bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How accurate are self‐reported height, weight, and BMI among community‐dwelling elderly Japanese?: Evidence from a national population‐based study
Authors: Yong Vanessa , Saito Yasuhiko
Published: October 2011

Aim:  The aims of this study are to investigate the accuracy of self‐reported height, weight, and derived BMI of community‐dwelling Japanese aged 70 and older, and to assess the concordance between report‐based and measurement‐based BMI categories.

Methods:  We compared self‐reported height and weight with physical measurements from data from a nationally representative sample (n = 1634).

Results:  Self‐reported values were strongly correlated with measured values (Pearson's r: 0.92 and 0.89 for men and women, respectively, for height; 0.96 for both sexes for weight; 0.93 and 0.91 for men and women, respectively, for BMI). The differences in mean values were small. On average, height was overreported by 0.93 cm (SD = 2.48) for men and 1.23 cm (SD = 2.84) for women. Weight was underreported by 1.08 kg (SD = 2.55) for men and 0.88 kg (SD = 2.45) for women. BMI was underestimated by 0.68 kg/m2 (SD = 1.16) for men and 0.79 kg/m2 (SD = 1.49) for women. As age increases, height overreporting increased, particularly among women, but weight underreporting decreased for women. BMI underestimation increased for both sexes. Weighted kappa values showed a reasonably high concordance at 0.715 and 0.670 for men and women, respectively (P < 0.0001). Overweight (BMI 25.0 to 29.9) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) prevalence rates were underestimated, with better specificity (range: 94.4–100%) than sensitivity (range: 59.3–65.1%).

Conclusion:  The accuracy of self‐reported height and weight is reasonably high among elderly Japanese, suggesting that the information can be used in epidemiological surveys. However, caution should be exercised for the oldest age group (age 85+), as the accuracy declined. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; 12: 247–256.
Corticomotor excitability and plasticity following complex visuomotor training in young and old adults
Authors: Cirillo John , Todd Gabrielle , Semmler John G.
Published: October 2011

Previous studies with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have shown that advancing age may influence plasticity induction in human motor cortex (M1), but these changes have been assessed with TMS‐induced paradigms or simple motor tasks. The aim of this study was to examine changes in corticospinal excitability and intracortical inhibition as markers of corticomotor plasticity following complex motor training in young and old adults. Electromyographic recordings were obtained from the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle of 16 young (20–35 years) and 16 older (aged 60–75 years) adults before and after motor skill training. Motor training consisted of three 6‐minute blocks of a complex visuomotor task that required matching the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint angle of the index finger using abduction–adduction movements. Single‐ and paired‐pulse TMS over the left M1 was used to assess changes in right FDI motor‐evoked potentials (MEPs) and short‐interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) before and after each training block. Visuomotor tracking performance was diminished in old compared with young adults throughout training. However, improvement in tracking error was similar for young and old adults (7–24% increase in each training block). For young and old adults, motor training increased FDI MEP amplitude (≥ 20%) and reduced the magnitude of SICI (≥ 19%) after each visuomotor training block, reflecting use‐dependent plasticity. However, no difference in corticomotor plasticity (change in MEP or SICI) was observed between young and old adults. Further studies are needed to identify the experimental or behavioral factors that might contribute to the maintenance of corticomotor plasticity in older adults.
Pronounced summer to winter differences and higher wintertime richness in coastal Antarctic marine bacterioplankton
Authors: Ghiglione J. F. , Murray A. E.
Published: October 2011

Marine bacterioplankton studies over the annual cycle in polar systems are limited due to logistic constraints in site access and support. Here, we conducted a comparative study of marine bacterioplankton sampled at several time points over the annual cycle (12 occasions each) at sub‐Antarctic Kerguelen Islands (KI) and Antarctic Peninsula (AP) coastal sites in order to establish a better understanding of the extent and nature of variation in diversity and community structure at these different latitudes (49–64S). Molecular methods targeting the 16S rRNA gene (DGGE, CE‐SSCP and tag pyrosequencing) suggest a strong seasonal pattern with higher richness in winter and a clear influence of phytoplankton bloom events on bacterioplankton community structure and diversity in both locations. The distribution of sequence tags within Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteriodetes differed between the two regions. At both sites, several abundant Rhodobacteraceae, uncultivated Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteriodetes‐associated tags displayed intense seasonal variation often with similar trends at both sites. This enhanced understanding of variability in dominant groups of bacterioplankton over the annual cycle contributes to an expanding baseline to understand climate change impacts in the coastal zone of polar oceans and provides a foundation for comparison with open ocean polar systems.
Revival of Seeliger's historical ‘Special Listeria Culture Collection’
Authors: Haase Jana K. , Murphy Ronan A. , Choudhury Kingshuk Roy , Achtman Mark
Published: October 2011

The recent evolution of bacterial species can be elucidated with the aid of large historical strain collections. Unfortunately, information for some of these strain collections is not publicly available, or only in a format which is not readily digitized. The form of storage of traditional collection often requires considerable space and microbiological access to the individual strains can be time consuming. One such historical strain collection was assembled by Professor H.P. Seeliger, the so‐called ‘Special Listeria Culture Collection’ (SLCC). The SLCC contains over 6000 Listeria strains which had been isolated between 1921 and 1987. The information on the properties of the strains was hand written or typed, primarily in German, and the stabs and lyophils used for storage were not ordered. Here we present a description of this strain collection after resuscitation and digitalization. Data were transcribed into a relational database and the revived bacterial strains were stored in a robotically friendly format, where the location of each tube is stored in a database. We resuscitated 4404 Listeria strains from the SLCC, and summarize their properties as well as making the detailed strain information publicly available. This digital information and the revival of the SLCC will facilitate historical analyses of the phylogeography of Listeria.
Effects of an unfixed combination of latanoprost and pilocarpine on the intraocular pressure and pupil size of normal dogs
Authors: Sarchahi Ali Asghar , Abbasi Nadia , Gholipour Mohammad Ali
Published: October 2011

Objective  To assess changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and pupil diameter (PD) induced by daily application of an unfixed combination of latanoprost and pilocarpine in normal dogs.

Animals studied  Fifteen mixed breed clinically normal dogs of both sexes.

Procedures  Three groups of five dogs each were administered in the right eye, one drop of 0.005% latanoprost (group L), 2% pilocarpine (group P), and 0.005% latanoprost with 2% pilocarpine (group LP), respectively. The left eyes received placebo. Drugs were administered once a day at 8 a.m. over a period of 5 days. IOP and PD measurements were conducted daily at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. from 1 day preceding treatment to 7 days following treatment, and the presence of blepharospasm and/or conjunctival hyperemia was noted.

Results  Compared to baseline values, mean diurnal IOPs significantly decreased during the treatment period, by 4.4 (24.4%), 5.8 (31.4%), and 6.1 mmHg (35%) in the L, P, and LP groups, respectively. Compared to placebo‐treated eyes, reductions of 2.1(14.1%), 3.2 (20.1%), and 4.1 mmHg (26.6%) were observed for the L, P, and LP groups, respectively. Although mean IOPs in the LP group decreased slightly more than the other two groups, these differences were not statistically significant. Miosis and conjunctival hyperemia were observed in the treated eyes of all three groups of animals during the treatment period.

Conclusions  Although both 0.005% latanoprost and 2% pilocarpine individually produced significant decrease in IOP, the topical administration of a combination of latanoprost (0.005%) and pilocarpine (2%) was not associated with a statistically significant synergistic reduction in IOP in dogs; and miosis was the most frequent side effect observed during treatment.
Phylogeography and systematics of the Malagasy rock‐thrushes (Muscicapidae, Monticola)
Authors: Cruaud Astrid , Raherilalao Marie Jeanne , Pasquet Eric , Goodman Steven M.
Published: October 2011

Cruaud, A., Raherilalao, M. J., Pasquet, E. & Goodman, S. M. (2011) Phylogeography and systematics of the Malagasy rock‐thrushes (Muscicapidae, Monticola). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 554–566.

The patterns of genetic variation and the systematics of members of the widespread Old World genusMonticola(Family Muscicapidae) occurring on Madagascar remain unresolved. Herein, we address these questions by examining the phylogeography of MalagasyMonticolausing two molecular markers (ND2andATP6,1.5 kb) from 60 individuals sampled across their known range. To clarify the relationships within the clade groupings, we use a statistical haplotype network and an analysis of the genetic structure of the different populations sampled. A morphological study was conducted in parallel that used many of the same individuals employed in the molecular study to examine potential differences between the recovered clades. Based on molecular genetics and morphology,M. imerinusis distinct from theM. sharpeicomplex, which is composed of five phylogroups: Group A (Central Highlands, typicalsharpei), Group B (Central West, Bemaraha), Group C (Northern Highlands), Group D (Montagne d’Ambre,erythronotus) and Group E (Southwestern,bensoni). While molecular data show high levels of geographical structure, these differences exhibit low levels of intergroup genetic divergence (0.01–0.07%). We suggest that two species ofMonticolaoccur on Madagascar,imerinusandsharpei, and the forms referable tobensonianderythronotus, as well as unnamed populations from the Central West (Bemahara), should be considered as part ofM. sharpeiand are populations that are probably isolated and undergoing incipient speciation.
Haydn's Missing Middles
Authors: RILEY MATTHEW
Published: October 2011

Haydn's play on expectations and conventions and his deliberate grammatical mistakes are well‐known. Yet one notable syntactic irregularity to be found in his music has been overlooked: the use of a sentential theme which lacks the first half of the continuation phrase (to use the terms of William E. Caplin's functional theory of Classical form). This type of theme moves straight from its presentation phrase to its cadential progression, so there is no pre‐cadential section of the continuation phrase which expresses a specifically medial function. Moreover, the theme's dimensions are irregular: its second part is only half the length of its first. Most cases of the ‘missing middle’ occur in the main themes of sonata allegros, the middle being supplied later in the movement, usually in the subordinate theme. These points are illustrated by brief analyses of the first movements of Symphony No. 85 and the Sonata Hob. XVI:21, and a longer analysis of the first movement of the Sonata Hob. XVI:49.
Who becomes a sperm donor: personality characteristics in a national sample of identifiable donors
Authors: Sydsjö G , Lampic C , Brändström S , Gudmundsson J , Karlström P‐O , Solensten NG , Thurin‐Kjellberg A , Skoog Svanberg A
Published: October 2011

Please cite this paper as:Sydsjö G, Lampic C, Brändström S, Gudmundsson J, Karlström P, Solensten N, Thurin‐Kjellberg A, Skoog Svanberg A. Who becomes a sperm donor: personality characteristics in a national sample of identifiable donors. BJOG 2012;119:33–39.

Objective To study the personality characteristics of identifiable sperm donors in a national sample in comparison with the same characteristics of a control group.

Design Descriptive study.

Setting All clinics (n = 7) performing gamete donation in Sweden.

Population All Swedish sperm donors recruited during 2005–08. An age‐matched group of Swedish men served as controls.

Methods Standardised questionnaires were used to measure personality.

Main outcome measures Demographics and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI).

Results The mean age of the donors was 33.8 ± 7.8 years (18–56 years). About one‐third (36.5%) of the donors had biological children of their own. With regard to personality, significant differences were present on harm avoidance, with lower means for sperm donors (P = 0.002, 95% CI −3.74 to −0.85), and on self‐directedness and cooperativeness, with higher means for donors (P = 0.002, 95% CI 0.97–4.19;P = 0.001; 95% CI 0.75–2.95, respectively), compared with controls. This indicates that the donors in general feel less worried and suffer less from uncertainty, shyness and fatigability than controls. They also perceive themselves as being autonomous, with a capacity to take responsibility, to behave in a goal‐directed manner, to be resourceful and self‐acceptant, and to behave in a manner guided by meaningful values and goals. Furthermore, they describe themselves as being well integrated in humanity or society, and having a good capacity for identification with and acceptance of other people.

Conclusions The screening process at the clinics seems to generate a group of stable, mature and well‐integrated donors, and this is a promising result for the future.
gp130 cytokines stimulate proteasomal degradation of tyrosine hydroxylase via extracellular signal regulated kinases 1 and 2
Authors: Shi Xiao , Habecker Beth A.
Published: October 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 239–247.

Injury‐induced cytokines act through gp130 in sympathetic neurons to suppress expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and other genes associated with noradrenergic transmission. These cytokines also trigger the local loss of TH in peri‐infarct sympathetic axons after myocardial infarction, but altered gene expression cannot explain the selective loss of TH enzyme in one region of the heart. We hypothesized that inflammatory cytokines, which are highest near the infarct, stimulated local degradation of TH protein. We used cultured sympathetic neurons and neuroblastoma cells to test this hypothesis. The cytokines ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) suppressed TH content in both neurons and neuroblastoma cells. CNTF suppressed TH in a gp130‐dependent manner, and decreased the half‐life of TH protein by approximately 50%. CNTF stimulated the ubiquitination of TH in both neurons and neuroblastoma cells, and the proteasome inhibitors MG‐132 and lactacystin prevented the CNTF‐induced loss of TH protein. Inhibiting activation of extracellular signal regulated kinases 1&2 (ERK1/2) with U0126 prevented the CNTF‐induced ubiquitination of TH and the associated decrease in protein half‐life. Likewise, inhibiting ERK1/2 activation blunted the cytokine‐stimulated loss of TH protein in sympathetic neurons, despite enhancing the loss of TH mRNA. These data suggest that gp130 cytokines stimulate proteasomal degradation of TH through an ERK1/2 dependent pathway, and may have important implications for local regulation of neurotransmission at sites of inflammation.
Prion protein polymerisation triggered by manganese‐generated prion protein seeds
Authors: Hesketh Shirley , Thompsett Andrew R. , Brown David R.
Published: October 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 177–189.

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative diseases that can be transmitted between individuals. The exact cause of these diseases remains unknown. However, one of the key events associates with the disease is the aggregation of a cellular protein, the prion protein. The mechanism of this is still unclear. However, it is likely that the aggregation is trigged by a seeding mechanism in which an oligomer of the prion protein is able to catalyse polymerisation of further prion protein into larger aggregates. We have developed a model of this process using an oligomeric species generated from recombinant protein by exposure to manganese. On fractionation of the seeding species, we estimated that the smallest size the oligomer would be is an octomer. We analysed the catalytic mechanism of the seeding oligomer and its interaction with substrate. Different domains of the protein are necessary for the seeding ability of the prion protein as opposed to those required for it to form a substrate for the polymerisation reaction. Prion seeds formed from different sheep alleles are able to reproduce the characteristics of scrapie in terms of resistance to disease. However, we were also able to generate prion seed from chicken PrP a species where no prion disease is known. Our findings provide an insight into the aggregation process of the prion protein and its potential relation to disease progress.
Costs of Addressing Heroin Addiction inMalaysia and 32 Comparable Countries Worldwide
Authors: Ruger Jennifer Prah , Chawarski Marek , Mazlan Mahmud , Luekens Craig , Ng Nora , Schottenfeld Richard
Published: October 2011

Objective

Develop and apply new costing methodologies to estimate costs of opioid dependence treatment in countries worldwide.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Micro‐costing methodology developed and data collected during randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 126 patients (July 2003–May 2005) inMalaysia. Gross‐costing methodology developed to estimate costs of treatment replication in 32 countries with data collected from publicly available sources.

Study Design

Fixed, variable, and societal cost components ofMalaysianRCTmicro‐costed and analytical framework created and employed for gross‐costing in 32 countries selected by three criteria relative toMalaysia: major heroin problem, geographic proximity, and comparable gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

Principal Findings

Medication, and urine and blood testing accounted for the greatest percentage of total costs for both naltrexone (29–53 percent) and buprenorphine (33–72 percent) interventions. In 13 countries, buprenorphine treatment could be provided for under $2,000 per patient. For all countries exceptUnitedKingdom andSingapore, incremental costs per person were below $1,000 when comparing buprenorphine to naltrexone. An estimated 100 percent of opiate users inCambodia andLaoPeople'sDemocraticRepublic could be treated for $8 and $30 million, respectively.

Conclusions

Buprenorphine treatment can be provided at low cost in countries across the world. This study's new costing methodologies provide tools for health systems worldwide to determine the feasibility and cost of similar interventions.
Costs and Health Resources Utilization Following Switching to Pregabalin in Individuals with Gabapentin‐Refractory Neuropathic Pain: A post hoc Analysis
Authors: Navarro Ana , Saldaña María T. , Pérez Concepción , Masramón Xavier , Rejas Javier
Published: October 2011

Purpose:  To analyze the changes in pain severity and associated costs resulting from resource utilization and reduced productivity in patients with gabapentin‐refractory peripheral neuropathic pain who switched to pregabalin therapy in primary care settings in Spain.

Patients and Methods:  This is a post hoc analysis of a 12‐week, multicentre, noninterventional cost‐of‐illness study. Patients were included in the study if they were over 18 years of age and had a diagnosis of chronic, treatment‐refractory peripheral neuropathic pain. The analysis included all pregabalin‐naïve patients who had previously shown an inadequate response to gabapentin and switched to pregabalin. Severity of pain before and after treatment with pregabalin, alone or as an add‐on therapy, was assessed using the Short‐Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF‐MPQ) and its related visual analogue scale (VA). Healthcare resource utilization, productivity (including lost‐workday equivalents [LWDE]), and related costs were assessed at baseline and after pregabalin treatment.

Results:  A total of 174 patients switched to pregabalin had significant and clinically relevant reductions in pain severity (mean [SD] change on SF‐MPQ VA scale, −31.9 [22.1]; P < 0.05 vs. baseline; effect size, 1.87). Reduction in pain was similar with both pregabalin monotherapy and add‐on therapy. Significant reductions in healthcare resource utilization (concomitant drug use [in pregabalin add‐on group], ancillary tests, and unscheduled medical visits) were observed at the end of trial. Additionally, there were substantial improvements in productivity, including a reduction in the number of LWDE following pregabalin treatment (−18.9 [26.0]; P < 0.0001). These changes correlated with substantial reductions in both direct (−652.9 ± 1622.4 €; P < 0.0001) and indirect healthcare costs (−851.6 [1259.6] €; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  The cost of care in patients with gabapentin‐refractory peripheral neuropathic pain appeared to be significantly reduced after switching to pregabalin treatment, alone or in combination with other analgesic drugs, in a real‐life setting.
Multilingualism in Education: A Poststructuralist Critique
Authors: MCNAMARA TIM
Published: October 2011

Discussions of multilingualism in education, as exemplified by the articles in this issue, can be critically reevaluated using perspectives available from poststructuralism. These perspectives focus on the potential ambiguity of language and language practices. This, in turn, encourages us to question simple notions of the relationship of learners to the languages they speak, especially the “mother tongue,” to see the individual's relation to language as a relation to power, and to recognize the polyvalent role of language tests in the context of multilingual education as, on the one hand, enforcing the relations of power in language and, on the other, disrupting them. The article focuses on the extent to which these themes are acknowledged in the articles in this issue, exploring the impact of the contrasting contexts represented, and presents examples of other discussions, especially in colonial and postcolonial contexts, that reflect alternative views of multilingualism in education. These include Derrida's reflections on his own language socialization as a colonial subject in Algeria during the time of the Vichy regime and studies of the role of language in contemporary education systems in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Rejecting Darwin and Support for Science Funding
Authors: Freeman Patricia K. , Houston David J.
Published: October 2011

Objective

Examine variables relating to support for science in the United States to determine whether a rejection of Darwinian evolution is related to support for government funding of science.

Methods

Ordinal logistic regression using questions from the 2006 General Social Survey.

Results

A rejection of human evolution is significantly related to support for science even after controlling for a variety of variables.

Conclusion

Beliefs regarding human evolution have a unique effect on attitudes regarding government support for scientific research that do not merely channel religion and/or politics. Debate today over evolutionary theory revolves around what constitutes good science. Those who reject Darwinian evolution may do so because of the messages critical of scientists and the scientific method. A possible consequence of this controversy is lower support for science.
Gender Differences in the Paths Leading to a STEM Baccalaureate
Authors: Ma Yingyi
Published: October 2011

Objectives

Many have wondered why U.S. women continue to shun certain STEM fields, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This study investigates this question and examines the pathways that women and men follow in attaining their STEM bachelor's degrees.

Methods

Using NELS 88‐00 and the postsecondary transcript data, the descriptive analysis examines gender differences in the three stages of the STEM pipeline: expected college major, first major, and bachelor degree major. The multivariate analysis examines the outcomes of STEM degree attainment, the subfields attainment and the pathways in a series of logical steps.

Results

Drawing from the pipeline model and its associated cumulative disadvantage theory, and the alternative framework of revolving door theory, analyses from this study indicate that men are more likely than women to follow the complete persistence pathway to attain STEM degrees, but women are as persistent as men once they expect a major in STEM as high school seniors. High school achievement, attitudes, and course taking are related to the subfields attainment, as well as the pathways of the STEM degree attainment.

Conclusions

Taken together, the results are more aligned with revolving door theory and support the contextual variability in the salience of gender to understand gender differences in attaining STEM fields.
Genetics, Personality, and Group Identity
Authors: Weber Christopher , Johnson Martin , Arceneaux Kevin
Published: October 2011

Objective

Group identity is a central concept in many social science disciplines. We investigate why people identify with groups and show favoritism to in‐group members. We anticipate group identifications are substantially influenced by genes and social environments, likely working through stable personality traits.

Methods

Using twin study data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS I), we investigate the heritability of in‐group identification and favoritism, as well as the extent to which the genetic bases of these orientations are shared with genetic underpinnings of personality traits, primarily focusing on the “Big Five”: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability/neuroticism.

Results

Group identification is largely attributable to genetic factors. However, environments also affect group identification. The heritability of personality traits accounts for a modest portion of the genetic variation of group identification.

Conclusion

Our findings have implications for the study of collective action, identity politics, and the growing research program investigating social and political behavior genetics.
Framing Nicotine Addiction as a “Disease of the Brain”: Social and Ethical Consequences
Authors: Dingel Molly J. , Karkazis Katrina , Koenig Barbara A.
Published: October 2011

Objectives

In this article, we seek to better understand how a genomic vision of addiction may influence drug prevention and treatment. Thoughsocialinfluences on substance use and abuse (e.g., peer and family influence, socioeconomic status) are well documented, biomedical intervention is becoming increasingly technoscientific in nature. We wish to elucidate how emphasizing biological influences on substance use may lead to a vision of addiction as a phenomenon isolated within our bodies and neurochemistry, not lived daily within a complex social web of relationships and a particular political economy, including the tobacco industry, which aggressively markets products known to cause harm.

Methods

We explore the emerging view of addiction as a “disease of the brain” in open‐ended interviews with 86 stakeholders from the fields of nicotine research and tobacco control. Interview data were analyzed using standard qualitative techniques.

Results

Most stakeholders hold a medicalized view of addiction. Though environmental variables are understood to be a primary cause of smoking initiation, the speed and strength with which addiction occurs is understood to be a largely biological process. Though stakeholders believe that an increased focus on addiction as a disease of the brain is not likely to lead to widespread unrealistic expectations for cessation therapies, they remain concerned that it may reinforce teenagers’ expectations that quitting is not difficult. Finally, stakeholder responses indicate that genetic and neuroscientific research is unlikely to increase or decrease stigmatization, but will be used by interest groups to buttress their existing views of the stigma associated with smoking.

Conclusion

We argue that the main potential harms of focusing on biological etiology stem from a concept of addiction that is disassociated from social context. Focusing on genetic testing and brain scans may lead one to overemphasize pharmaceutical “magic bullet cures” and underemphasize, and underfund, more traditional therapies and public health prevention strategies that have proven to be effective. Genetic research on addiction may fundamentally change our conception of deviance and our identities, and may thus transform our susceptibility to substance use into something isolated in our biology, not embedded in a biosocial context.
Structural, Domestic, and Strategic Interests in the European Union: Negotiation Positions in the Council of Ministers
Authors: Bailer Stefanie
Published: October 2011

Preferences are a crucial element for analyzing decision making and negotiations, but knowledge about which factors determine these preferences is sparse. Some quantitative and qualitative studies of European Union (EU) negotiations have assumed that the negotiation conflict dimensions in intergovernmental negotiations reflect market‐versus‐regulation approaches as well as a north–south dimension. In this study, I demonstrate that these findings can be extended to show that the relevant determining factors for negotiation positions are economic structural variables and the degree to which a country benefits from the EU. Furthermore, the domestic interests of EU governments better explain a government's interest in some specific issues, such as consumer protection or fishery policies, than do their partisan preferences. Moreover, I am able to show that in frequent negotiations, such as EU Council of Ministers negotiations, sincere preferences dominate; however, some factors, such as extreme salience, can increase the likelihood that a minister will choose a less sincere strategic position such as an extreme position.
Heat shock protein 27 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Schäfer Claus , Seeliger Hendrik , Bader Dominik C. , Assmann Gerald , Buchner Denise , Guo Yang , Ziesch Andreas , Palagyi Andreas , Ochs Stephanie , Laubender Rüdiger P. , Jung Andreas , De Toni Enrico N. , Kirchner Thomas , Göke Burkhard , Bruns Christiane , Gallmeier Eike
Published: October 2011

A role of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) as a potential biomarker has been reported in various tumour entities, but comprehensive studies in pancreatic cancer are lacking. Applying tissue microarray (TMA) analysis, we correlated HSP27 protein expression status with clinicopathologic parameters in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma specimens from 86 patients. Complementary, we established HSP27 overexpression and RNA‐interference models to assess the impact of HSP27 on chemo‐ and radiosensitivity directly in pancreatic cancer cells. In the TMA study, HSP27 expression was found in 49% of tumour samples. Applying univariate analyses, a significant correlation was found between HSP27 expression and survival. In the multivariate Cox‐regression model, HSP27 expression emerged as an independent prognostic factor. HSP27 expression also correlated inversely with nuclear p53 accumulation, indicating either protein interactions between HSP27 and p53 or TP53 mutation‐dependent HSP27‐regulation in pancreatic cancer. In the sensitivity studies, HSP27 overexpression rendered HSP27 low‐expressing PL5 pancreatic cancer cells more susceptible towards treatment with gemcitabine. Vice versa, HSP27 protein depletion in HSP27 high‐expressing AsPC‐1 cells caused increased gemcitabine resistance. Importantly, HSP27 expression was inducible in pancreatic cancer cell lines as well as primary cells. Taken together, our study suggests a role for HSP27 as a prognostic and predictive marker in pancreatic cancer. Assessment of HSP27 expression could thus facilitate the identification of specific patient subpopulations that might benefit from individualized treatment options. Additional studies need to clarify whether modulation of HSP27 expression could represent an attractive concept to support the incorporation of hyperthermia in clinical treatment protocols for pancreatic cancer.
Neural correlates of self‐reflection in post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Bluhm R. L. , Frewen P. A. , Coupland N. C. , Densmore M. , Schore A. N. , Lanius R. A.
Published: October 2011

Bluhm RL, Frewen PA, Coupland NC, Densmore M, Schore AN, Lanius RA. Neural correlates of self‐reflection in post‐traumatic stress disorder.

Objective:  Disturbances in self‐referential processing (SRP) are increasingly recognized in post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In healthy adults, SRP tasks engage the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) brain regions that have shown altered function in PTSD. We hypothesized that individuals with PTSD would differ from controls in functional activation of the MPFC and PCC during SRP.

Method:  We compared neural activation in healthy controls (n = 15) and participants with PTSD (n = 20) during a SRP task, using fMRI at 4.0T.

Results:  Controls made faster responses to the self‐relevance of personal characteristics than to the accuracy of general facts, whereas response times did not differ between these conditions in PTSD. Controls also demonstrated greater MPFC (dorsal and ventral) and PCC response when considering the self‐relevance of personal characteristics in comparison with the accuracy of general facts. Individuals with PTSD demonstrated less MPFC response than did healthy controls for the contrast of self‐relevance of personal characteristics relative to general facts.

Conclusions:  These results implicate MPFC in SRP disturbances associated with PTSD. These findings are relevant to current proposals for including symptoms of negative self‐referential cognition and identity‐existential disturbance as diagnostically relevant to PTSD.
Altered microRNA expression profile with miR‐27b down‐regulation correlated with disease activity of oral lichen planus
Authors: Zhang W‐Y , Liu W , Zhou Y‐M , Shen X‐M , Wang Y‐F , Tang G‐Y
Published: October 2011

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 265–270

Background:  Increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the altered miRNA expression profile in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and determine the miR‐27b expression.

Methods:  We compared miRNA expression patterns in oral biopsy specimens from patients with OLP (n = 3) with those from normal controls (n = 3) using microarray technology. We further assessed the miR‐27b expression in specimens from patients with OLP (n = 53) against controls (n = 34) using real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐QPCR), and miR‐27b expression in specimens from patients with OLP (n = 15) against controls (n = 12) using in situ hybridization (ISH).

Results:  Using microarray analysis, a total of 46 differentially expressed miRNAs with more than 2‐fold change were identified, including 8 up‐regulated and 38 down‐regulated miRNAs. Both RT‐QPCR and ISH analyses revealed that miR‐27b was significantly down‐regulated in OLP tissue, and miR‐27b expression was even more suppressed in atrophic‐erosive OLP than in reticular OLP. In addition, miR‐27b was found to be expressed in the epithelial keratinocyte layer of both normal and OLP tissues.

Conclusion:  These data indicate that miRNAs may be the novel candidate biomarkers for the implication of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of OLP.
Periostin‐like‐factor‐induced bone formation within orthopedic maxillary expansion
Authors: Zhong W‐J , Zhang W‐B , Ma J‐Q , Wang H , Pan Y‐C , Wang L
Published: October 2011

To cite this article:
 Zhong W‐J, Zhang W‐B, Ma J‐Q, Wang H, Pan Y‐C, Wang L:  Periostin‐like‐factor‐induced bone formation within orthopedic maxillary expansion  Orthod Craniofac Res 2011;14: 198–205

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Zhong W‐J, Zhang W‐B, Ma J‐Q, Wang H, Pan Y‐C, Wang L

Objective –  To examine whether periostin‐like factor (PLF) stimulation of the expanded palatal suture would accelerate mineral formation of bone.

Materials and Methods –  Expanded palates of 6‐week‐old male C57BL/6 mice were maintained in an organ culture system, and tissue was either unstimulated or stimulated with PLF or BMP‐7 for 8 days. Bone mineral formation was assessed by Raman microspectroscopy analysis and histological examination.

Results –  Raman microspectroscopy analysis demonstrated that unstimulated palates maintained their bone mineral concentration within the palatal suture over 8 days (%increase = 11.29 ± 2.34). In comparison, palates exposed to either PLF (%increase = 29.33 ± 1.61, p = 0.012) or BMP‐7 (% increase = 25.49 ± 1.09, p = 0.016) formed significantly more bone at the osteogenic fronts of the palatal suture compared with unstimulated samples at day 8. Alkaline phosphatase activity along the bone edges was markedly greater in the PLF and BMP‐7 groups compared with that in unstimulated groups at day 0 and day 8. The levels of osteocalcin proteins in the palatal suture tissues of the PLF and BMP‐7 groups were significantly higher than those in the unstimulated group.

Conclusion –  PLF can increase bone mineral formation within the expanded palatal suture.
Towards consistency in vegetation classification
Authors: De Cáceres Miquel , Wiser Susan K.
Published: October 2011

Vegetation classification is a useful tool for basic and applied research as well as for environmental management. As classification of vegetation serves many different purposes, there is no single approach to defining vegetation types. Establishing formalized standard procedures is desirable, however, because the purposes and uses of vegetation classifications are similar in different countries and regions. With the aim of promoting methodological standardization in classification across countries and vegetation scientists, this manuscript is centered on two ideas: (1) the need to explicitly distinguish between the conceptual activities involved in the definition of vegetation types (membership determination, characterization, validation and naming); and (2) the need to perform assignments of new vegetation observations to previously defined vegetation types in accordance with how these types were originally defined, a concept that we refer to as consistency in assignment. We demonstrate that our conceptual framework provides a useful tool to better understand what classification methods do. In order to manage and use classifications in a better way, vegetation scientists should produce, store and report the rules that provide consistent assignments to vegetation types.
Effects of photoperiod on salsolinol‐induced prolactin secretion in goats
Authors: YAEGASHI Tomoyoshi , JIN Jin , SAWADA Tatsuru , SAITO Hayato , FÜLÖP Ferenc , NAGY György Miklos , HASHIZUME Tsutomu
Published: October 2011

The aim of the present study was to clarify the relation between salsolinol (SAL)‐induced prolactin (PRL) release and photoperiod in goats. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL was given to adult female goats under short (8 h light, 16 h dark) or long (16 h light, 8 h dark) photoperiod conditions at two different ambient temperatures (20°C or 5°C), and the PRL‐releasing response to SAL was compared to that of thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH) or a dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, sulpiride. SAL, as well as TRH or sulpiride, stimulated the release of PRL promptly after each injection in both 8‐ and 16‐h daily photoperiods at 20°C (P < 0.05). The area under the response curve (AUC) of PRL for the 60‐min period after injections of saline (controls), SAL, TRH and sulpiride in the 16‐h daily photoperiod group was greater than each corresponding value in the 8‐h daily photoperiod group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the AUC of PRL among the values produced after the injection of SAL, TRH and sulpiride in 16‐h daily photoperiod group; however, the values produced after the injection of TRH were smallest among the three in the 8‐h daily photoperiod group (P < 0.05). The PRL‐releasing responses to SAL, TRH and sulpiride under a short and long photoperiod condition at 5°C resembled those at 20°C. These results show that a long photoperiod highly enhances the PRL‐releasing response to SAL as well as TRH or sulpiride in either medium or low ambient temperature in goats.
Palatal schwannoma in an elderly woman
Authors: Shetty Shishir Ram , Mishra Chandni , Shetty Pushparaj , Kaur Arshdeep , Babu Subhas
Published: October 2011

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00415.x
 
Palatal schwannoma in an elderly woman

Schwannoma also known as neurilemmoma is a benign tumour derived from schwann cells and is relatively rare in occurrence. Only 1% of the schwannomas in the head and neck region occur at intra‐oral sites. Schwannomas usually occur during the third or fourth decades of life and the tongue is the most common intra‐oral site. A case of intra‐oral schwannoma in a 70‐year‐old female in the region of hard palate is described which is extremely rare.
8‐Oxoguanine in a quadruplex of the human telomere DNA sequence
Authors: Vorlícková Michaela , Tomasko Martin , Sagi Andras J. , Bednarova Klara , Sagi Janos
Published: October 2011

8‐Oxoguanine is a ubiquitous oxidative base lesion. We report here on the effect of this lesion on the structure and stability of quadruplexes formed by the human telomeric DNA sequence 5′‐dG3(TTAG3)3 in NaCl and KCl. CD, PAGE and absorption‐based thermodynamic stability data showed that replacement of any of the tetrad‐forming guanines by 8‐oxoguanine did not hinder the formation of monomolecular, antiparallel quadruplexes in NaCl. The modified quadruplexes were, however, destabilized in both salts, the extent of this depending on the position of the lesion. These results and the results of previous studies on guanine‐to‐adenine exchanges and guanine abasic lesions in the same quadruplex show a noticeable trend: it is not the type of the lesion but the position of the modification that determines the effect on the conformation and stability of the quadruplex. The type of lesion only governs the extent of changes, such as of destabilization. Most sensitive sites were found in the middle tetrad of the three‐tetrad quadruplex, and the smallest alterations were observed if guanines of the terminal tetrad with the diagonal TTA loop were substituted, although even these substitutions brought about unfavorable enthalpic changes. Interestingly, the majority of these base‐modified quadruplexes did not adopt the rearranged folding induced in the unmodified dG3(TTAG3)3 by potassium ions, an observation that could imply biological relevance of the results.
Evaluation of larvicidal potential of certain insect pathogenic fungi extracts against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus
Authors: MAURYA Prejwltta , MOHAN Lalit , SHARMA Preeti , SRIVASTAVA C. N.
Published: October 2011

Fungal metabolites are attracting attention as potential microbial insecticides, and they are anticipated to overcome the problems of pesticide resistance and environmental pollution that are associated with the indiscriminate use of conventional synthetic insecticides. The relative bioefficacies of selected fungal pathogens, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, Fusarium sporotrichoides and Penicillium verrucosum were observed against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae. A. flavus demonstrated the greatest bioefficacy with 50% lethal concentration (LC50) values of 9.54 and 10.98 ppm against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, respectively, after 24‐h exposure. The bioefficacy of A. flavus increased in both species with an exposure time of 48 h, with LC50 values of 7.26 and 8.55 ppm, respectively.
Blood Pressure Outcomes in Patients Receiving Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in Primary Care: A Comparative Effectiveness Analysis From Electronic Medical Record Data
Authors: Ram C. Venkata S. , Ramaswamy Krishnan , Qian Chunlin , Biskupiak Joe , Ryan Amy , Quah Ruth , Russo Patricia A.
Published: October 2011

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:801–812. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The authors examined the comparative effectiveness of 4 angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with hypertension using a large electronic medical record database. Analysis of covariance and logistic multivariate regression models were used to estimate the blood pressure (BP) outcomes of 73,012 patients during 13 months of treatment with olmesartan, losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan. Results were adjusted by baseline BP, starting dose, year, age, sex, race, body mass index, comorbid conditions, and concomitant medications of patients. All ARBs led to sustained reductions in BP, but with significant differences in the magnitude of BP reduction. Raw mean systolic BP/diastolic BP reductions with losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, and olmesartan were 9.3/4.9 mm Hg, 10.4/5.6 mm Hg, 10.1/5.3 mm Hg, and 12.4/6.8 mm Hg, respectively. Adjusting for all covariates, the overall BP reductions with olmesartan were 1.88/0.86 mm Hg, 1.21/0.52 mm Hg, and 0.89/0.51 mm Hg greater than for losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan, respectively, and mean differences were higher for monotherapy: 2.43/1.16mm Hg; 2.18/0.93 mm Hg; 1.44/0.91 mm Hg, respectively (all P values <.0001). Adjusted odds ratios of the JNC 7 goal attainment for losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan compared with olmesartan were 0.76, 0.86, and 0.91 (P<.05). Differences were also found in subpopulations: African Americans, diabetics, and obese/overweight patients but not all of these reached statistical significance. A broad choice of ARBs may be required to get patients to treatment goals.
Identification of molecular markers for DNA barcoding in the Aphidiinae (Hym. Braconidae)
Authors: DEROCLES STEPHANE A. P. , LE RALEC ANNE , PLANTEGENEST MANUEL , CHAUBET BERNARD , CRUAUD CORINNE , CRUAUD ASTRID , RASPLUS JEAN‐YVES
Published: October 2011

Reliable identification of Aphidiinae species (Braconidae) is a prerequisite for conducting studies on aphid–parasitoid interactions at the community level. However, morphological identification of Aphidiinae species remains problematic even for specialists and is almost impossible with larval stages. Here, we compared the efficiency of two molecular markers [mitochondrial cytochrome c oxydase I (COI) and nuclear long wavelength rhodopsin (LWRh)] that could be used to accurately identify about 50 species of Aphidiinae that commonly occur in aphid–parasitoid networks in northwestern Europe. We first identified species on a morphological basis and then assessed the consistency of genetic and morphological data. Probably because of mitochondrial introgression, Aphidius ervi and A. microlophii were indistinguishable on the basis of their COI sequences, whereas LWRh sequences discriminated these species. Conversely, because of its lower variability, LWRh failed to discriminate two pairs of species (Aphidius aquilus, Aphidius salicis, Lysiphlebus confusus and Lysiphlebus fabarum). Our study showed that no unique locus but a combination of two genes should be used to accurately identify members of Aphidiinae.