bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrastriatal excitotoxic lesion or dopamine depletion of the neostriatum differentially impairs response execution in extrapersonal space
Authors: Lelos M. J. , Harrison D. J. , Dunnett S. B.
Published: August 2012

Dysfunction of the neostriatum, a primary feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, has been found to result in impaired localisation of, and reaction to, contralateral stimuli. On the basis of previous findings, it is hypothesised that, with increasing eccentricity of the response option, striatal cell loss may impair response localisation at the furthest levels of eccentricity, whereas dopamine (DA) depletion may not impact adversely upon responses executed in this extrapersonal space. In order to elucidate more fully the function of the striatum, the present study examined the differential impact of unilateral DA depletion or excitoxic lesion on response execution in ipsilateral and contralateral space at up to four levels of eccentricity. The results confirmed that, after both types of striatal dysfunction, the sensory ability to detect stimuli remains intact, whereas the ability to direct responses in absolute contralateral space is impaired. Distinct differences in the profiles of impairment were, however, evident, with a marked increase in response omissions observed after DA depletion, which may reflect decreased motivational processing, and recovery of function observed in rats with excitotoxic lesions, which suggests the ability to re‐learn. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that, after cell loss, responding in near contralateral space is controlled by competing striata, whereas responding in extrapersonal space relies on the contralateral hemisphere. These results have implications for understanding the role of the striatum in egocentrically defined response localisation, as well as for unravelling the behavioural impact of striatal cell loss or aberrant DA transmission observed in neurodegenerative diseases.
Proactive inhibitory control varies with task context
Authors: Wardak Claire , Ramanoël Stephen , Guipponi Olivier , Boulinguez Philippe , Ben Hamed Suliann B
Published: August 2012

The goal of executive control is to adjust our behaviour to the environment. It involves not only the continuous planning and adaptation of actions but also the inhibition of inappropriate movements. Recently, a proactive form of inhibitory control has been shown, demonstrating that actions can be withheld, in an uncertain environment, thanks to the proactive locking of the mechanism by which motor commands are triggered (e.g. while waiting at traffic lights in a dense pedestrian zone, one will refrain in anticipation of a brisk acceleration when the green light comes on). However, little is known about this executive function and it remains unclear whether the overall amount of inhibitory control can be modulated as a function of the context. Here, we show that the level of this control varies parametrically as a function of the exogenous and endogenous factors setting the task context. We also show that the level of implemented proactive inhibitory control is dynamically readjusted to match the implicit temporal structure of the environment. These observations are discussed in relation to possible underlying functional substrates and related neurological and psychiatric pathologies.
Dangerous liaisons: the predation risks of receiving social signals
Authors: Hughes Nelika K. , Kelley Jennifer L. , Banks Peter B.
Published: August 2012

Individuals are at risk when communicating because conspicuous signals attract both conspecifics and eavesdropping predators. This predation cost of communicating has typically been attributed to signalling individuals because of their conspicuous role, and is a core concept within sexual selection and communication ecology. But, if predators are attracted to signals, then receivers, both intended or otherwise, may also find themselves at risk of predation. Here, we review the theoretical basis and empirical evidence that receiving also carries a risk of predation. We distinguish between the risks of receiving and responding to signals, and we argue that receivers of signals that are long lived, are highly predictable in time or place and/or cannot be received quickly are likely to be at greater risk of predation compared to receivers of signals without these properties. We review recent empirical evidence from a variety of taxa that supports the hypothesis that receivers (including heterospecific prey) are aware of these risks and that they modify their behaviour to balance the risks against the benefits of receiving under predation threat. We also discuss the wider implications of risky receiving for receiving and signalling behaviour in prey, as well as for the prey's predators.
Precision of host sanctions in the fig tree–fig wasp mutualism: consequences for uncooperative symbionts
Authors: Charlotte Jandér K. , Herre Edward Allen , Simms Ellen L.
Published: August 2012

Host sanctions that reduce the relative fitness of uncooperative symbionts provide a mechanism that can limit cheating and thus stabilise mutualisms over evolutionary timescales. Sanctions have been demonstrated empirically in several mutualisms. However, if multiple individual symbionts interact with each host, the precision with which individual cheating symbionts are targeted by host sanctions is critical to their short‐ and long‐term effectiveness. No previous empirical study has directly addressed this issue. Here, we report the precision of host sanctions in the mutualism between fig trees and their pollinating wasps. Using field experiments and molecular parentage analyses, we show that sanctions in Ficus nymphaeifolia act at the level of entire figs (syconia), not at the level of the individual flowers within. Such fig‐level sanctions allow uncooperative wasps, which do not bring pollen, to avoid sanctions in figs to which other wasps bring pollen. We discuss the relevance of sanction precision to other mutualisms.
Constitutive expression of a fungal glucuronoyl esterase in Arabidopsis reveals altered cell wall composition and structure
Authors: Tsai Alex Y.‐L. , Canam Thomas , Gorzsás András , Mellerowicz Ewa J. , Campbell Malcolm M. , Master Emma R.
Published: August 2012

A family 15 carbohydrate esterase (CE15) from the white‐rot basidiomycete, Phanerochaete carnosa (PcGCE), was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana Col‐0 and was expressed from the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Like other CE15 enzymes, PcGCE hydrolyzed methyl‐4‐O‐methyl‐d‐glucopyranuronate and could target ester linkages that contribute to lignin–carbohydrate complexes that form in plant cell walls. Three independently transformed Arabidopsis lines were evaluated in terms of nine morphometric parameters, total sugar and lignin composition, cell wall anatomy, enzymatic saccharification and xylan extractability. The transgenic lines consistently displayed a leaf‐yellowing phenotype, as well as reduced glucose and xylose content by as much as 30% and 35%, respectively. Histological analysis revealed 50% reduction in cell wall thickness in the interfascicular fibres of transgenic plants, and FT‐IR microspectroscopy of interfascicular fibre walls indicated reduction in lignin cross‐linking in plants overexpressing PcGCE. Notably, these characteristics could be correlated with improved xylose recovery in transgenic plants, up to 15%. The current analysis represents the first example whereby a fungal glucuronoyl esterase is expressed in Arabidopsis and shows that the promotion of glucuronoyl esterase activity in plants can alter the extent of intermolecular cross‐linking within plant cell walls.
Can the Innate Right to Freedom Alone Ground a System of Public and Private Rights?
Authors: Sangiovanni Andrea
Published: August 2012

The state regulates the way in which social power is exercised. It sometimes permits, enables, constrains, forbids how we may touch others, make offers, draw up contracts, use, alter, possess and destroy things that matter to people, manipulate, induce weakness of the will, coerce, engage in physical force, persuade, selectively divulge information, lie, enchant, coax, convince, … In each of these cases, we (sometimes unintentionally) get others to act in ways that serve our interests. Which such exercises of power should the state forbid? Which should it permit? An intuitively appealing way to answer this question is, with Ripstein and Kant, to point to the role of freedom: exercises of social power can be legitimately prohibited when (and only when) they restrict people's freedom. But this raises a further question: How do we identify when such exercises of power make people unfree in the relevant sense? Ripstein, in defending Kant, draws a crucial distinction between actions that subject others’ wills to our choices (and which it would therefore be presumptively legitimate for the state to forbid) and actions that merely affect the contexts in which others act (and which it would therefore be presumptively illegitimate for the state to forbid). I query that distinction, and argue that the idea of independence cannot bear, on its own, the weight it is expected to bear within the Kantian framework.
Between Ethics and Right: Kantian Politics and Democratic Purposes
Authors: Williams Garrath
Published: August 2012

Force and Freedom insists that, ‘Freedom, understood as independence of another person's choice, is [all] that matters’. In this paper I suggest that this premise leads Ripstein to an instrumentalization of democracy that neglects a properly public and collective notion of freedom. The paper first criticizes Ripstein's key argument against any extension of public purposes beyond the upholding of persons’ ‘independence of others’ choice’. More constructively, the paper then suggests that a space of public freedom is opened up when people deliberate in order to form and pursue democratic purposes. Citizens may act together to promote ends that they think are worthwhile, without dominating one another or restricting individual freedom.
Form and Matter in Kantian Political Philosophy: A Reply
Authors: Ripstein Arthur
Published: August 2012

This paper responds briefly to four reviews of Force and Freedom. Valentini and Sangiovanni criticize what they see as the excessive formalism of the Kantian enterprise, contending that the Kantian project is circular, because it defines rights and freedom together, and that this circularity renders it unable to say anything determinate about appropriate restrictions and permissions. I show that the appearance of circularity arises from a misconstrual of the Kantian idea of a right. Properly understood, Kantian rights are partially indeterminate, but not in a way that causes problems for the account. Ronzoni and Williams seek to broaden the reach of public right, arguing that Kant's abstract approach overlooks pressing questions of social and political life, (Ronzoni) and that public right should allow for democratic deliberation about purposes that go beyond the requirement that a state provide a rightful condition for its members (Williams). I argue that the Kantian view makes room for these factors, but that each must be understood in relation to the formal constraints of right.
Evolution of brain gray matter loss in Huntington's disease: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Lambrecq V. , Langbour N. , Guehl D. , Bioulac B. , Burbaud P. , Rotge J.‐Y.
Published: August 2012

Background

Huntington's disease is characterized by neuronal loss throughout the disease course. Voxel‐based morphometry studies have reported reductions in gray matter concentration (GMC) in many brain regions in patients with Huntington. The description of the time course of gray matter loss may help to identify some evolution markers. Here, we conducted a meta‐analysis of voxel‐based morphometry studies of Huntington's disease to describe the evolution of brain gray matter loss.

Methods

A systematic search led to the inclusion of 11 articles on Huntington's disease (297 patients and 205 controls). We extracted data from patients with preclinical Huntington, patients with clinical Huntington, and controls. Finally, anatomical likelihood estimation analyses were conducted to identify GMC changes between preclinical patients and controls, between clinical patients and controls, and between preclinical and clinical patients.

Results

Preclinical patients exhibited gray matter loss in the left basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Clinical patients had bilateral gray matter loss in the basal ganglia, the prefrontal cortex, and the insula. The left striatum was smaller in clinical patients than in preclinical patients.

Conclusions

Neurodegenerative processes associated with Huntington's disease, as assessed by GMC reduction, begin in the left hemisphere and extend to the contralateral hemisphere throughout the inexorable course of the disease. Changes in gray matter, especially the volumetric side ratio of the striatum, could represent a relevant biomarker for characterizing the different progression stages of the disease.
The primary type of tremor in essential tremor is kinetic rather than postural: cross‐sectional observation of tremor phenomenology in 369 cases
Authors: Louis E. D.
Published: August 2012

Background

Essential tremor (ET) is amongst the most commonly misdiagnosed neurological diseases. The current aim was to provide observational data on a basic characteristic of ET, namely, the relative severity of postural to kinetic tremor.

Methods

A total of 369 ET cases were enrolled in a cross‐sectional study. Postural tremor scores (0–3) and kinetic tremor scores (0–3) were assigned during a standardized neurological examination.

Results

In the vast bulk of cases (~95%), kinetic tremor was more severe than postural tremor. In nearly one‐in‐three cases (32.8%), the kinetic tremor score was ≥1 points higher than the postural tremor score. Conversely, in only a few cases (~5%) was postural tremor even marginally (<1 point) more severe than kinetic tremor, and in no case was the postural tremor score ≥1 point higher than the kinetic tremor score. At each postural tremor score, nearly all cases had that amount of kinetic tremor or more.

Conclusion

The primary type of tremor in ET is kinetic rather than postural. Recognition of the simple, empirical features of tremor phenomenology has potential diagnostic value for practicing clinicians.
The Collective Framing of Crisis Management: A Ventriloqual Analysis of Emergency Operations Centres
Authors: Bergeron Caroline D. , Cooren François
Published: August 2012

Crises are omnipresent in the organizational world. To face these situations, organizations rely on their crisis management teams to better manage these situations. How do members of these teams succeed or fail to succeed in understanding each other and in collectively framing the crisis situation, when everyone's background differs? Based on an interactional perspective, the current study proposes to respond to this question by analysing a selection of audiovisual excerpts taken from three crisis management exercises conducted in Ontario, Canada. These analyses help describe the role certain figures play in the framing of crisis management. It was found that only when these different preoccupations are articulated, taken into account and negotiated can the framing of the crisis situation evolve collectively.
Comorbidity and metabolic context are crucial factors determining neurological sequelae of hypoglycaemia
Authors: GATAULLINA SVETLANA , DELLATOLAS GEORGES , PERDRY HERVÉ , ROBERT JEAN‐JACQUES , VALAYANNOPOULOS VASSILI , TOUATI GUY , OTTOLENGHI CHRIS , DULAC OLIVIER , DE LONLAY PASCALE
Published: August 2012

Aim  To determine risk factors for neurological sequelae following hypoglycemia.

Method  We analysed the neurological outcome in 164 patients (mean age 10y 10mo, SD 5.9) following hypoglycemia due to three diseases with various metabolic contexts, different ages at onset, and combinations with comorbidity (fever/infection, hypoxia/ischemia): glycogen storage disease type I (GSDI) (21 patients, mean age at first hypoglycemic episode 3.8mo, SD 3.5); fatty acid β‐oxidation defects (FAOD) (29 patients, mean age at first hypoglycemic episode 14.8mo, SD 12.6); and hyperinsulinism (HIns) (114 patients, mean age at first hypoglycemic episode 2.3mo, SD 4.7).

Results  Risk factors of poor neurological outcome were aetiology (p<0.006), comorbidity (p<0.001), and prolonged convulsions (p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that comorbidity (p<0.001) and status epilepticus (p=0.002) were the main determinants of sequelae. Asymptomatic hypoglycemia did not lead to sequelae, whatever the aetiology. Age was not correlated to sequelae, whatever the aetiology. The highest prevalence of hypoglycemic sequelae was found in FAOD and HIns combined with comorbidity, the lowest in GSDI (p<0.001) in which hypoglycemia is often asymptomatic, associated with increased plasma lactate, and rarely combined with comorbidity.

Interpretation  Hypoglycemia is severely deleterious for the brain in the context of fever/infection and/or hypoxia/ischemia, and status epilepticus. The metabolic context providing alternative fuels may improve neurological outcome.
Septo‐optic dysplasia in childhood: the neurological, cognitive and neuro‐ophthalmological perspective
Authors: SIGNORINI SABRINA G , DECIO ALICE , FEDELI CRISTINA , LUPARIA ANTONELLA , ANTONINI MAURO , BERTONE CHIARA , MISEFARI WALTER , RUBERTO GIULIO , BIANCHI PAOLO E , BALOTTIN UMBERTO
Published: August 2012

Aim  We set out to describe 17 patients with septo‐optic dysplasia (SOD), focusing on the little‐explored neurological, cognitive, and neuro‐ophthalmological components. A further aim was to identify possible clinical correlations and phenotypic characteristics within the diagnostic spectrum.

Method  We collected clinical‐instrumental data (from the history, general and neurological examination, developmental assessment, and neuro‐ophthalmological, neuroradiological, neurophysiological, and endocrinological evaluations) on nine males and eight females (mean age 34.4mo, SD 31.6; range 4mo‐9y 6mo) diagnosed with SOD who were referred to our Centre of Child Neuro‐ophthalmology between 1999 and 2010.

Results  We observed a heterogeneous clinical spectrum characterized by nervous system, visual, and endocrine dysfunctions; optic nerve involvement was present in all 17 children, midline brain defects in 14, and cortical developmental malformations in seven. Developmental/cognitive delay and relational and communication difficulties were observed in eight and seven children, respectively, and reduced visual acuity and oculomotor dysfunction were observed in all. Pituitary hormone deficiencies were present in nine children.

Interpretation  Nervous system involvement emerged as a key feature of SOD. As part of a holistic approach to the disease, particular attention should be paid to this aspect. The emergence of new clinical correlations and correlations between clinical features and three SOD subtypes opens the way for better clarification of this disease and, therefore, more targeted diagnosis, follow‐up, and care of affected children.
Lipidome analysis in multiple sclerosis reveals protein lipoxidative damage as a potential pathogenic mechanism
Authors: Gonzalo Hugo , Brieva Luis , Tatzber Franz , Jové Mariona , Cacabelos Daniel , Cassanyé Anna , Lanau‐Angulo Lucia , Boada Jordi , Serrano José C. E. , González Cristina , Hernández Lourdes , Peralta Sílvia , Pamplona Reinald , Portero‐Otin Manuel
Published: August 2012

Metabolomic and lipidomic analyses have been used for the profiling of neurodegenerative processes, both in targeted and untargeted approaches. In this work we have applied these techniques to the study of CSF samples of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (n = 9), compared with samples of non‐MS individuals (n = 9) using mass‐spectrometry. We have used western‐blot and analyzed cell culture to confirm pathogenic pathways suggested by mass‐spectrometric measurements. The results of the untargeted approach of metabolomics and lipidomics suggest the existence of several metabolites and lipids discriminating both populations. Applying targeted lipidomic analyses focused to a pathogenic pathway in MS, oxidative stress, reveal that the lipid peroxidation marker 8‐iso‐prostaglandin F2α is increased in CSF from MS patients. Furthermore, as lipid peroxidation exerts its pathogenical effects through protein modification, we studied the incidence of protein lipoxidation, revealing specific increases in carboxymethylated, neuroketal and malondialdehyde‐mediated protein modifications in proteins of CSF from MS patients, despite the absence of their precursors glyoxal and methylglyoxal. Finally, we report that the level of neuroketal‐modified proteins correlated with a hitherto unknown increased amount of autoantibodies against lipid peroxidation‐modified proteins in CSF, without compensation by signaling induced by lipid peroxidation via peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ). The results, despite the limitation of being obtained in a small population, strongly suggest that autoimmunity against in situ produced epitopes derived from lipid peroxidation can be a relevant pathogenic factor in MS.
Handling knowledge on osteoporosis – a qualitative study
Authors: Nielsen Dorthe , Huniche Lotte , Brixen Kim , Sahota Opinder , Masud Tahir
Published: August 2012

The aim of this qualitative study was to increase understanding of the importance of osteoporosis information and knowledge for patients’ ways of handling osteoporosis in their everyday lives. Interviews were performed with 14 patients recruited from two English university hospitals and 12 patients from a Danish university hospital. Critical psychology was used as a theoretical framework for the data analysis, which aimed at shedding light on patients’ ways of conducting everyday life with osteoporosis. The themes that emerged from the analysis showed that life conditions influenced the way in which risk, pain and osteoporosis were handled. Everyday life was also influenced by patients’ attitude to treatment. The patients who were experiencing emotional difficulties in handling osteoporosis were not those suffering from severe osteoporosis and fractures. Approaches to living with knowledge of future fracture risk varied according to the individual patient’s resourcefulness and experiences.
Forearm skin tissue dielectric constant measured at 300 MHz: effect of changes in skin vascular volume and blood flow
Authors: Mayrovitz Harvey N. , Guo Xiaoran , Salmon Mark , Uhde Matt
Published: August 2012

Skin tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values measured via the open‐ended coaxial probe method are useful non‐invasive indices of local skin tissue water. However, the effect of skin blood flow (SBF) or skin blood volume (SBV) on TDC values is unknown. To determine the magnitude of such effects, we decreased forearm SBV via vertical arm raising for 5 min (test 1) and increased SBV by bicep cuff compression to 50 mmHg for 5 min (test 2) in 20 healthy supine subjects (10 men). TDC values were measured to a depth of 1·5 mm on anterior forearm, and SBF was measured with laser‐Doppler system simultaneously on forearm and finger. Results indicate that decreasing vascular volume (test 1) was associated with a small but statistically significant reduction in TDC (3·0 ± 4·3%, P = 0·003) and increasing vascular volume (test 2) was associated with a slight but statistically significant increase in TDC (3·5 ± 3·0%, P<0·001). SBF changes depended on test and measurement site. For forearm, test 1 significantly increased SBF (102·6 ± 156·2%, P<0·001) and test 2 significantly decreased it (39·5 ± 13·1%, P<0·001). In finger, SBF was significantly reduced by both tests: in test 1 by 55·3 ± 32·1%, P<0·001 and in test 2 by 53·3 ± 27·6%, P<0·001. We conclude that the small percentage changes in TDC values (3·0–3·5%) over the wide range of induced SBV and SBF changes suggest a minor effect on clinically determined TDC values because of SBV or SBF changes or differences when comparing TDC longitudinally over time or among individuals of different groups in a research setting.
Duration of Breastfeeding and Childhood Obesity: A Generalized Propensity Score Approach
Authors: Jiang Miao , Foster E. Michael
Published: August 2012

Objective

To estimate the effect of breastfeeding duration on childhood obesity.

Data Source

The Child Development Supplement (CDS) of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The PSID provides extensive data on the income and well‐being of a representative sample of U.S. families from 1968 to the present. The CDS collects information on the children in PSID families ranging from cognitive, behavioral, and health status to their family and neighborhood environment. The first two waves of the CDS were conducted in 1997 and 2002, respectively. The data provide information on 3,271 children and their mothers.

Study Design

We use the generalized propensity score to adjust for confounding based on continuous treatment, and the general additive model to analyze the adjusted association between treatment and the outcome conditional on the propensity score. The main outcome is the body mass index (BMI) directly assessed during the in‐person interview in 2002. Covariates include family, maternal, and child characteristics, many of which were measured in the year the child was born.

Principal Findings

After using propensity scores to adjust for confounding, the relationship between breastfeeding duration and childhood BMI is trivially small across a range of model specifications, and none of them is statistically significant except the unadjusted model.

Conclusions

The causal link between duration of breastfeeding and childhood obesity has not been established. Any recommendation of promoting breastfeeding to reduce childhood obesity is premature.
A Method for Estimating Cost Savings for Population Health Management Programs
Authors: Murphy Shannon M.E. , McGready John , Griswold Michael E. , Sylvia Martha L.
Published: August 2012

Objective

To develop a quasi‐experimental method for estimatingPopulationHealthManagement (PHM) program savings that mitigates common sources of confounding, supports regular updates for continued program monitoring, and estimates model precision.

Data Sources

Administrative, program, and claims records fromJanuary 2005 throughJune 2009.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Data are aggregated by member and month.

Study Design

Study participants include chronically ill adult commercial health plan members. The intervention group consists of members currently enrolled inPHM, stratified by intensity level. Comparison groups include (1) members never enrolled, and (2)PHMparticipants not currently enrolled. Mixed model smoothing is employed to regress monthly medical costs on time (in months), a history ofPHMenrollment, and monthly program enrollment by intensity level. Comparison group trends are used to estimate expected costs for intervention members. Savings are realized whenPHMparticipants' costs are lower than expected.

Principal Findings

This method mitigates many of the limitations faced using traditional pre‐post models for estimatingPHMsavings in an observational setting, supports replication for ongoing monitoring, and performs basic statistical inference.

Conclusion

This method provides payers with a confident basis for making investment decisions.
Spinal administration of the monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor JZL184 produces robust inhibitory effects on nociceptive processing and the development of central sensitization in the rat
Authors: Woodhams SG , Wong A , Barrett DA , Bennett AJ , Chapman V , Alexander SPH
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

The cannabinoid receptor‐mediated analgesic effects of 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG) are limited by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). 4‐nitrophenyl 4‐[bis (1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl) (hydroxy) methyl] piperidine‐1‐carboxylate (JZL184) is a potent inhibitor of MAGL in the mouse, though potency is reportedly reduced in the rat. Here we have assessed the effects of spinal inhibition of MAGL with JZL184 on nociceptive processing in rats.

Experimental Approach

In vivo spinal electrophysiological assays in anaesthetized rats were used to determine the effects of spinal administration of JZL184 on spinal nociceptive processing in the presence and absence of hindpaw inflammation. Contributions of CB1 receptors to these effects was assessed with AM251. Inhibition of 2‐oleoylglycerol hydrolytic activity and alterations of 2‐AG in the spinal cord after JZL 184 were also assessed.

Key Results

Spinal JZL184 dose‐dependently inhibited mechanically evoked responses of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurones in naïve anaesthetized rats, in part via the CB1 receptor. A single spinal administration of JZL184 abolished inflammation‐induced expansion of the receptive fields of spinal WDR neurones. However, neither spinal nor systemic JZL184 altered levels of 2‐AG, or 2‐oleoylglycerol hydrolytic activity in the spinal cord, although JZL184 displayed robust inhibition of MAGL when incubated with spinal cord tissue in vitro.

Conclusions and Implications

JZL184 exerted robust anti‐nociceptive effects at the level of the spinal cord in vivo and inhibited rat spinal cord MAGL activity in vitro. The discordance between in vivo and in vitro assays suggests that localized sites of action of JZL184 produce these profound functional inhibitory effects.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.167.issue‐8
Synergistic interaction between PPAR ligands and salbutamol on human bronchial smooth muscle cell proliferation
Authors: Fogli S , Stefanelli F , Picchianti L , Del Re M , Mey V , Bardelli C , Danesi R , Breschi MC
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

An important objective in asthma therapy is to prevent the accelerated growth of airway smooth muscle cells which leads to hyperplasia and bronchial hyperreactivity. We investigated the effect of combination of salbutamol and PPARγ agonists on growth factor‐stimulated human bronchial smooth muscle cell (BSMC) proliferation.

Experimental Approach

Synergism was quantified by the combination index‐isobologram method. Assays used here included analyses of growth inhibition, cell viability, DNA fragmentation, gene transcription, cell cycle and protein expression.

Key Results

The PPARγ gene was highly expressed in BSMC and the protein was identified in cell nuclei. Single‐agent salbutamol or PPARγ agonists prevented growth factor‐induced human BSMC proliferation within a micromolar range of concentrations through their specific receptor subtypes. Sub‐micromolar levels of combined salbutamol‐PPARγ agonist inhibited growth by 50% at concentrations from ∼2 to 12‐fold lower than those required for each drug alone, without induction of apoptosis or necrosis. Combination treatments also promoted cell cycle arrest at the G1/S transition phase and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation.

Conclusions and Implications

The synergistic interaction between PPARγ agonists and β2‐adrenoceptor agonists on airway smooth muscle cell proliferation highlights the anti‐remodelling potential of this combination in chronic lung diseases.
The Economic Growth Impacts of Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil: An Inter‐regional Analysis
Authors: Deuss Annelies
Published: August 2012

Since 2001, Brazil has experienced a sharp increase in sugarcane production due to the upsurge in demand for sugar and ethanol, two products derived from sugarcane. This study analyses the impacts of these sugarcane expansions on economic growth. The effects are examined at the municipality level in Brazil as a whole and in the main sugarcane producing regions, the North‐Northeast (NE) and the Centre‐South (CS). In this latter region, an additional distinction is made between the state of São Paulo (SP) and the Centre‐South region excluding São Paulo (CSex) since the bulk of the recent expansion took place in SP while most of the future expansions are planned in CSex. Estimators based on the propensity score are used to construct two types of counterfactual scenarios. The estimations in the first scenario show that municipalities in NE and CSex that expanded sugarcane production experienced economic growth as a result. No significant effect was found in SP. The second scenario focuses on CSex and establishes that sugarcane non‐expanding municipalities in this region would have had higher economic growth if they had increased sugarcane production. The results of this study suggest that future sugarcane plantations should indeed be located in CSex because they contribute to economic growth.
Alcohol Tax, Price–Quality Proxy and Discounting: A Reason Why Alcohol Taxes May Rebound
Authors: Panzone Luca A.
Published: August 2012

The increasing concern about the external costs of alcohol consumption has often led economists and policy‐makers to advocate taxes to internalise the social costs and target consumption. However, in certain markets for alcoholic drinks – particularly wine – price is not only a cost but also an indicator of quality, guiding consumer choice. There is, perhaps, a higher probability of ex post satisfaction with products at higher prices in a market with potential adverse selection. The price–quality proxy interacts with discounts, where the full price of the product before discount (referred to as the External Reference Price in the marketing literature) is used as a quality reference.

This study shows that an alcohol tax in the presence of discounting may increase the perceived value of the product, and therefore persuade consumers to prefer the purchase of more expensive wines with the highest discount. As a consequence, consumers could favour products with higher alcohol content – which contradicts the objectives of the policy. Consequently, for an alcohol tax to be effective discounting of alcoholic beverages (in particular, wine) should be regulated to avoid the policy backfiring.
Mobile Phones and Radios: Effects on Transactions Costs and Market Participation for Households in Northern Ghana
Authors: Zanello Giacomo
Published: August 2012

The literature on agricultural markets suggests that transactions costs are the main obstacles preventing households from participating in agricultural markets. We examine the impact of the recent massive penetration of information communication technologies (ICTs), particularly mobile phones and radios, in developing countries to investigate the role of information in economic transactions and participation in food crop markets. To fully capture market participation behaviours, the current theoretical framework on market participation and transactions costs is extended to include those households that sell and buy in the same time period. We correct for endogeneity and selectivity throughout our models. We used a novel dataset of 393 households in northern Ghana with detailed information on market transactions and ICTs usage. Results show that receiving market information via mobile phones has a positive and significant impact on market participation, with a greater impact for households with a surplus of food crops. We find that radios have a larger impact on the quantity traded. This may reflect the nature of mobile phones in reducing searching costs, whereas radios provide an updated and regular flow of information which affects the pattern of crops consumed and sold. We also emphasise that the most significant factor is how ICTs are used, rather than their ownership.
The Demand for Organic and Conventional Produce in London, UK: A System Approach
Authors: Fourmouzi Vasiliki , Genius Margarita , Midmore Peter
Published: August 2012

The majority of studies on consumer demand for organic products neglect the presence of non‐organic competitors, ignoring their effect on consumer demand for organics. This article uses a demand system which includes both organic and non‐organic fruits and vegetables, with actual (as opposed to stated) data for household purchases. Estimation of our model provides empirical evidence on the interrelationships between organic and non‐organic products, as the relevant cross‐price elasticities. Own‐price elasticities indicate that organic fruits and vegetables are more price elastic than their non‐organic counterparts, and that lower social class households with children have the most own‐price elastic demand. Cross‐price elasticities indicate relatively strong loyalty to organic products.
Economic Perspectives on Nutrition Policy Evaluation
Authors: Traill W. Bruce
Published: August 2012

Too much food energy intake (relative to expenditure) and unbalanced diets are implicated in a range of diseases that impose major burdens on healthcare systems and cause pain and suffering. Governments have responded by introducing a range of measures, mainly targeting information and education, largely to children. However, more interventionist measures have been advocated and, in the past year, various food taxes have been introduced in Denmark, Hungary and France. The Address discusses evaluation of policies, particularly in the light of alternative theories of diet choice (rational choice, systematically irrational, automatic). The public health approach uses quality adjusted life years but fails to distinguish between private and social benefits and takes no account of the drivers of food choice behaviour. The economic approach, based on informed choice, makes the distinction between private and social benefits (if not always explicitly) but struggles to evaluate policies that change utility functions and with behavioural assumptions other than traditional rationality. Alternative assumptions and approaches could put the cost of unhealthy eating anywhere between £10 billion and £100 billion per annum in the UK. Evidence suggests that information measures (to perform or persuade) do not much change diets, nor do they tackle the externality element of unhealthy eating. They may, however, help change long‐term social norms. More interventionist measures like taxes improve social welfare (according to the compensation principle) and reduce health inequalities but are regressive, like all sin taxes. Almost all interventions pass cost‐effectiveness tests.
Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in Payment‐for‐Environmental‐Services Programmes
Authors: Ma Shan , Swinton Scott M. , Lupi Frank , Jolejole‐Foreman Christina
Published: August 2012

Understanding farmers’ willingness to participate in agricultural payment‐for‐environmental‐services (PES) programmes is an essential precondition for designing effective and efficient programmes. Willingness to participate is typically examined via stated preference surveys using the standard hurdle model for whether and how much to participate. Among respondents who decline to participate, such analyses cannot distinguish between respondents who declined due to the payment level and those who were not interested at all. This paper applies a double hurdle model to incorporate a prior condition for whether a respondent is even willing to consider participating in the PES market. The model uses a unique stated preference survey permitting separation of the consideration and enrolment decisions of 1,700 farmers in Michigan, USA. The first hurdle probit model suggests that farmers’ willingness to consider PES chiefly depends on farm and farmer characteristics, while the second hurdle tobit model shows that decisions on whether and how much to enrol depend more on the payment offer and marginal benefit–cost criteria. This study provides fresh insights on facilitating farmer participation in PES programmes using tiered strategies that differ in costs of programme payment and administration.
Low‐temperature bleaching of cotton fabric with a binuclear manganese complex of 1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane as catalyst for hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Qin Xinbo , Song Min , Ma Hui , Yin Chong , Zhong Yi , Zhang Linping , Mao Zhiping
Published: August 2012

Bleaching of cellulose fabric with hydrogen peroxide is traditionally conducted under alkaline conditions at high temperature, which leads to greater energy consumption and fibre damage. In this study, a binuclear manganese complex of the ligand 1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane as the catalyst for hydrogen peroxide bleaching was synthesised via a simplified method. Low‐temperature bleaching of cotton fabric with the manganese complex and the effect of key bleaching variables on the bleaching performance were investigated. Hydrogen peroxide could be catalysed to bleach cotton knitted fabric at a temperature as low as 60 °C by incorporating the complex in the bleaching solution. The whiteness index of the fabric bleached at low temperature was lower than that of fabric bleached at high temperature, but the bursting strength retention is much better for the fabric bleached at low temperature. The low temperature is energy‐saving and has environment‐friendly advantages over the traditional high‐temperature method.
Comparison of different ultrasound support methods during colour and chemical oxygen demand removal of disperse and reactive dyebath solutions by ozonation
Authors: Aksel Eren Hüseyin , Avinc Ozan , Erismis Burcu
Published: August 2012

In this study, the effects of ozonation, ozonation with ultrasonic bath and ozonation with ultrasonic homogeniser processes on colour and chemical oxygen demand removal properties of disperse (CI Disperse Red 60, CI Disperse Blue 337) and reactive (CI Reactive Blue 171 and CI Reactive Blue 19) dyebath solutions with and without dyeing auxiliaries were investigated. Chemical oxygen demand (in mg/l) and colour (in Hazen) measurements of the studied dyebath solutions were determined. The ozonation process caused simultaneous chemical oxygen demand removal during decolorisation. However, the improvement in chemical oxygen demand reduction was less than of that on decolorisation. The application of the combination of ozonation with ultrasonic homogeniser is the most efficient process and creates a great time advantage over the other process types studied (ozonation alone and ozonation with ultrasonic bath) to reach the same colour and levels of chemical oxygen demand removal.
Dyeing properties of textiles by Turkish hazelnut (Corylus colurna): leaves, coat, shell and dice
Authors: Tutak Mustafa , Benli Hüseyin
Published: August 2012

Turkey has a great number of hazelnut trees that possess nutritious components. However, only the inside part of the hazelnut is used as a nutrient, while the rest of it is waste. This study suggests that the waste parts of the Turkish hazelnut could be used as a natural dye for dyeing textile fabrics. The dyeing properties of the leaves, coat, shell and dice of the hazelnut were studied on wool, cotton and viscose fabric by using three different mordants: copper sulphate, iron sulphate and aluminium sulphate. The selected dyed fibre sample surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The colour strength (K/S), light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration fastness levels of the dyed fabrics were investigated. The experimental natural dyeing results indicate that waste hazelnut‐based products can be used as a natural dye for textile coloration.
A Sad but Forgotten Truth: The Story of Slow‐Moving Solutes in Fast Hemodialysis
Authors: Eloot Sunny , Van Biesen Wim , Vanholder Raymond
Published: August 2012

When trying to optimize hemodialysis adequacy, it can be questioned whether one should focus on the dialyzer or on the patient. Another crucial question is whether the currently applied dialysis adequacy parameter, Kt/Vurea, is a reliable marker. For the small and water‐soluble solutes, recent advances in convective strategies and/or new dialyzer designs do not add much removal capacity. Depending on their specific kinetics, generally quite different from those of urea, small solute removal benefits from longer or more frequent dialysis. Clearance of beta‐2‐microglobulin (β2M), a marker of middle molecule removal pattern, is improved with dialysis using more open and permselective membranes, as well as by using high convective volume strategies. Furthermore, longer and more frequent dialyses have highly favorable removal characteristics because they facilitate the retarded transport between plasmatic and extraplasmatic compartments over which these molecules are distributed. As β2M may not be representative of other middle molecules, future kinetic analyses of alternative middle molecules will be of the utmost interest. Protein‐bound solute clearance is improved by convective techniques, but not by more open dialyzer pores. Knowledge of their kinetics should be helpful in interpreting the observation that frequent (but not longer) dialysis enhances protein‐bound solute removal. Hence, further technical improvements in dialyzers will have only a minor impact on dialysis adequacy, as retarded solute movement in the patient plays a decisive role. As urea kinetics is not representative of the kinetics of protein‐bound compounds, middle molecules, nor even of other small and water‐soluble solutes, it becomes self‐evident that urea clearance is a poor predictor of many aspects of dialysis adequacy.
Estimating Central Bank Preferences under Commitment and Discretion
Authors: GIVENS GREGORY E.
Published: August 2012

This paper explains U.S. macroeconomic outcomes with an empirical New Keynesian model in which monetary policy minimizes the central bank’s loss function. The presence of expectations in the model forms a well‐known distinction between two modes of optimization, termed commitment and discretion. The model is estimated separately under each policy using maximum likelihood over the Volcker–Greenspan–Bernanke period. Comparisons of fit reveal that the data favor the specification with discretionary policy. Estimates of the loss function weights point to an excessive concern for interest rate smoothing in the commitment model but a more balanced concern relative to inflation and output stability in the discretionary model.
Bank Lending Standards and Access to Lines of Credit
Authors: DEMIROGLU CEM , JAMES CHRISTOPHER , KIZILASLAN ATAY
Published: August 2012

This paper examines how changes in bank lending standards are related to the availability of bank lines of credit for private and comparable public firms. Overall, we find that access to lines of credit is more contingent on bank lending standards for private than for public firms. The impact of bank lending standards is however asymmetric: while private firms are less likely than public firms to gain access to new lines when credit market conditions are tight, we find no difference between public and private firms in terms of their use or retention of pre‐existing lines. We also find that private firms without lines of credit use more trade credit when bank lending standards are tight, which is suggestive of a supply effect. Overall, the evidence suggests that “credit crunches” are likely to have a disproportionate impact on private firms. However, pre‐existing banking relationships appear to mitigate the impact of these contractions on private firms.
Stale Information, Shocks, and Volatility
Authors: GROPP REINT , KADAREJA ARJAN
Published: August 2012

We propose a new approach to measuring the effect of unobservable private information on volatility. Using intraday data, we estimate the effect of a well‐identified shock on the volatility of stock returns of European banks as a function of the quality of public information available about the banks. We hypothesize that as publicly available information becomes stale, volatility effects and its persistence increase, as private information of investors becomes more important. We find strong support for this idea in the data. We further show that stock volatility is higher just before important announcements if information is stale.