bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sheet‐extruded films from blends of hydroxypropylated and native corn starches, and their characterization
Authors: Kim Hee‐Young , Lamsal Buddhi , Jane Jay‐lin , Grewell David 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSheet‐extruded films from the blends of hydroxypropylated normal corn starch (HP) and native normal corn starch (NS) at weight ratios of 100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, and 0:100 were prepared and characterized. Glycerol and water were added as plasticizers at 11 and 27% starch weight, respectively. The highest tensile strength (TS) and longest elongation to break (EB) for dry films were observed at 70:30 HP: NS ratio, which was 25.76 MPa, and 3.97%, respectively. However, TS and EB of this 70:30 blend extruded starch film exhibited low resistance upon wetting for 10s. The film TS and EB were reduced to 13.26 MPa and 3.35%, respectively. Addition of 0.5% (wt/wt starch) succinic acid (SA) as a cross‐linker to 70:30 HP: NS starch blend before film extrusion positively affected both TS and EB of films upon wetting; rather higher TS (16.64 MPa) and EB (4.85%) values were observed, which indicated improvement in water resistance of the films. Sheet‐extruded films from 70:30 HP: NS blends resulted in improved dry strength, and upon cross‐linking with SA, improved wet strength as well. The films had smooth and compact structure, which was explained by esterification/transesterification reactions promoted by SA, and confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy analysis.Practical ApplicationsManufacturing packaging films from biological sources, as well as coating materials, would be beneficial to the environment along with wider applications. Biobased packaging materials include both edible coatings and edible films along with primary and secondary packaging materials, and could also have non‐food applications. They are derived from renewable sources and are potentially biodegradable through composting (which is a technique for waste management). Hydroxypropylation of starch results in wider functionality, and sheet‐extrusion can result in more flexible and transparent films. Blends of 70:30 HP: NS resulted in stronger sheet‐extruded films; testing of both dry and wet strengths of films indicated its suitability for both as edible coating (wet application), and other dry coatings/ films. These blend film can be an alternative to synthetic packaging films within their limitations.
Intraductal placement of non‐flared fully covered metallic stent for refractory anastomotic biliary strictures after living donor liver transplantation: Long‐term results of prospective multicenter trial
Authors: Yoo Jeong‐Ju , Lee Jong‐Kyun , Moon Jong Ho , Lee Yun Nah , Park Jae Keun , Lee Kyu Taek , Lee Kwang Hyuck , Lee Woo Jin , Woo Sang Myung , Lee Tae Hoon , Park Sang‐Heum 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackground and AimFully covered self‐expandable metallic stent (FCSEMS) may be an effective modality for managing anastomotic biliary stricture (ABS) after liver transplantation. However, stent migration and stent‐induced ductal injury are the main limitations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an unflared, intraductal FCSEMS that was designed to minimize migration and ductal injury for refractory ABS after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).MethodsA total of 32 consecutive patients with symptomatic ABS after LDLT unresolved by plastic stents with or without balloon dilation at four tertiary medical centers were prospectively enrolled. A short (3 or 5 cm) FCSEMS having long lasso (10 cm) used in this study had unflared convex ends to minimize tissue hyperplasia and smaller center portion to prevent migration. The FCSEMS was placed above the papilla and removed at 3–4 months after stenting.ResultsTechnical and clinical success rates of intraductal placement with FCSEMS were 100% (32/32) and 81.2% (26/32), respectively. Early stent migration was observed in five (15.6%) patients. However, three patients with early stent migration had stricture resolution without needing additional intervention. Intended stent removal was successful in 27 (100%) patients (median, 101 days; range, 23–118 days). No stent‐induced ductal change was observed in all patients. Stricture recurrence was observed in 11.5% (3/26) of patients during 639 days of median duration of follow‐up (range, 366–2079 days).ConclusionsIntraductal placement of an unflared short FCSEMS may be a promising option for refractory ABS after LDLT with minimal stent‐induced ductal injury and stent migration.
Fast serotonin voltammetry as a versatile tool for mapping dynamic tissue architecture: I. Responses at carbon fibers describe local tissue physiology
Authors: Abdalla Aya , West Alyssa , Jin Yunju , Saylor Rachel A. , Qiang Beidi , Peña Edsel , Linden David J. , Nijhout H. Frederik , Reed Michael C. , Best Janet , Hashemi Parastoo 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIt is important to monitor serotonin neurochemistry in the context of brain disorders. Specifically, a better understanding of biophysical alterations and associated biochemical functionality within subregions of the brain will enable better of understanding of diseases such as depression. Fast voltammetric tools at carbon fiber microelectrodes provide an opportunity to make direct evoked and ambient serotonin measurements in vivo in mice. In this study, we characterize novel stimulation and measurement circuitries for serotonin analyses in brain regions relevant to psychiatric disease. Evoked and ambient serotonin in these brain areas, the CA2 region of the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex, are compared to ambient and evoked serotonin in the substantia nigra pars reticulata, an area well established previously for serotonin measurements with fast voltammetry. Stimulation of a common axonal location evoked serotonin in all three brain regions. Differences are observed in the serotonin release and reuptake profiles between these three brain areas which we hypothesize to arise from tissue physiology heterogeneity around the carbon fiber microelectrodes. We validate this hypothesis mathematically and via confocal imaging. We thereby show that fast voltammetric methods can provide accurate information about local physiology and highlight implications for chemical mapping.
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Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14739.
G protein‐coupled oestrogen receptor stimulation ameliorates iron‐ and ovariectomy‐induced memory impairments through the cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling pathway
Authors: Machado Gustavo Dalto Barroso , de Freitas Betânia Souza , Florian Leonardo Zanetti , Monteiro Ricardo Tavares , Gus Henrique , Schröder Nadja 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIron accumulation in the brain has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders, and imaging studies in humans indicate that iron content in brain regions correlates with poor performance in cognitive tasks. In rats, iron overload impairs memory retention in a variety of memory tasks. Although the effects of iron on cognition in rodents are extensively reported, no previous study has been conducted in female rats. The incidence of certain dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, is higher in women after menopause compared to aged‐matched men. The role of oestrogen depletion in memory deficits in menopausal women is still a matter of debate. The present study aimed to characterise the effects of iron overload on memory in female rats by investigating the effects of ovariectomy (OVX, an experimental model of oestrogen depletion) in rats submitted to iron overload, as well as examining the effects of G protein‐coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) agonism on memory impairments induced by iron and OVX. Female rats received iron (30 mg kg‐1, orally) or vehicle at postnatal days 12‐14 and were submitted to OVX in adulthood. Results showed that either iron or OVX impaired memory for object placement and inhibitory avoidance. The selective GPER agonist G1, administered immediately after training, reversed both iron‐ and OVX‐induced memory impairments. G1 effects were abolished by protein kinase A (PKA) inhibition, suggesting the involvement of the cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling pathway. The search for novel oestrogen agonists with positive effects on cognition may be promising for the development of treatments for memory disorders.
Sexually dimorphic neuronal inputs to the neuroendocrine dopaminergic system governing prolactin release
Authors: Esteves Francisco F. , Matias Diogo , Mendes Ana R. , Lacoste Bertrand , Lima Susana Q. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractProlactin (PRL) is a pleiotropic hormone that was identified in the context of maternal care and its release from the anterior pituitary is primarily controlled by neuroendocrine dopaminergic (NEDA) neurones of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. The sexually dimorphic nature of PRL physiology and associated behaviours is evident in mammals, even though the number and density of NEDA neurones is reported as not being sexually dimorphic in rats. However, the underlying circuits controlling NEDA neuronal activity and subsequent PRL release are largely uncharacterised. Thus, we mapped whole‐brain monosynaptic NEDA inputs in male and female mice. Accordingly, we employed a rabies virus based monosynaptic tracing system capable of retrogradely mapping inputs into genetically defined neuronal populations. To gain genetic access to NEDA neurones, we used the dopamine transporter promoter. Here, we unravel 59 brain regions that synapse onto NEDA neurones and reveal that male and female mice, despite monomorphic distribution of NEDA neurones in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, receive sexually dimorphic amount of inputs from the anterior hypothalamic nucleus, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, medial preoptic nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, posterior periventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, lateral supramammillary nucleus, tuberal nucleus and periaqueductal grey. Beyond highlighting the importance of considering sex as a biological variable when evaluating connectivity in the brain, these results illustrate a case where a neuronal population with similar anatomical distribution has a subjacent sexually dimorphic connectivity pattern, potentially capable of contributing to the sexually dimorphic nature of PRL release and function.
Class differentiation, deagrarianization, and repeasantization following the coffee crisis in Agua Buena, Costa Rica
Authors: Babin Nicholas 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis research evaluated trajectories of agrarian change following liberalization and deregulation of the coffee commodity chain, assessing the transformation of agrarian class structures and livelihoods between 2000 and 2009 among landed coffee farmers from Agua Buena, Costa Rica. Simultaneous processes of differentiation, deagrarianization, and repeasantization are documented. Deagrarianization is identified as the result of either adaptive or maladaptive processes of livelihood diversification out of agriculture. Repeasantization is characterized by the widespread adoption of low external‐input agriculture driven by cultural norms of self‐sufficiency and labour flexibility within farm households. In order to ensure equitability and the continued viability of rural households in communities ravaged by commodity deregulation, aid and training need to be targeted towards resource‐poor households in two principal areas: first, to transition off‐farm livelihoods into stable and high return activities and, second, to provide the agroecological knowledge and resources for farming households to self‐provision and distantiate themselves from the market.
Topical anaesthesia degree is reduced in temporomandibular disorders patients: A novel approach to assess underlying mechanisms of the somatosensory alterations
Authors: Costa Yuri Martins , Ferreira Dyna Mara A. O. , Conti Paulo César R. , Baad‐Hansen Lene , Svensson Peter , Bonjardim Leonardo R. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundChanges in quantitative sensory testing (QST) parameters following topical anaesthesia could contribute to better elucidate underlying mechanisms of somatosensory alterations in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain patients. This placebo‐controlled crossover investigation compared the somatosensory profile following topical anaesthesia between TMD patients (n = 20) and healthy participants (n = 20).MethodsCold detection threshold, warm detection threshold, cold pain threshold, heat pain threshold, mechanical detection threshold, mechanical pain threshold, wind‐up ratio and pressure pain threshold were assessed on the skin overlying the masseter at three consecutive days (baseline and immediately after lidocaine 4%/placebo cream). Mixed ANOVA and a coding system that accounts for the diversity of types of peripheral axons associated with the somatosensory parameters were applied for data analysis.ResultsThe lidocaine application caused no changes in the somatosensory sensitivity in the masseter region in TMD patients (P > .050), but sensitivity to cold, cold pain, touch and pinprick stimuli were reduced after topical anaesthesia in healthy participants (P < .050). Also, the degree of topical anaesthesia was greater in healthy participants (P = .008). The coding system suggested that TMD patients presented only Aδ‐fibre block, whereas a combination of either Aβ‐ and/or C‐fibre block was observed in 35% of healthy participants in addition to Aδ‐fibre block following lidocaine application.ConclusionQuantitative sensory testing can be successfully applied to identify meaningful differences in the degree of hypoalgesia and hypoesthesia following short‐time topical anaesthesia.
Exemplarist Environmental Ethics
Authors: Balthrop‐Lewis Alda 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis article argues that environmental ethics can deemphasize environmental problem‐solving in preference for a more exemplarist mode. This mode will renarrate what we admire in those we have long admired, in order to make them resonate with contemporary ethical needs. First, I outline a method problem that arose for me in ethnographic fieldwork, a problem that I call, far too reductively, “solution thinking.” Second, I relate that method problem to movements against “quandary ethics” in ethical theory more broadly. Third, I discuss some interpretive work I am engaged in about Henry David Thoreau and how it bears on the methodological issues my fieldwork raised. I argue that some of the most important icons of right relation to environment, especially Francis of Assisi and Thoreau, should be envisioned as far more politically invested than they usually are. They demonstrate to scholars of religious ethics that an exemplarist ethic focused on character need not neglect politics.
Navigating Moral Struggle: Toward a Social Model of Exemplarity
Authors: Hamilton Brian 
Published: August 2019

AbstractExemplars have the power to help people navigate various levels of moral struggle, from the relatively straightforward problem of lacking motivation to the much deeper problem of failing to see the moral realities that surround us. But there are also serious moral risks in the appeal to exemplars: we romanticize them, we make use of them in authoritarian ways, and we tend to forget how our choice of exemplars is conditioned by oppressive cultural formations. I argue that we need to develop a social model of exemplarity, attuned to social contexts of our exemplars themselves as well as the social processes of constructing and appealing to exemplars. More particularly, I argue that we need to develop space for thinking about exemplary groups, not just exemplary individuals, in order to develop the strengths and avoid the weaknesses in exemplarist moral theories.
Exemplarity Between Tradition and Critique
Authors: Herdt Jennifer A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractMoral exemplarism, which insists on the centrality of particular embodiments of exemplary virtue to the moral life, is currently receiving significant attention within moral philosophy as well as theological and religious ethics. This introductory essay situates the contributions made by this focus issue on moral exemplarity in relation to the history of attention to moral exemplars, the twentieth‐century turn to virtue, philosopher Linda Zagzebski’s exemplarist moral theory, Stanley Hauerwas’s particularist embrace of Christian discipleship, Foucauldian turns to critique and self‐cultivation, and the significance of exemplars in Jeffrey Stout’s democratic piety. Arguing for the critical importance of articulating the authority of exemplars, this essay points to the ways in which the present focus can assist us to navigate between the shoals of nostalgic deference to tradition and dismissive critiques of authoritarianism.
Loving the World We Are: Anthropology and Relationality in Laudato si’
Authors: Kohlhaas Jacob M. , McLaughlin Ryan Patrick 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThere is a tension between Laudato si's consistent emphasis on relationships and interconnectedness and its acceptance of anthropocentrism. While Laudato si’ does reject certain problematic forms of anthropocentrism, the encyclical does not assert an alternative to this traditional framework. This article contends that “relatiocentrism” provides the best avenue for developing the convictions expressed within Laudato si’ while moving beyond the limitations of the encyclical itself. In so doing, this essay explores the use of narrative as a means of shaping identity by mapping significant relationships and points of meaning. It examines the central anthropological claims of the encyclical and the tensions these create with anthropocentric narratives. And it examines relatiocentrism in light of the biblical creation accounts, the eschatological perspective of Laudato si’, and virtue ethics. The essay concludes by suggesting further theological and moral implications of this shift in perspective.
Mourning the Dead, Following the Living
Authors: Lambelet Kyle B. T. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn this paper I take up the ambivalence we rightly feel toward leaders by examining the relationship between charismatic authority and moral exemplarity. Drawing on the social theory of Max Weber, and in dialogue with a case study of an anti‐militarism movement called the SOA (School of Americas) Watch, I demonstrate that through a “politics of sacrifice” leaders synchronize their own stories with those of communally recognized exemplars and act in ways that evidence a solidarity in the suffering of those exemplars thereby generating their charismatic authority. While performing crucial strategic, motivational, and pedagogical roles, this charisma also introduces problematic temptations to authoritarianism that short‐circuit the practical reasoning that exemplars supposedly help to form. In the end this leaves our sense of ambivalence intact. What is needed, I argue, are practices of critique that reopen the distance between leader and follower and thus allow the possibility of practical reason.
From Environmental Stewardship To Environmental Holiness
Authors: Stephens Darryl W. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe descriptive moment in ethical reflection is helpfully informed by a careful consideration of what religious bodies have said about moral issues such as climate change. As a case study, this article identifies and interprets primary documents of The United Methodist Church (UMC) and its predecessor institutions, providing a detailed examination of the historical development of this denomination’s environmental witness statements. Methodism's long‐standing engagement with environmental ethics, out of which a concern for anthropogenic climate change incrementally emerged, includes significant institutional policies and practices. The history of Methodist environmental witness evidences a creative, faithful response by a religious denomination learning to grapple with the overwhelming problem of climate change. Describing and interpreting this history enables religious ethicists to engage Methodist environmental witness as they develop constructive models for addressing this problem.
Dental insurance, dental care utilization, and perceived unmet dental needs in women living with HIV: Results from the Women's Interagency HIV Study
Authors: Parish Carrigan Leigh , Feaster Daniel J. , Pereyra Margaret R. , Alcaide Maria , Cohen Mardge , Levin Susanna , Gustafson Deborah , Merenstein Daniel , Aouizerat Bradley , Donohue Jessica , Webster‐Cyriaque Jennifer , Wingood Gina , Kempf Mirjam , Metsch Lisa R. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectivesDental care is the most commonly cited unmet health‐care service due to cost. Previous research has highlighted the unmet dental needs of people living with HIV (PLWH). Understanding associations among dental insurance availability, dental care utilization, and the presence of unmet dental needs among PLWH is a public health priority.MethodsOral health surveys were collected cross‐sectionally (April–October 2016) among 1,442 women living with HIV (WLWH) in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between having versus not having dental insurance by type (Ryan White, private, Medicaid/Medicare) and two primary outcomes: a) typical frequency of dental visits (at least annually, less than annually) and b) reporting an unmet dental need in the past 6 months.ResultsAll dental insurance types were associated with higher odds of receiving annual dental care and, for those with either Medicare/Medicaid or private insurance, lower odds of having an unmet dental need. When WLWH were asked to describe their oral health, poor self‐reported condition was associated with both an unmet dental need (odds ratio [OR]: 4.52, 95 percent Confidence Interval [CI] [3.29–6.20]) and lower odds of annual dental care utilization (OR: 0.44, 95 percent CI [0.34–0.57]). Self‐reported depressive symptom burden was also linked to having an unmet dental need (OR: 2.10, 95 percent CI [1.46–3.01]).ConclusionsDental insurance coverage increases dental care utilization and is associated with better oral health among WLWH. In the era of health‐care reform, dental insurance coverage may be instrumental for enhancing treatment outcomes.
The effects of dietary nitrate on plasma glucose and insulin sensitivity in sheep
Authors: Villar Maria L. , Godwin Ian R. , Hegarty Roger S. , Dobos Robin C. , Smith Katherine A. , Clay Jonathon W. , Nolan John V. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractNitrate (NO3¯) is an effective non‐protein nitrogen source for gut microbes and reduces enteric methane (CH4) production in ruminants. Nitrate is reduced to ammonia by rumen bacteria with nitrite (NO2¯) produced as an intermediate. The absorption of NO2¯ can cause methaemoglobinaemia in ruminants. Metabolism of NO3¯ and NO2¯ in blood and animal tissues forms nitric oxide (NO) which has profound physiological effects in ruminants and has been shown to increase glucose uptake and insulin secretion in rodents and humans. We hypothesized that absorption of small quantities of NO2¯ resulting from a low‐risk dose of dietary NO3¯ will increase insulin sensitivity (SI) and glucose uptake in sheep. We evaluated the effect of feeding sheep with a diet supplemented with 18 g NO3¯/kg DM or urea (Ur) isonitrogenously to NO3¯, on insulin and glucose dynamics. A glucose tolerance test using an intravenous bolus of 1 ml/kg LW of 24% (w/v) glucose was conducted in twenty sheep, with 10 sheep receiving 1.8% supplementary NO3¯ and 10 receiving supplementary urea isonitrogenously to NO3¯. The MINMOD model used plasma glucose and insulin concentrations to estimate basal plasma insulin (Ib) and basal glucose concentration (Gb), insulin sensitivity (SI), glucose effectiveness (SG), acute insulin response (AIRg) and disposition index (DI). Nitrate supplementation had no effect on Ib (p > .05). The decrease in blood glucose occurred at the same rate in both dietary treatments (SG; p = .60), and there was no effect of NO3¯ on either Gb, SI, AIRg or DI. This experiment found that the insulin dynamics assessed using the MINMOD model were not affected by NO3¯ administered to fasted sheep at a low dose of 1.8% NO3¯ in the diet.