehog (DHH) guides the formation of testis cords and differentiation of foetal-type Leydig cells.Dhhmutant mice are infertile due to a block in germ cell differentiation, hypogonadism and hypoandrogenism. Hh signalling pathway components are also expressed in postnatal testis. In the rat testis the transcription factor of the Hh pathway, glioma-associated oncogene homologue (GLI1), is expressed by a wide variety of germ cells. This suggests that Hh signalling is involved in spermatogenesis at many different levels. Our data show that canonical Hh signalling is turned off in early condensing spermatids that strongly express the negative regulator of the pathway, suppressor of fused (SUFU). Most of the Hh pathway specific mRNAs display the highest values in stages II–VI of the rat seminiferous epithelial cycle. The key endocrine regulator of germ cell differentiation, FSH, down-regulatesDhhmRNA levelsin vitro. Hh signalling inhibitionin vitroleads to massive apoptosis of germ cells. In prepubertal rat testis imatinib mesylate-induced inhibition of tyrosine kinases impinges onDhhtranscript levels and Hh signalling. Our data indicate that Hh signalling is part of the paracrine signalling network in the rat testis. It promotes the survival of germ cells and is suppressed by FSH.
Risk spreading, connectivity, and optimal reserve spacing
Authors: Blowes Shane A. , Connolly Sean R.
Published: September 2011

Two important processes determining the dynamics of spatially structured populations are dispersal and the spatial covariance of demographic fluctuations. Spatially explicit approaches to conservation, such as reserve networks, must consider the tension between these two processes and reach a balance between distances near enough to maintain connectivity, but far enough to benefit from risk spreading. Here, we model this trade‐off. We show how two measures of metapopulation persistence depend on the shape of the dispersal kernel and the shape of the distance decay in demographic covariance, and we consider the implications of this trade‐off for reserve spacing. The relative rates of distance decay in dispersal and demographic covariance determine whether the long‐run metapopulation growth rate, and quasi‐extinction risk, peak for adjacent patches or intermediately spaced patches; two local maxima in metapopulation persistence are also possible. When dispersal itself fluctuates over time, the trade‐off changes. Temporal variation in mean distance that propagules are dispersed (i.e., propagule advection) decreases metapopulation persistence and decreases the likelihood that persistence will peak for adjacent patches. Conversely, variation in diffusion (the extent of random spread around mean dispersal) increases metapopulation persistence overall and causes it to peak at shorter inter‐patch distances. Thus, failure to consider temporal variation in dispersal processes increases the risk that reserve spacings will fail to meet the objective of ensuring metapopulation persistence. This study identifies two phenomena that receive relatively little attention in empirical work on reserve spacing, but that can qualitatively change the effectiveness of reserve spacing strategies: (1) the functional form of the distance decay in covariance among patch‐specific demographic rates and (2) temporal variation in the shape of the dispersal kernel. The sensitivity of metapopulation recovery and persistence to how covariance of vital rates decreases with distance suggests that estimating the shape of this function is likely to be as important for effective reserve design as estimating connectivity. Similarly, because temporal variation in dispersal dynamics influences the effect of reserve spacing, approaches to reserve design that ignore such variation, and rely instead on long‐term average dispersal patterns, are likely to lead to lower metapopulation viability than is actually achievable.
Relation between radiocarbon, archaeological dating and sediment properties on the example of colluvial deposits (NE Poland)
Authors: Smolska Ewa
Published: September 2011

This study focuses on the analysis of the structural and textural features of the colluvial (deluvial) deposits in the Suwałki Lake District (NE Poland) and their absolute age. The colluvium has a thickness of up to 150 cm. The dates of the peat under colluvium or lowermost fossil humus-rich horizons point to the ages from 5405±80 BP to 480 BP. Deposition of material at the footslope is a result of a denudation triggered by human action (surface water erosion and tillage erosion) and usually corresponds with the settlement stages. The 14C dating of deposited sediment sometimes indicated to older dates of colluvium then the archaeological evidence available for examined sites. Locally, the overlying fossil humic horizon was older then the lowermost one. The textural features of the colluvial deposits such as: the content of fine fraction, weak sorting and relationship between the mean grain-size (Mz) and the sorting index (σ1) were used to recognize sediment redeposited from the upper part of the slope. Basing on the mineral composition and electrical conductivity of fossil humus horizon it is possible to say whether the soil was degraded or aggraded. These features of the humus-rich horizons occurring between colluvial sediments can be used to explain discrepancy between the radiocarbon dating and archaeological evidence.