bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of bronchial asthma and asthma control assessment in Henan Province, China
Authors: Zhang Wenping , Chen Xianliang , Ma Lijun , Wu Jizhen , Zhao Limin , Kuang Hongyan , Huang Taibo , Cheng Jianjian , Zhang Luoxian , Qi Yong , Sun Beibei , Niu Hongyan
Published: March 2014

Background

Prevalence of bronchial asthma, asthma treatment assessment, and estimation of the control level among asthma patients in Henan Province, China are reported in this paper.

Methods

We selected 10 among the 109 cities and districts in Henan province using a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 500 households from each city and district were chosen. Approximately 20,000 residents from a total of 5,000 households were randomly selected to answer a questionnaire recommended by the China Asthma Alliance. Asthma patients were asked to answer a detailed questionnaire using the symptom-based guidelines to assess the levels of disease control.

Results

The overall prevalence of asthma was 0.73% ± 0.12%. Urban and rural residents had asthma prevalence rates of 1.1% ± 0.23% (88/7,924) and 0.48% ± 0.12% (57/11,792), respectively. Among the asthma patients, only 33.8% (52) received regular medication, 25% (13) used oral glucocorticoids, and 71.1% (37) used oral theophylline. The classified control levels of patients were as follows: 33.1% controlled, 49.7% partially controlled, and 17.2% uncontrolled. A total of 38.5% and 27.5% of regularly and irregularly treated asthma patients reached controlled level, respectively. The two groups significantly differed in asthma control level.

Conclusion

Asthma prevalence is low in Henan Province, China. Urban residents have higher prevalence of asthma than rural residents do. Patients with asthma receive insufficient medication, resulting in suboptimal asthma control. Improvement in diagnosis and treatment of asthma patients is urgently needed.
Cigarette smoking and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a dose-response meta-analysis
Authors: Di Giuseppe Daniela , Discacciati Andrea , Orsini Nicola , Wolk Alicja
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Although previous studies found that cigarette smoking is associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the dose-response relationship remains unclear. This meta-analysis quantitatively summarizes accumulated evidence regarding the association of lifelong exposure to cigarette smoking assessed as pack-years with the risk of RA.

Methods

Relevant studies were identified by a search of MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1966 to October 2013, with no restrictions. Reference lists from retrieved articles were also reviewed. Studies that reported relative risks (RR) or odds ratio (OR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between pack-years of cigarette smoking and rheumatoid arthritis were included in a dose-response random-effects meta-regression analysis.

Results

We included 3 prospective cohorts and 7 case-control studies in the meta-analysis. They included a total of 4,552 RA cases. There was no indication of heterogeneity (P
heterogeneity
 = 0.32) and publication bias did not affect the results. Compared to never smokers, the risk of developing RA increased by 26% (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.39) among those who smoked 1 to 10 pack-years and doubled among those with more than 20 pack-years (RR for 21 to 30 pack years = 1.94, 95% CI 1.65 to 2.27). The risk of RA was not increasing further for higher exposure levels (RR for >40 pack-years = 2.07, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.73). The risk of RA was statistically significantly higher among rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive RA cases (RR = 2.47, 95% CI 2.02 to 3.02) compared to RF-negative (RR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.18) when comparing the highest versus lowest category of pack-years for the individual studies.

Conclusions

Lifelong cigarette smoking was positively associated with the risk of RA even among smokers with a low lifelong exposure. The risk of RA did not further increase with an exposure higher than 20 pack-years.
Brain Barriers and a Subpopulation of Astroglial Progenitors of Developing Human Forebrain Are Immunostained for the Glycoprotein YKL-40
Authors: Bjørnbak Camilla , Brøchner Christian B. , Larsen Lars A. , Johansen Julia S. , Møllgård Kjeld
Published: March 2014

YKL-40, a glycoprotein involved in cell differentiation, has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, angiogenesis, neuroinflammation and glioblastomas. We evaluated YKL-40 protein distribution in the early human forebrain using double-labeling immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity was detected in neuroepithelial cells, radial glial end feet, leptomeningeal cells and choroid plexus epithelial cells. The subpial marginal zone was YKL-40-positive, particularly in the hippocampus, from an early beginning stage in its development. Blood vessels in the intermediate and subventricular zones showed specific YKL-40 reactivity confined to pericytes. Furthermore, a population of YKL-40-positive, small, rounded cells was identified in the ventricular and subventricular zones. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed strong YKL-40 mRNA expression in the leptomeninges and the choroid plexuses, and weaker expression in the telencephalic wall. Immunohistochemistry revealed a differential distribution of YKL-40 across the zones of the developing telencephalic wall. We show that YKL-40 is associated with sites of the brain barrier systems and propose that it is involved in controlling local angiogenesis and access of peripheral cells to the forebrain via secretion from leptomeningeal cells, choroid plexus epithelium and pericytes. Furthermore, we suggest that the small, rounded, YKL-40-positive cells represent a subpopulation of astroglial progenitors, and that YKL-40 could be involved in the differentiation of a particular astrocytic lineage.
The Longevity Prospects of Australian Seniors: An Evaluation of Forecast Method and Outcome
Authors: Tickle Leonie , Booth Heather
Published: March 2014

Continuing rapid changes in the level and pattern of mortality require that forecasts are available that are timely, relevant and reliable. This paper evaluates a previous forecast of the mortality and longevity of Australian seniors, both in terms of the validity of the chosen method – the Booth–Maindonald–Smith (BMS) variant of Lee–Carter – and the accuracy and reliability of the forecast itself. The validity of the method is assessed by a comprehensive review and evaluation of available methods, confirming BMS as the method of choice. The accuracy and reliability of the forecast is assessed by comparing it with actual experience and with a new forecast of period and cohort survival probabilities and life expectancies. The evaluation and the current forecast itself will inform the actuarial profession and wider industry in the areas of mortality and longevity risk as well as public debate and policy in population health and ageing.
Liver enzyme abnormalities during antipsychotic treatment: a case report of risperidone-associated hepatotoxicity
Authors: López-Torres Enrique , Süveges Ágnes , Peñas-LLedó Eva M. , Doña Alvaro , Dorado Pedro , LLerena Adrián , Berecz Roland
Published: March 2014

Background: Drug-induced liver enzyme abnormalities may indicate hepatic injury. Antipsychotic drugs also may cause increase in the liver enzymes and serum bilirubin levels. The present report evaluates the case of a patient with risperidone-associated hepatocellular damage.

Case summary: A 19-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to the Department of Psychiatry with paranoid schizophrenia and risperidone was administered in a gradually increasing dose up to 8 mg/day. After 3 weeks of treatment, he experienced asthenia and weight loss. The level of aspartate aminotransferase was 283 IU/L (normal: <30 IU/L), and the alanine aminotransferase level was 778 IU/L (normal: <36 IU/L). Treatment with risperidone was immediately discontinued. Six days after drug withdrawal, the alanine aminotransferase level fell more than 50%, and a complete return to normalcy was seen within 2 months.

Results: In the present case, a possible causal association between risperidone and hepatocellular damage has been observed due to the temporal relationship between the administration of the drug and the onset of hepatic abnormalities, and a following rapid recovery after stopping the drug. As the hepatic damage could be related to the plasma concentration of risperidone which is highly influenced by the hepatic enzyme CYP2D6, the patient was genotyped for CYP2D6. He was classified as homozygous wild type for CYP2D6.

Conclusions: The risk for developing hepatotoxicity during risperidone therapy cannot be supported by the patient CYP2D6 genotype. In clinical practice, it may be recommended to obtain baseline liver function tests before starting risperidone and regular screening for liver enzyme changes during therapy.
Working with super-diversity in Strasbourg pre-schools: Strengthening the role of teaching support staff
Authors: Young Andrea S.
Published: March 2014

In 2009 Strasbourg Council issued a call for tenders for an in-service training course aimed at nursery school assistants working in the city to enable them to better “communicate with non-French speaking children”. A small team of teachers and researchers from the University of Strasbourg responded to this call, firmly believing in the pivotal role played by nursery assistants in children’s language development given their close daily contact with children and their families. In this article we firstly situate Strasbourg pre-schools within the local and national context, referring to French ministerial policy documents and statistics which reflect the extent and nature of super-diversity in the region. Secondly, we describe, analyse and evaluate the content, approach and impact of this innovative course referring to qualitative data collected from course participants. Findings suggest that nursery school assistants, when empowered with knowledge about language and guided in their exploration of approaches which support language development, can help early learners to bridge the gap between home and school. A deeper appreciation of the complexities of plurilingual repertoire and multiple identity construction appear to reinforce confidence to meet the challenges of super-diversity at pre-school and strengthen nursery assistants in their role as caring professionals.
Aggregation of sodium lignosulfonate above a critical temperature
Authors: Qian Yong , Deng Yonghong , Qiu Xueqing , Huang Jinhao , Yang Dongjie
Published: March 2014

Single molecules of sodium lignosulfonate (NaLS) were prepared and their aggregation behavior was studied as a function of temperature. The molecular dispersity of the NaLS solutions were confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and the aggregation behavior was studied by DLS and static light scattering (SLS), fluorescence spectrometry (FS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was demonstrated that NaLS molecules started to aggregate above a critical temperature and the aggregation behavior was related to their spherical microgel conformation and hydrophobic interaction. During the DLS measurement, when NaLS was dissolved in 1.2 mol·l-1 NaCl aqueous solution and then filtered with 0.45 μm syringe filter, the slow-mode diffusion (smD) corresponded to the polyelectrolyte effect and the original aggregates disappeared and the fast-mode diffusion (fmD) corresponded to the monomolecular NaLS (not yet aggregated) in the solution. When the temperature of the NaLS solution was raised to 38°C, the disappeared smD in DLS analysis appeared again, indicating that NaLS molecules started to form new aggregates. Due to the aggregation at 38°C, molecular weight (M
w) obtained from the SLS had a sharp increase, intensity ratio (I1/I3) of pyrene in FS suddenly decreased, and the adsorption of NaLS on a solid substrate and the corresponding roughness of the surface increased significantly.
SkSP-V Sampling Plan for the Exponentiated Weibull Distribution
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Rao G. Srinivasa , Khan Nasrullah , Jun Chi-Hyuck
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this paper is to design an SkSP-V acceptance sampling plan for assuring percentiles based on a time-truncated life test as the reference plan when the lifetime of a product follows an exponentiated Weibull distribution. Using the non-linear optimization solution, the plan parameters are determined so as to satisfy the producer's and the consumer's risks. Tables are provided for practical use and an example is shown with a real case. Finally, the results are compared with the single sampling plan in terms of the average sample number to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed plan.
Influence of the X-Chromosome on Neuroanatomy: Evidence from Turner and Klinefelter Syndromes
Authors: Hong David S. , Hoeft Fumiko , Marzelli Matthew J. , Lepage Jean-Francois , Roeltgen David , Ross Judith , Reiss Allan L.
Published: March 2014

Studies of sex effects on neurodevelopment have traditionally focused on animal models investigating hormonal influences on brain anatomy. However, more recent evidence suggests that sex chromosomes may also have direct upstream effects that act independently of hormones. Sex chromosome aneuploidies provide ideal models to examine this framework in humans, including Turner syndrome (TS), where females are missing one X-chromosome (45X), and Klinefelter syndrome (KS), where males have an additional X-chromosome (47XXY). As these disorders essentially represent copy number variants of the sex chromosomes, investigation of brain structure across these disorders allows us to determine whether sex chromosome gene dosage effects exist. We used voxel-based morphometry to investigate this hypothesis in a large sample of children in early puberty, to compare regional gray matter volumes among individuals with one (45X), two (typically developing 46XX females and 46XY males), and three (47XXY) sex chromosomes. Between-group contrasts of TS and KS groups relative to respective sex-matched controls demonstrated highly convergent patterns of volumetric differences with the presence of an additional sex chromosome being associated with relatively decreased parieto-occipital gray matter volume and relatively increased temporo-insular gray matter volumes. Furthermore,z-score map comparisons between TS and KS cohorts also suggested that this effect occurs in a linear dose-dependent fashion. We infer that sex chromosome gene expression directly influences brain structure in children during early stages of puberty, extending our understanding of genotype–phenotype mechanisms underlying sex differences in the brain.
Aberrant Development and Plasticity of Excitatory Visual Cortical Networks in the Absence ofcpg15
Authors: Picard Nathalie , Leslie Jennifer H. , Trowbridge Sara K. , Subramanian Jaichandar , Nedivi Elly , Fagiolini Michela
Published: March 2014

During development, experience plays a crucial role in sculpting neuronal connections. Patterned neural activity guides formation of functional neural circuits through the selective stabilization of some synapses and the pruning of others. Activity-regulated factors are fundamental to this process, but their roles in synapse stabilization and maturation is still poorly understood. CPG15, encoded by the activity-regulated gene candidate plasticity gene 15, is a small, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked, extracellular protein that promotes synapse stabilization. Here we show that global knock-out ofcpg15results in abnormal postnatal development of the excitatory network in visual cortex and an associated disruption in development of visual receptive field properties. In addition, whereas repeated stimulation induced potentiation and depression in wild-type mice, the depression was slower incpg15knock-out mice, suggesting impairment in short-term depression-like mechanisms. These findings establish the requirement forcpg15in activity-dependent development of the visual system and demonstrate the importance of timely excitatory network development for normal visual function.
Prefrontal Cortical GABAergic Dysfunction Contributes to Age-Related Working Memory Impairment
Authors: Bañuelos Cristina , Beas B. Sofia , McQuail Joseph A. , Gilbert Ryan J. , Frazier Charles J. , Setlow Barry , Bizon Jennifer L.
Published: March 2014

Working memory functions supported by the prefrontal cortex decline in normal aging. Disruption of corticolimbic GABAergic inhibitory circuits can impair working memory in young subjects; however, relatively little is known regarding how aging impacts prefrontal cortical GABAergic signaling and whether such changes contribute to cognitive deficits. The current study used a rat model to evaluate the effects of aging on expression of prefrontal GABAergic synaptic proteins in relation to working memory decline, and to test whether pharmacological manipulations of prefrontal GABAergic signaling can improve working memory abilities in aged subjects. Results indicate that in aged medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), expression of the vesicular GABA transporter VGAT was unchanged; however, there was a significant increase in expression of the GABA synthesizing enzyme GAD67, and a significant decrease in the primary neuronal GABA transporter GAT-1 and in both subunits of the GABA(B) receptor (GABA(B)R). Expression of VGAT, GAD67, and GAT-1 was not associated with working memory ability. In contrast, among aged rats, GABA(B)R expression was significantly and negatively associated with working memory performance, such that lower GABA(B)R expression predicted better working memory. Subsequent experiments showed that systemic administration of a GABA(B)R antagonist, CGP55845, dose-dependently enhanced working memory in aged rats. This enhancing effect of systemic CGP55845 was reproduced by direct intra-mPFC administration. Together, these data suggest that age-related dysregulation of GABAergic signaling in prefrontal cortex may play a causal role in impaired working memory and that targeting GABA(B)Rs may provide therapeutic benefit for age-related impairments in executive functions.
Radio Free China
Authors: Lascher Bill
Published: March 2014

Often lost in recollections of World War II is the eight-year conflict fought between Japan and China. The war claimed 14 million Chinese lives and, for a time, China was nearly cut off from contact with the outside world. But Charles E. Stuart, a dentist in the sleepy California beach town of Ventura who was passionate about amateur radio and a staunch defender of the nationalist Kuomintang party that controlled China was able to broadcast its message to the outside world. Working from a bunker carved deep into the rocks beneath the wartime Chinese capital of Chongqing, a cadre of young freelance journalists and Chinese information ministry employees operated a shortwave station known as XGOY to broadcast free China’s news and information. Despite the fact that the station was constantly bombarded and Japanese forces jammed its signal, Doc Stuart’s mastery of shortwave radio was able to capture and record XGOY’s transmissions, while Stuart’s wife, Alacia Held, tirelessly transcribed their contents for delivery to Chinese officials and news organizations in the United States. Without Doc Stuart, free China may have been completely cut off from the outside world.
Give Me the Gun
Authors: Lam Andrew
Published: March 2014

Using his family’s experience of coming to the United States as refugees from Vietnam, Andrew Lam meditates on the history and future of children who come to the United States as refugees from violent places. In addition to examining the writer’s own life, the essay discusses Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the brothers responsible for the bombs at the 2013 Boston marathon, and considers how success and failure in the United States shapes the refugee children who come to this country.
Maternal and fetal insulin levels at birth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: data from a randomized controlled study on metformin
Authors: Helseth Ragnhild , Vanky Eszter , Stridsklev Solhild , Vogt Christina , Carlsen Sven M
Published: March 2014

Context

Metformin is suggested to reduce pregnancy complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin crosses the placenta and therapeutic concentrations are measured in the fetal circulation. Whether metformin treatment in pregnant PCOS women affects maternal and fetal insulin concentrations at birth is not clarified.

Objectives

To investigate the possible effect of metformin on insulin concentrations in umbilical cord blood and the possible association between maternal and fetal insulin concentrations.

Design

Post-hoc analysis of a subgroup of PCOS women participating in a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Setting

University hospital setting.

Participants

Women with PCOS (n=118), aged 19–39 years.

Main outcome measures

Maternal and umbilical cord insulin concentrations immediately after birth.

Results

At delivery women randomized to metformin had lower insulin concentrations than those randomized to placebo (259±209 vs 361±261 pmol/l; P=0.020). No difference was found in insulin concentrations in umbilical venous (P=0.95) and arterial (P=0.39) blood between the metformin and placebo groups. The arteriovenous difference was also equal between the groups (P=0.38). Insulin concentrations were higher in the umbilical vein than in the umbilical artery independent of randomization (70±51 vs 45±48 pmol/l; P<0.0005).

Conclusions

In PCOS, metformin treatment during pregnancy resulted in lower maternal insulin concentrations at delivery. Metformin treatment did not affect fetal insulin concentrations. Higher insulin concentrations in the umbilical vein indicate that the placenta somehow secretes insulin to the fetus. The possibility of placental insulin secretion to the fetus deserves further investigations.
The kindergarten attendance allowance in Hungary
Authors: Kertesi Gábor , Kézdi Gábor
Published: March 2014

This paper evaluates the kindergarten attendance allowance program in Hungary, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program introduced in 2009 that aimed to increase kindergarten enrolment of disadvantaged children aged 3 and 4. The administration of the program was decentralised, and we make use of the substantial regional variation in program take-up across municipalities to estimate the program’s effect on enrolment rates. We show modest, but non-negligible effects, despite problems related to the manner of the program’s implementation. We also show that the effects were significantly stronger in areas characterised by an excess supply of kindergarten slots. The results testify to the potential of CCT programs to create demand for child-care services among disadvantaged families; however, the results also highlight the importance of creating an adequate supply of kindergarten facilities where needed.
Colonial Era Land Clearance Inferred from Soil Pollen Analysis: A Massachusetts Case Study
Authors: Kelso Gerald K.
Published: March 2014

Pollen deposited on the soil surface in the temperate zone is moved down through the matrix by percolating rainwater and progressively destroyed by natural processes, severely limiting the age of the pollen records in archaeological sites. Colonial-era slopewash onto the location of a pollen profile at the ca. A.D. 1658-1710 Lt. David Fiske homestead in Lexington, Massachusetts shielded a land clearance record from percolation and degradation. Here beech trees were selectively removed, followed later by clear cutting for pasture development. This pattern of beech removal some time before clear cutting is replicated in ca. A.D. 1620-1700 pollen spectra at Linsley Pond, Connecticut. Statements by farmers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries indicate that beech trees were undesirable because they were difficult to clear, and the 17th Century pollen records from Lindsey Pond and the Lt. David Fiske Site reveal that at least some early colonists did the labor intensive part of agricultural preparation by removing beech trees some time interval before clear cutting their land.
Dental Pathologies and Diet in the Middle Woodland Burials from Helena Crossing, Arkansas
Authors: Alfonso-Durruty Marta P. , Bauder Jennifer , Giles Bretton
Published: March 2014

The goal of this study is to evaluate dental lesions and infer the diet of those interred at Helena Crossing, Arkansas. Helena Crossing is located in Southeastern North America and dates to the Middle Woodland Period (150 B.C. ± 75–A.D. 335 ± 75). Until now, no systematic dental analysis has been done in this group. For the purpose of this study, all remains were macroscopically examined for age, sex, and dental pathologies. Adult teeth presented antemortem tooth loss (AMTL; 8.3%), dental wear (100%; mode = 3), alveolar resorption (100%; x̄ = 3.0), calculus deposits (44.8%), hypoplastic defects (12.2%), and caries (11.8%). Subadult teeth were slightly worn (70.5%; x̄ = 2), and showed small calculus deposits (25.6%; x̄ = 1.1), caries (2.5%), and hypoplastic defects (16.4%). The results show that those buried at Helena Crossing ate a diet that was soft, well cooked, and possibly rich in carbohydrates, where domesticated plants may have been an important component.
Risk of Type 1 Diabetes Progression in Islet Autoantibody-Positive Children Can Be Further Stratified Using Expression Patterns of Multiple Genes Implicated in Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Activation and Function
Authors: Jin Yulan , Sharma Ashok , Bai Shan , Davis Colleen , Liu Haitao , Hopkins Diane , Barriga Kathy , Rewers Marian , She Jin-Xiong
Published: March 2014

There is tremendous scientific and clinical value to further improving the predictive power of autoantibodies because autoantibody-positive (AbP) children have heterogeneous rates of progression to clinical diabetes. This study explored the potential of gene expression profiles as biomarkers for risk stratification among 104 AbP subjects from the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) using a discovery data set based on microarray and a validation data set based on real-time RT-PCR. The microarray data identified 454 candidate genes with expression levels associated with various type 1 diabetes (T1D) progression rates. RT-PCR analyses of the top-27 candidate genes confirmed 5 genes (BACH2, IGLL3, EIF3A, CDC20, and TXNDC5) associated with differential progression and implicated in lymphocyte activation and function. Multivariate analyses of these five genes in the discovery and validation data sets identified and confirmed four multigene models (BI, ICE, BICE, and BITE, with each letter representing a gene) that consistently stratify high- and low-risk subsets of AbP subjects with hazard ratios >6 (P < 0.01). The results suggest that these genes may be involved in T1D pathogenesis and potentially serve as excellent gene expression biomarkers to predict the risk of progression to clinical diabetes for AbP subjects.
Increased Risk of Subsequent Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the U.K. General Practice Research Database
Authors: Liang Huifang , Vallarino Carlos , Joseph Guiandre , Manne Sudhakar , Perez Alfonso , Zhang Shumin
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE

To compare the risk of subsequent myocardial infarction (MI) between patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a retrospective cohort study.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patients with their first MI recorded in the U.K. General Practice Research Database in 1997–2008 were classified as T2DM, diagnosed before or within 28 days after the date of the first recorded MI (i.e., the index date), or non-T2DM. Patients diagnosed within 28 days after the index date were assumed to have developed T2DM at baseline (i.e., before the index date). The primary outcome was the first subsequent MI. The secondary outcomes were all-cause death and a composite of all-cause death or subsequent MI. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) for all outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 7,411 T2DM (median age 72 years; men 63.4%) and 48,726 non-T2DM patients (median age 69 years; men 65.3%) were included. The crude incidences (per 1,000 patient-years) in T2DM vs. non-T2DM were 32.8 vs. 22.8 for subsequent MI, 83.7 vs. 52.1 for all-cause death, and 106.5 vs. 69.9 for the composite end point. The adjusted HRs for subsequent MI, all-cause death, and their combination were 1.41 (95% CI 1.27–1.56), 1.50 (1.41–1.60), and 1.42 (1.34–1.50), respectively, in women and 1.23 (1.14–1.34), 1.40 (1.33–1.47), and 1.33 (1.27–1.39) in men.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with non-T2DM, T2DM was associated with an increased risk for subsequent MI, all-cause death, and their composite end point. The risk tends to be higher in women than in men.
Increased Skeletal Muscle Capillarization After Aerobic Exercise Training and Weight Loss Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Adults With IGT
Authors: Prior Steven J. , Blumenthal Jacob B. , Katzel Leslie I. , Goldberg Andrew P. , Ryan Alice S.
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE

Transcapillary transport of insulin is one determinant of glucose uptake by skeletal muscle; thus, a reduction in capillary density (CD) may worsen insulin sensitivity. Skeletal muscle CD is lower in older adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) compared with those with normal glucose tolerance and may be modifiable through aerobic exercise training and weight loss (AEX+WL). We tested the hypothesis that 6-month AEX+WL would increase CD to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in older adults with IGT.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Sixteen sedentary, overweight-obese (BMI 27–35 kg/m2), older (63 ± 2 years) men and women with IGT underwent hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps to measure insulin sensitivity, oral glucose tolerance tests, exercise and body composition testing, and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies to determine CD before and after 6-month AEX+WL.

RESULTS

Insulin sensitivity (M) and 120-min postprandial glucose (G120) correlated with CD at baseline (r = 0.58 and r = −0.60, respectively, P < 0.05). AEX+WL increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) 18% (P = 0.02) and reduced weight and fat mass 8% (P < 0.02). CD increased 15% (264 ± 11 vs. 304 ± 14 capillaries/mm2, P = 0.01), M increased 21% (42.4 ± 4.0 vs. 51.4 ± 4.3 µmol/kg FFM/min, P < 0.05), and G120 decreased 16% (9.35 ± 0.5 vs. 7.85 ± 0.5 mmol/L, P = 0.008) after AEX+WL. Regression analyses showed that the AEX+WL-induced increase in CD independently predicted the increase in M (r = 0.74, P < 0.01) as well as the decrease in G120 (r = −0.55, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Six-month AEX+WL increases skeletal muscle CD in older adults with IGT. This represents one mechanism by which AEX+WL improves insulin sensitivity in older adults with IGT.
Positive solutions for some competitive elliptic systems
Authors: Alsaedi Ramzi , Mâagli Habib , Zeddini Noureddine
Published: March 2014

Using some potential theory tools and the Schauder fixed point theorem, we prove the existence of positive bounded continuous solutions with a precise global behavior for the semilinear elliptic system Δu = p(x)u
α
ν
r in domains D of ℝn, n ≥ 3, with compact boundary (bounded or unbounded) subject to some Dirichlet conditions, where α ≥ 1, β ≥ 1, r ≥ 0, s ≥ 0 and the potentials p, q are nonnegative and belong to the Kato class K(D).
Existence and stability of anti-periodic solutions for impulsive fuzzy Cohen-Grossberge neural networks on time scales
Authors: Zhang Qianhong , Yang Lihui , Liu Jingzhong
Published: March 2014

By applying the method of coincidence degree and constructing suitable Lyapunov functional, some sufficient conditions are established for the existence and global exponential stability of anti-periodic solutions for a kind of impulsive fuzzy Cohen-Grossberg neural networks on time scales. Moreover an example is given to illustrate our results.
Fixed point theorems for block operator matrix and an application to a structured problem under boundary conditions of Rotenberg’s model type
Authors: Amar Afif , Jeribi Aref , Krichen Bilel
Published: March 2014

In this manuscript, we introduce and study the existence of solutions for a coupled system of differential equations under abstract boundary conditions of Rotenberg’s model type, this last arises in growing cell populations. The entries of block operator matrix associated to this system are nonlinear and act on the Banach space X
p:= L
p([0, 1] × [a, b]; dµ dv), where 0 ≤ a < b < ∞; 1 < p < ∞.
On the stability of some functional equations in Menger φ-normed spaces
Authors: Miheţ Dorel , Saadati Reza
Published: March 2014

Recently, the authors [MIHEŢ, D.—SAADATI, R.—VAEZPOUR, S. M.: The stability of an additive functional equation in Menger probabilistic φ-normed spaces, Math. Slovaca 61 (2011), 817–826] considered the stability of an additive functional in Menger φ-normed spaces. In this paper, we establish some stability results concerning the cubic, quadratic and quartic functional equations in complete Menger φ-normed spaces via fixed point theory.
Analysis of Pedestrian–Vehicle Traffic Conflicts in Street Designs with Elements of Shared Space
Authors: Kaparias Ioannis , Bell Michael G. H. , Dong Weili , Sastrawinata Aditya , Singh Amritpal , Wang Xuxi , Mount Bill
Published: March 2014

Changes in pedestrian–vehicle traffic conflicts in urban streets redesigned according to the principles of shared space were investigated with a recently developed pedestrian–vehicle conflict analysis (PVCA) method. In a first step, the PVCA method was revised to reflect more accurately the features of shared space; this revision included the definition of a systematic process for identifying conflict occurrences on the one hand and the full quantification of the conflict severity grading process on the other. Then the refined PVCA method was applied to a case study in London with video data from periods before and after the redevelopment of the Exhibition Road site from a conventional dual carriageway to a modern design with some elements of shared space. The results of the comparative analysis indicated a general decrease in traffic conflict rates as a result of the redesign but also highlighted specific issues that may require additional analysis.
Missing Links
Authors: Gallagher Patrick , Marshall Wesley E. , Atkinson-Palombo Carol
Published: March 2014

In the past several decades, planners and policy makers have focused on creating more balanced transportation systems that included better transit service as well as improved options for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrian accessibility is vital to the success of this mode because transit users are likely to walk on at least one end of their trip. As a result, practitioners have focused on improving pedestrian environments in station areas. Pedestrian accessibility studies have focused on formal pedestrian links such as roads, sidewalks, and multiuse trails. However, a small but important body of literature suggests that the informal pedestrian environments play an important but often overlooked role in pedestrian accessibility. Social paths are informal routes that emerge in grassy areas because of footfall. Social paths have formed at numerous suburban transit stops and show deficiencies in the design of formal pedestrian networks. Because current travel behavior studies omit informal pedestrian networks, their results may be inaccurate and result in misguided policy. This study identified social paths at 12 light rail stations in Denver, Colorado, and Dallas, Texas. With two pedestrian accessibility metrics, the formal pedestrian environment was compared with a joint formal–informal pedestrian environment that includes social paths. This study makes the argument that social paths are important components of station-area pedestrian accessibility and should be incorporated into future travel behavior studies and pedestrian improvement projects.
Playing by the Rules? Gender Relations in a Football and Mental Health Project
Authors: Spandler Helen , Roy Alastair , McKeown Mick
Published: March 2014

This paper examines gender issues in relation to a mental health project in England, which is based on football metaphor and aimed at engaging men in therapeutic activity. We use the football related analogy of “playing by the rules” to explore how gender was framed, performed, negotiated and contested in the project. We note three different “games” at play within the project: football, gender, and therapy. We argue that gender had a doubled character in the project. The prevailing rules of gender and football were re-reinforced, for example, through defensive heterosexuality and binary ideas about sex and gender. Yet, at the same time, engaging in the project meant these very same rules were transgressed through the enactment of care, concern and group bonding. We conclude that whilst there probably has been a shift in culturally dominant forms of masculinity, any generalized endorsement of “inclusive masculinity” is probably over-stated.
Lacan with Beckett
Authors: Dow Suzanne
Published: March 2014

This article explores Jacques Lacan's (minimal) engagements with Samuel Beckett. Before positing Beckett as a ‘silent partner’ of Lacan, the article offers a broader account of the place of literature in Lacan's teaching and in particular the role played by the writings of James Joyce. Lacan's reflections on the Joycean punning on ‘litter’/‘letter’, in Finnegans Wake, provide a context for understanding the psychoanalyst's perspective on Beckett's work.
A Numerical Study on the Impact of Wind Gust Frequency on Air Exchanges in Buildings with Variable External and Internal Leakages
Authors: Kraniotis Dimitrios , Thiis Thomas , Aurlien Tormod
Published: March 2014

Wind-driven air infiltration has been recognized among the major reasons for energy loss in buildings, and the impact to energy efficiency under steady conditions has been reported and issued as part of many building codes. The nearly zero-energy building demand makes uncontrolled leakage paths even more undesired and creates the need for further investigation of their behavior under unsteady wind conditions. The present numerical study examines the role of wind gustiness on instantaneous infiltration rates of a low-rise building. For this purpose, two levels of gust frequency Ω have been simulated, expressed as a sinusoidal factor in the wind profile formula. In parallel, a ratio α is employed to represent seven different cases of external leakages distribution, while five scenarios of compartmentalization and internal leakages shows the impact of the latter on the dynamics of building air exchange rates. The results indicate that higher wind gustiness results in higher ACH, marking out gusts as a potential critical factor under unsteady climate conditions. The infiltration rates shown in relation to the leakage distribution ratio α provide arguments for the importance of the detailed detection of external leakages while the comparison of the different internal-volume-scenario highlights the key-role of internal leakages control towards a drastic reduction of infiltration rates.
Antioxidant Properties and PC12 Cell Protective Effects of a Novel Curcumin Analogue (2E,6E)-2,6-Bis(3,5- dimethoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone (MCH)
Authors: Ao Gui-Zhen , Chu Xiao-Jing , Ji Yuan-Yuan , Wang Jian-Wen
Published: March 2014

The antioxidative properties of a novel curcumin analogue (2E,6E)-2,6-bis(3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone (MCH) were assessed by several in vitro models, including superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and PC12 cell protection from H2O2 damage. MCH displayed superior O2•− quenching abilities compared to curcumin and vitamin C. In vitro stability of MCH was also improved compared with curcumin. Exposure of PC12 cells to 150 µM H2O2 caused a decrease of antioxidant enzyme activities, glutathione (GSH) loss, an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cell apoptosis and reduction in cell viability. Pretreatment of the cells with MCH at 0.63–5.00 µM before H2O2 exposure significantly attenuated those changes in a dose-dependent manner. MCH enhanced cellular expression of transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) at the transcriptional level. Moreover, MCH could mitigate intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and the increase of cleaved caspase-3 activity induced by H2O2. These results show that MCH protects PC12 cells from H2O2 injury by modulating endogenous antioxidant enzymes, scavenging ROS, activating the Nrf2 cytoprotective pathway and prevention of apoptosis.
Increased Circulatory Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Multiple Organ Failure: Bile Duct Ligation in Rat as a Model
Authors: Sheen Jiunn-Ming , Chen Yu-Chieh , Tain You-Lin , Huang Li-Tung
Published: March 2014

Bile duct ligation (BDL)-treated rats exhibit cholestasis, increased systemic oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis, which ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase that can decrease the synthesis of nitric oxide. BDL rats have higher plasma and hepatic ADMA levels, which may be due to increased hepatic protein arginine methyltransferase-1 and decreased dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase expression. BDL rats also exhibit renal and brain damage characterized by increased tissue ADMA concentrations. The increased plasma ADMA levels and multiple organ damages seen here are also observed following multiple organ failures associated with critical illness. This review discusses the dysregulation of ADMA in major organs in BDL rats and the role of increased ADMA in multiple organ damages.
2-(4-(2-Chloroacetamido)-1-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamido)ethyl Acetate
Authors: Al-Said Naim
Published: March 2014

The title compound 2-(4-(2-chloroacetamido)-1-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamido)ethyl acetate was synthesized. The structure of the compound was fully characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and mass spectral analysis.
Governing Harmonious Human Engagement with the Spatial Capital
Authors: Tan Shukui , Song Haipeng , Akhmat Ghulam , Hussain Javeed
Published: March 2014

The unprecedented rate and scale of activities, simulated by human abode in its entirety, is having large and accelerating effects on the integrity of biophysical elements of spatial capital, at local, regional, and global scales. Real appreciation of these effects demands a dramatic change in human manipulation of the spatial capital. Spatial capital can be viewed as processes or a complex matrix, in which not only our spatial but social, economic, and intellectual needs are embedded. Through an extensive synthesis of literature, this study strives to situate as well as manage human abode in context of spatial capital. It focuses on the need of crafting spatial governance, which secures today’s needs without compromising the needs of abode for our future generations. For harmonious human engagement with the spatial capital, we focused on following major requisites: (i) filling gaps in the understanding of processes of the respective spatial capital; (ii) integration of this intellectual capital; (iii) and spatial government supported by seamless institutionalisation, and governance processes in a global context. All modes of human abode are unique when analysed in the milieu of their social, economic, cultural, and intellectual yield, and their respective ecological footprint on spatial capital. An essential component of the sustainability of spatial capital is fundamental knowledge of the relevant biophysical processes, which yield the respective social, economic, cultural, and intellectual services we obtain from it. Action-oriented and integrated intellectual capital will yield the required awareness about the spatial capital, which when crystallised into proper institutions their processes will certainly produce promising outcomes for spatial management. Sustainable spatial constructs can only be produced through horizontal and vertical harmonization in governance institutions from the local to global level. It will not only help in the rehabilitation of the spatial capital but can also enhance it.
Increasing the Vaccine Potential of Live M. bovis BCG by Coadministration with Plasmid DNA Encoding a Tuberculosis Prototype Antigen
Authors: Bruffaerts Nicolas , Romano Marta , Denis Olivier , Jurion Fabienne , Huygen Kris
Published: March 2014

The attenuated live M. bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is still the sole vaccine used against tuberculosis, but confers only variable efficacy against adult pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Though no clear explanation for this limited efficacy has been given, different hypotheses have been advanced, such as the waning of memory T-cell responses, a reduced antigenic repertoire and the inability to induce effective CD8+ T-cell responses, which are known to be essential for latent tuberculosis control. In this study, a new BCG-based vaccination protocol was studied, in which BCG was formulated in combination with a plasmid DNA vaccine. As BCG is routinely administered to neonates, we have evaluated a more realistic approach of a simultaneous intradermal coadministration of BCG with pDNA encoding the prototype antigen, PPE44. Strongly increased T- and B-cell responses were observed with this protocol in C57BL/6 mice when compared to the administration of only BCG or in combination with an empty pDNA vector, as measured by Th1-type spleen cell cytokine secretion, specific IgG antibodies, as well as specific IFN-γ producing/cytolytic-CD8+ T-cells. Moreover, we observed a bystander activation induced by the coding plasmid, resulting in increased immune responses against other non-plasmid encoded, but BCG-expressed, antigens. In all, these results provide a proof of concept for a new TB vaccine, based on a BCG-plasmid DNA combination.
Embryonic Stem Cells and Released Factors Stimulate c-kit+/FLK-1+ Progenitor Cells and Promote Neovascularization in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Singla Dinender K. , Abdelli Latifa S.
Published: March 2014

Vascular apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of a myriad of cardiac dysfunctions, but has yet to be investigated in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). Additionally, the neovascularization potential and resulting functional consequences of embryonic stem (ES) cells and factors released from these cells in the chronic DIC myocardium remain largely unknown. To this end, we transplanted conditioned media (CM) and ES cells in the DIC-injured heart and evaluated their potential to inhibit vascular cell death, activate endogenous c-kit+ and FLK-1+ cells, enhance neovascularization, and augment left ventricular dysfunction. Data presented suggest transplanted CM and ES cells significantly blunt vascular cell apoptosis consequent to DIC. Quantitative immunohistochemistry data demonstrate significantly increased c-kit+ and FLK-1+ cells, as well as enhanced differentiated CD31+ cells in the CM and ES cell groups relative to DIC controls. Heart function, including fractional shortening and ejection fraction, assessed by transthoracic echocardiography, was significantly improved following CM and ES cell transplantation. In conclusion, our data suggest that transplantation of CM and ES cells inhibit vascular apoptosis, activate endogenous c-kit+ and FLK-1+ cells and differentiate them into endothelial cells, enhance neovascularization, and improve cardiac function in the DIC-injured myocardium.