bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating the GPCR transactivation‐dependent and biased signalling paradigms in the context of PAR1 signalling
Authors: Little PJ , Hollenberg MD , Kamato D , Thomas W , Chen J , Wang T , Zheng W , Osman N 
Published: December 2015

Classically, receptor‐mediated signalling was conceived as a linear process involving one agonist, a variety of potential targets within a receptor family (e.g. α‐ and β‐adrenoceptors) and a second messenger (e.g. cAMP)‐triggered response. If distinct responses were stimulated by the same receptor in different tissues (e.g. lipolysis in adipocytes vs. increased beating rate in the heart caused by adrenaline), the differences were attributed to different second messenger targets in the different tissues. It is now realized that an individual receptor can couple to multiple effectors (different G proteins and different β‐arrestins), even in the same cell, to drive very distinct responses. Furthermore, tailored agonists can mould the receptor conformation to activate one signal pathway versus another by a process termed ‘biased signalling’. Complicating issues further, we now know that activating one receptor can rapidly trigger the local release of agonists for a second receptor via a process termed ‘transactivation’. Thus, the end response can represent a cooperative signalling process involving two or more receptors linked by transactivation. This overview, with a focus on the GPCR, protease‐activated receptor‐1, integrates both of these processes to predict the complex array of responses that can arise when biased receptor signalling also involves the receptor transactivation process. The therapeutic implications of this signalling matrix are also briefly discussed.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of G Protein‐Coupled Receptors. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v173.20/issuetoc
High invasive ant activity drives predation of a native butterfly larva
Authors: Lach Lori , Volp Trevor M. , Greenwood Todd A. , Rose Annaleice 
Published: December 2015

AbstractYellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) threaten invertebrates on many tropical islands, but little work has been done in continental ecosystems. We found 4.4–16.0 times more cruiser butterfly caterpillars were attacked in Australian rain forest sites with A. gracilipes than in native ant sites, and extrafloral nectar had little influence.
Epigenetics in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Miyazaki Yusei , Niino Masaaki 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThe development of multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic regulation is a biological phenomenon defined as the modification of gene expression without alteration of the DNA sequence, and is currently thought to underlie the interactions between the genetic and environmental risks of MS. The molecular mechanisms of epigenetics include DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs. Observational data obtained from epidemiological studies of MS, such as the parent‐of‐origin effect and the longitudinal increase in female patients, suggest that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in MS development, although the molecular basis remains unclear. Interestingly, environmental factors related to the development of MS, such as Epstein‐Barr virus, smoking, and vitamin D, have been shown to regulate gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms in some experimental settings. One study showed no reproducible differences among DNA methylation profiles in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells between three monozygotic twin pairs discordant for MS. However, several studies have shown that dysregulated DNA methylation of genes is related to abnormal immune reactions and post‐translational modifications of myelin proteins in MS brain samples. In addition, abnormal microRNA profiles have been reported in brain tissues and peripheral blood immune cells obtained from MS patients. In this article, we will review the studies on the epigenetics of MS and discuss the perspectives for future research.
Office spirometry correlates with laboratory spirometry in patients with symptomatic asthma and COPD
Authors: Bambra Gurpreet , Jalota Leena , Kapoor Chandni , Mills Paul K. , Vempilly Jose Joseph , Jain Vipul V. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectivesSpirometry remains underutilized in the evaluation of obstructive lung disease. While office spirometry (OS) has been compared to formal laboratory‐based spirometry (LS) in healthy subjects, the correlation has never been formally assessed in patients with symptomatic obstructive lung disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation in this population.MethodsWe used a retrospective study design to analyze spirometry data from patients that underwent both OS and LS. Two flow sensing office (portable) spirometers were used and compared with laboratory‐based (body plethymosgraph) spirometer. Accuracy and reliability were assessed using Bland Altman analysis.ResultsAmong 185 patients with symptomatic obstructive lung disease, 129 had undergone both OS and LS. Of these, 107 patients had both tests performed less than 90 days apart and were included in final analyses. Mean age was 54 years with mean FEV1 of 1.97 L (65% predicted). Ninety‐two patients had airflow obstruction, as determined by a FEV1/FVC ratio of <70%. We found significant correlation in the values between OS and LS for both FEV1 and FVC (r = 0.937 and 0.90, respectively, P < 0.001). Eighty‐seven percent of patients had a concordant spirometry in terms of airflow obstruction. Correlation was independent of the office spirometer (and hence the Flow‐sensing mechanism) used.ConclusionsIn patients with known asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), OS is accurate and reliable when compared to formal laboratory‐based spirometry. Routine use of OS should be encouraged to improve spirometry utilization and healthcare outcomes in patients with Asthma and COPD.
Effect of 6‐minute walk test on neuromuscular properties of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Pereira Juliana Saraiva , Lemos Fernando de Aguiar , Di Naso Fábio Cangeri , Krüger Renata , de Oliveira Alice , Knorst Marli Maria , Dias Alexandre Simões 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the neuromechanical properties of the knee extensor muscles before and after the 6‐minute walk test (6MWT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and control subjects.Materials and MethodsCOPD patients from the Department of Pulmonology of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre and age‐ and sex‐matched control volunteers without COPD were included in this study. Body composition and lower limb strength assessed by maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee extensors) were assessed before and after the 6MWT. The total reaction time (TRT), premotor time (PMT) and motor time (MT) were assessed using surface electromyography of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis knee extensor muscles.ResultsEighteen patients COPD patients (10 men, FEV1 36 ± 12% of predicted) and 8 control subjects (5 men, FEV1 82 ± 7% of predicted) were included. COPD patients had lower muscle strength before (21.77 ± 7.86 kg) and after the 6MWT (11.16 ± 4.70 kg) compared with control subjects (33.50 ± 14.01 kg before; 29.25 ± 16.66 kg after). After the 6MWT, COPD patients showed a significant reduction in the MVIC and a significant increase in the TRT and PMT, which did not occur in control subjects. The reaction time parameters were higher in COPD patients after the 6MWT compared with control subjects. The TRT (r = −0.535, P < 0.005) and PMT (r = −0.549, P < 0.005) were inversely correlated with the MVIC after the 6MWT.ConclusionsNeuromuscular changes associated with upper motor neuron activation contribute to MVIC impairment in COPD patients after performing a functional test.
Arm strength training improves activities of daily living and occupational performance in patients with COPD
Authors: Calik‐Kutukcu Ebru , Arikan Hulya , Saglam Melda , Vardar‐Yagli Naciye , Oksuz Cigdem , Inal‐Ince Deniz , Savci Sema , Duger Tulin , Coplu Lutfi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractObjectivesArm strength training may improve functional performance for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This trial investigated the effects of arm strength training on arm exercise capacity, activities of daily living (ADL) and occupational performance in patients with COPD.MethodsThese was a randomized controlled trial in an outpatient clinic. Forty‐two stable patients with COPD were randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. The treatment group underwent an 8‐week (23 sessions) arm strength training programme. Both groups completed daily breathing exercises at home. Tests included hand grip strength, arm ergometer test, the Glittre‐ADL and ADL Simulation tests and measures included the Milliken ADL Scale (MAS) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM).ResultsStatistically significant increases were detected in hand grip strength and %hand grip strength values, peak arm ergometer workload and the number of ADL simulation test cycles for the treatment group (P < 0.05). Significant decreases were also found in dyspnea and arm fatigue perception during arm ergometer test, and heart rate and dyspnea perception during Glittre‐ADL test in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The treatment group also showed significant increases in MAS‐house cleaning and laundry and MAS‐other activities integrated scores and COPM‐performance and satisfaction scores (P < 0.05).ConclusionsArm strength training increases peripheral muscle strength, arm exercise capacity, ADL performance and patients’ ADL performance satisfaction. Training decreases dyspnea and arm fatigue perception during supported arm exercises, and dyspnea perception during ADL. Arm strength training is a reliable and feasible treatment for COPD patients.
Confrontations on Karst: Antibiocide Activism in theOzarks,UnitedStates
Authors: Campbell Brian C. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn response to unannounced herbicide spraying on electric line easements,OzarkHighlands' residents confronted their rural electric cooperative and requested they cease; and when that failed, they asked me to produce a documentary film and looked into legal recourse. This paper presents the ethnohistorical and ethnographic research foundation for the applied anthropology project that became the documentary filmThe Natural State of America. This includes exploration of the early 20th‐century battle over chemical cattle dips for tick eradication and late 20th‐century back‐to‐the‐lander activism againstU.S. Forest Service herbicide applications and the results of contemporary participant observation with activists combating their electric cooperative's spray program. The concluding discussion emphasizes environmental justice and the relationships between biocide opposition, subsistence strategies, and ecological awareness, highlighting discrepancies and common ground among the three phases of antibiocide activism.
Marshmallows for Alligators: Defining Ecotourism in Southwest Florida
Authors: Jones Barbara K. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractShould an ecotour operator feed marshmallows to wild alligators in the Florida Everglades? Observing the operator encourage alligators to approach an airboat so that the tourists onboard could see them provoked questions about what ecotourism is and what value it has for both the tourist industry and resource preservation. Is ecotourism merely a new label for an old product or is it a real effort to reengage the public in our natural and cultural heritage resources, but in an environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate way? To answer this question, this paper considers how the ecosystem service or natural resource capital model can help reconcile what ecotourism offers to both the traveling consumer and to those tasked with measuring and protecting our natural resources.
Reconsidering counselling and consent
Authors: Hall David R. , van Niekerk Anton A. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn the current era patient autonomy is enormously important. However, recently there has also been some movement back to ensure that trust in the doctor's skill, knowledge and virtue is not excluded in the process. These new nuances of informed consent have been referred to by terms such as beneficent paternalism, experience‐based paternalism and we would add virtuous paternalism. The purpose of this paper is to consider the history and current problematic nature of counselling and consent. Starting with the tradition founded by Hippocrates we trace and seek to understand how relevant aspects of the patient‐doctor relationship have evolved under the influences of subsequent moral theories. Finally we tentatively endorse certain modes of counselling in the current era in order to promote morally sound, good clinical practice.
Planetary Secularisms: Delayed Messianism, Climate Change, and the Space for Pluralism
Authors: Bauman Whitney A. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAs many scholars have pointed out, Western secularism (or neoliberalism) is itself a faith‐filled and religiously located concept. It forces other understandings of secularism (and along with it other religions) to adhere to the public reason/private faith distinction, for instance, or else face the charge of being unenlightened or somehow in the dark (ages). This article agrees with and builds upon these ongoing critiques of secularism by suggesting that the two important bio‐historical factors that are beginning to shed light on the religiously filled foundations of Western‐style secularity are those of globalization and climate change. The contemporary situation of globalization and climate change is forcing the hidden faith of secularism out of its foxhole.
Secular Epiphanies: The Anatheistic Hermeneutics of Gerard Manley Hopkins
Authors: Kearney Richard 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWhat might epiphany mean for a “secular” society? What does it mean after the death of God? This article explores the hermeneutics of immanent, planetary epiphanies in the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins. In the creative spaces between author, text, and reader new possibilities for becoming enter the world. As such we might be able to name these anatheistic epiphanies.
The Incremental Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Identification of Apical Pouch in Patients with Apical Variant of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Vucicevic Darko , Lester Steven J. , Appleton Christopher P. , Panse Prasad M. , Schleifer John William , Wilansky Susan 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundThe development of a left ventricular (LV) apical pouch in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (aHCM) has been thought to be the transition point that can become an apical aneurysm, which is linked to higher risk of adverse events. In our study, we sought to compare the ability of transthoracic echocardiography (echo) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) to accurately identify the presence of an apical pouch or aneurysm in patients with aHCM.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients that had features of aHCM on imaging. Data from cMRI and echo examinations were abstracted, and the ability of these diagnostic modalities to identify the presence of a LV apical pouch and aneurysm was analyzed.ResultsOf 31 patients with aHCM, 17 (54.8%) had an apical pouch and 2 were found to have apical aneurysm (6.5%) on cMRI. Echo with and without perflutren contrast was able to accurately identify both aneurysms, but only 47.1% (8/17) of apical pouches seen by cMRI. Two patients had apical thrombus that was identified by cMRI, but not by echo.ConclusionOur findings indicate that cMRI is superior to echo in identifying apical pouches in patients with aHCM. Our results also suggest that in patients undergoing echo, the use of perflutren contrast for LV opacification increases the diagnostic yield. Further study is necessary to delineate whether earlier identification of an apical pouch will be of clinical benefit for patients with aHCM by altering clinical management and avoiding adverse cardiovascular events.
Long‐term changes in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in Scotland
Authors: POZSGAI GABOR , BAIRD JOHN , LITTLEWOOD NICK A. , PAKEMAN ROBIN J. , YOUNG MARK R. 
Published: December 2015

1. One‐way, directional changes in both plant and animal associations are likely to be occurring as a result of changing climate. Current knowledge of long‐term cycles in insect communities is scarce, and therefore it is difficult to assess whether the observed changes in insect communities are the first part of a long‐term trend or parts of normal cycles.2. In this study multivariate methods were used to describe the trends in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages over an 18‐year (1994–2011) period at two Scottish sites. In order to have a deeper insight into the underlying processes, both environmental factors and the species driving the detected changes were investigated.3. In four out of the six sample transects, insect community compositions showed trends rather than fluctuating patterns. Hierarchical cluster analysis also revealed a clear separation, after accounting for sampling location and broad habitat, between early and later years of sampling. Decreasing annual maximum temperatures and increasing precipitation were identified as the main environmental drivers. Although increased rainfall was expected to be beneficial for hygrophilous species, in the transects in this study generalist species increased in dominance.4. The increasing importance of generalists, in the communities studied here, underlines the vulnerability of the specialist species and urges greater effort in their conservation. Assemblage changes along different trajectories at the sites in the present study could only be tracked using multivariate methods; commonly used diversity indices proved to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, the exclusive use of simple diversity indices should be discouraged and multivariate methods should be preferred in environmental assessments and conservation planning.
From Balance to Conflict: A New Constitution for the EU
Authors: Dawson Mark , de Witte Floris 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAs the crisis (and the Union's response to it) further develops, one thing appears clear: the European Union post‐crisis will be a very different animal from the pre‐crisis EU. This article offers an alternative model for the EU's constitutional future. Its objective is to invert the Union's current path‐dependency: changes to the way in which the Union works should serve to question, rather than entrench, its future objectives and trajectory. The paper argues that the post‐crisis EU requires a quite different normative, institutional and juridical framework. Such a framework must focus on reproducing the social and political cleavages that underlie authority on the national level and that allow divisive political choices to be legitimised. This reform project implies reshaping the prerogatives of the European institutions. Rather than seeking to prevent or bracket political conflict, the division of institutional competences and tasks should be rethought in order to allow the EU institutions to internalise within their decision‐making process the conflicts reproduced by social and political cleavages. Finally, a reformed legal order must play an active role as a facilitator and container of conflict over the ends of the integration project.
Equine orbital angiomatosis
Authors: Ludwig H. C. , Pucket J. D. , Shaw G. C. 
Published: December 2015

SummaryAngiomatosis refers to a vascular tumour consisting of several vascular, blood‐filled cavities with a lining of well‐differentiated endothelial cells. This condition is seen in very young cattle as a malformative process and has been documented in other animals as well. In horses, this disease has only rarely been described, with no reported lesions being found within the equine orbit. This report details the clinical findings, surgical exploration, histopathology, and long‐term follow‐up of an aged horse with orbital angiomatosis.
Children and Added Sugar: The Case for Restriction
Authors: Bach Theodore 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIt is increasingly clear that children's excessive consumption of products high in added (or extrinsic) sugar causes obesity and obesity‐related health problems like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Less clear is how best to address this problem through public health policy. In contrast to policies that might conflict with adult's right to self‐determination — for example sugar taxes and soda bans — this article proposes that children's access to products high in added sugars should be restricted in the same way that children's access to tobacco products is restricted. The article first considers how the recommended policy will protect a child's right to an open future while not violating parental rights. The article then explores how the implementation of the recommended policy can help transform the social meaning of sugar and thereby curb the parental supply of added sugar to children — a central cause of obesity. The article also addresses several potential objections.
Renal Denervation vs Pharmacotherapy for Resistant Hypertension: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Sun Dongdong , Li Chuang , Li Mei , Liu Jielin , Wen Shaojun 
Published: December 2015

The effect of renal denervation (RD) for resistant hypertension remains controversial because of the conflicting results of finished and ongoing studies. The authors performed a meta‐analysis of case‐control studies to identify whether renal sympathetic denervation or pharmacotherapy (PHAR) was more effective for resistant hypertension. A systematic Internet database search of relevant papers written in English was performed. A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 1096 patients. When comparing the RD group with the PHAR group, there was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (weighted mean difference, −12.81 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI], −22.77 mm Hg to −2.85 mm Hg; P=.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (weighted mean difference, −5.56; 95% CI, −8.15 mm Hg to −2.97 mm Hg; P<.0001). This pooled analysis shows that for patients with resistant hypertension, RD is more effective in reducing SBP and DBP than PHAR. RD may be more effective in special subgroups of patients, which needs to be identified in future investigations.
A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO STERILIZED FOREIGN EXCHANGE INTERVENTION
Authors: Villamizar‐Villegas* Mauricio , Perez‐Reyna David 
Published: December 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we survey prominent theories that have shaped the literature on sterilized foreign exchange interventions. We identify three main strands of literature: (1) that which deems interventions futile; (2) that which requires some market friction (i.e. limited arbitrage) in order for interventions to be effective; and (3) that which advocates the use of interventions as long as they convey signals on the stance of future monetary policy. We contribute to the literature in three important ways. First, by reviewing new theoretical models that have surfaced within the last decade. Second, by further penetrating into the theory of interventions in order to analyze the key features that make each model distinct. And third, by only focusing on sterilized operations, which allows us to sidestep the effects induced by changes in the stock of money supply. In addition, the models that we present comprise both a macro and microstructure approach so as to provide a comprehensive view of the theory behind exchange rate intervention.