bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hyperoxia Causes Mitochondrial Fragmentation in Pulmonary Endothelial Cells by Increasing Expression of Pro-Fission Proteins
Authors: Ma Cui , Beyer Andreas M. , Durand Matthew , Clough Anne V. , Zhu Daling , Norwood Toro Laura , Terashvili Maia , Ebben Johnathan D. , Hill R. Blake , Audi Said H. , Medhora Meetha , Jacobs Elizabeth R. 
Published: February 2018

Objective—
We explored mechanisms that alter mitochondrial structure and function in pulmonary endothelial cells (PEC) function after hyperoxia.

Approach and Results—
Mitochondrial structures of PECs exposed to hyperoxia or normoxia were visualized and mitochondrial fragmentation quantified. Expression of pro-fission or fusion proteins or autophagy-related proteins were assessed by Western blot. Mitochondrial oxidative state was determined using mito-roGFP. Tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester estimated mitochondrial polarization in treatment groups. The role of mitochondrially derived reactive oxygen species in mt-fragmentation was investigated with mito-TEMPOL and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage studied by using ENDO III (mt-tat-endonuclease III), a protein that repairs mDNA damage. Drp-1 (dynamin-related protein 1) was overexpressed or silenced to test the role of this protein in cell survival or transwell resistance. Hyperoxia increased fragmentation of PEC mitochondria in a time-dependent manner through 48 hours of exposure. Hyperoxic PECs exhibited increased phosphorylation of Drp-1 (serine 616), decreases in Mfn1 (mitofusion protein 1), but increases in OPA-1 (optic atrophy 1). Pro-autophagy proteins p62 (LC3 adapter–binding protein SQSTM1/p62), PINK-1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1), and LC3B (microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3) were increased. Returning cells to normoxia for 24 hours reversed the increased mt-fragmentation and changes in expression of pro-fission proteins. Hyperoxia-induced changes in mitochondrial structure or cell survival were mitigated by antioxidants mito-TEMPOL, Drp-1 silencing, or inhibition or protection by the mitochondrial endonuclease ENDO III. Hyperoxia induced oxidation and mitochondrial depolarization and impaired transwell resistance. Decrease in resistance was mitigated by mito-TEMPOL or ENDO III and reproduced by overexpression of Drp-1.

Conclusions—
Because hyperoxia evoked mt-fragmentation, cell survival and transwell resistance are prevented by ENDO III and mito-TEMPOL and Drp-1 silencing, and these data link hyperoxia-induced mt-DNA damage, Drp-1 expression, mt-fragmentation, and PEC dysfunction.
Cardioprotective Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Heart Failure
Authors: Zhou Ling , Miao Kun , Yin Bingjiao , Li Huaping , Fan Jiahui , Zhu Yazhen , Ba Hongping , Zhang Zunyue , Chen Fang , Wang Jing , Zhao Chunxia , Li Zhuoya , Wang Dao Wen 
Published: February 2018

Background:
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that expand in cancer, inflammation, and infection and negatively regulate inflammation and the immune response. Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome wherein inflammation induction and incomplete resolution can potentially contribute to HF development and progression. However, the role of MDSCs in HF remains unclear.

Methods:

The percentage of MDSCs in patients with HF and in mice with pressure overload–induced HF using isoproterenol infusion or transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was detected by flow cytometry. The effects of MDSCs on isoproterenol- or TAC-induced HF were observed on depleting MDSCs with 5-fluorouracil (50 mg/kg) or gemcitabine (120 mg/kg), transferring purified MDSCs, or enhancing endogenous MDSCs with rapamycin (2 mg·kg
−1
·d
−1
). Hypertrophic markers and inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA, real-time polymerase chain reaction, or Western blot. Cardiac functions were determined by echocardiography and hemodynamic analysis.

Results:

The percentage of human leukocyte antigen-D–related (HLA-DR)
−
CD33
+
CD11b
+
MDSCs in the blood of patients with HF was significantly increased and positively correlated with disease severity and increased plasma levels of cytokines, including interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor–β. Furthermore, MDSCs derived from patients with HF inhibited T-cell proliferation and interferon-γ secretion. Similar results were observed in TAC- and isoproterenol-induced HF in mice. Pharmaceutical depletion of MDSCs significantly exacerbated isoproterenol- and TAC-induced pathological cardiac remodeling and inflammation, whereas adoptive transfer of MDSCs prominently rescued isoproterenol- and TAC-induced HF. Consistently, administration of rapamycin significantly increased endogenous MDSCs by suppressing their differentiation and improved isoproterenol- and TAC-induced HF, but MDSC depletion mostly blocked beneficial rapamycin-mediated effects. Mechanistically, MDSC-secreted molecules suppressed isoproterenol-induced hypertrophy and proinflammatory gene expression in cardiomyocytes in a coculture system. Neutralization of interleukin-10 blunted both monocytic MDSC- and granulocytic MDSC–mediated anti-inflammatory and antihypertrophic effects, but treatment with a nitric oxide inhibitor only partially blocked the antihypertrophic effect of monocytic MDSCs.

Conclusions:
Our findings revealed a cardioprotective role of MDSCs in HF by their antihypertrophic effects on cardiomyocytes and anti-inflammatory effects through interleukin-10 and nitric oxide. Pharmacological targeting of MDSCs by rapamycin constitutes a promising therapeutic strategy for HF.
Liver X Receptor–Binding DNA Motif Associated With Atherosclerosis‐Specific DNA Methylation Profiles of
Alu
Elements and Neighboring CpG Islands
Authors: Tristán‐Flores Fabiola E. , Guzmán Plinio , Ortega‐Kermedy Melany S. , Cruz‐Torres Gabriela , de la Rocha Carmen , Silva‐Martínez Guillermo A. , Rodríguez‐Ríos Dalia , Alvarado‐Caudillo Yolanda , Barbosa‐Sabanero Gloria , Sayols Sergi , Lund Gertrud , Zaina Silvio 
Published: February 2018

Background

The signals that determine atherosclerosis‐specific
DNA
methylation profiles are only partially known. We previously identified a 29‐bp
DNA
motif (differential methylation motif [
DMM]
) proximal to CpG islands (
CGI
s) that undergo demethylation in advanced human atheromas. Those data hinted that the
DMM
docks modifiers of
DNA
methylation and transcription.

Methods and Results

We sought to functionally characterize the
DMM
. We showed that the
DMM
overlaps with the
RNA
polymerase
III
–binding B box of
Alu
short interspersed nuclear elements and contains a
DR
2 nuclear receptor response element. Pointing to a possible functional role for an
Alu
DMM
,
CGI
s proximal (<100 bp) to near‐intact
DMM
–harboring
Alu
are significantly less methylated relative to
CGI
s proximal to degenerate
DMM
–harboring
Alu
or to
DMM
‐devoid mammalian‐wide interspersed repeat short interspersed nuclear elements in human arteries. As for
DMM
‐binding factors, LXRB (liver X receptor β) binds the
DMM
in a
DR
2‐dependent fashion, and LXR (liver X receptor) agonists induce significant hypermethylation of the bulk of
Alu
in
THP
‐1 cells. Furthermore, we describe 3 intergenic long noncoding
RNA
s that harbor a
DMM
, are under transcriptional control by
LXR
agonists, and are differentially expressed between normal and atherosclerotic human aortas. Notably,
CGI
s adjacent to those long noncoding
RNA
s tend to be hypomethylated in symptomatic relative to stable human atheromas.

Conclusions

Collectively, the data suggest that a
DMM
is associated with 2 distinct methylation states: relatively low methylation of
in cis
CGI
s and
Alu
element hypermethylation. Based on the known atheroprotective role of
LXR
s, we propose that
LXR
agonist–induced
Alu
hypermethylation, a landmark of atherosclerosis, is a compensatory rather than proatherogenic response.
Jews and Judaism in Classical Sufi Literature
Authors: Russ-Fishbane Elisha 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
This paper addresses a paradox at the heart of the classical Sufi tradition. On the one hand, key Sufi writers express a radical universalism or ‘transconfessionalism’ in their mystical verse. This has led a variety of modern scholars to identify Sufism as an ecumenical and non-dogmatic tradition. On the other hand, in other writings the selfsame authors conduct a vigorous literary polemic and celebrate missionary efforts against unbelievers of all stripes, yet with a notable emphasis on Jewish unbelievers. This article examines the image of Jews and Judaism in key Sufi texts in both Arabic and Persian between the tenth and thirteenth centuries through a variety of motifs, including the construction of the Jew as embodiment of the demonic and as archetypal unbeliever. These images become critical to the literary function of the Jew in classical Sufi texts with little connection to their historical role in Near Eastern societies.
Sufi Poetry in Twentieth-Century Nigeria
Authors: Brigaglia Andrea 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
This article presents the translation and analysis of two poems (the first in Arabic, the second in Hausa) authored by one of the most famous twentieth-century Islamic scholars and Tijānī Sufis of Kano (Nigeria), Abū Bakr al-ʿAtīq b. Khiḍr (1909–74). As examples of two genres of Sufi poetry that are rather unusual in West Africa (the khamriyya or wine ode and the ghazal or love ode), these poems are important literary and religious documents. From the literary point of view, they are vivid testimonies of the vibrancy of the Sufi qaṣīda tradition in West Africa, and of the capacity of local authors to move across its various genres. From the religious point of view, they show the degree to which the West African Sufis mastered the Sufi tradition, both as a set of spiritual practices and techniques and as a set of linguistic tools to speak of the inner.
Relationship Between Kinematic and Physiological Indices During Braking Events of Different Intensities
Authors: Musicant Oren , Botzer Assaf , Laufer Ilan , Collet Christian 
Published: February 2018

Objective To study the relationship between physiological indices and kinematic indices during braking events of different intensities. Background Based on mental workload theory, driving and other task demands may generate changes in physiological indices, such as the driver’s heart rate and skin conductance. However, no attempts were made to associate changes in physiological indices with changes in vehicle kinematics that result from the driver attempts to meet task demands. Method Twenty-five drivers participated in a field experiment. We manipulated braking demands using roadside signs to communicate the speed (km/h) before braking (50 or 60) and the target speed for braking (30 or to a complete stop). In an additional session, we asked drivers to brake as if they were responding to an impending collision. We analyzed the relationship between the intensities of braking events as measured by deceleration values (g) and changes in heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin conductance. Results All physiological indices were associated with deceleration intensity. Especially salient were the differences in physiological indices between the intensive (|g| > 0.5) and nonintensive braking events. The strongest relationship was between braking intensity and skin conductance. Conclusions Skin conductance, heart rate, and heart rate variability can mirror the mental workload elicited by varying braking intensities. Application Associating vehicle kinematics with physiological indices related to short-term driving events may help improve the performance of driver assistance systems.
On the sense of justice
Authors: Gorman Warren 
Published: February 2018

The sense of justice is a universal psychosocial preoccupation that has developed in both the individual and society during the course of civilization. A doctrine, a concept, and a striving comprise its three parts. The first of these finds its origins in fairness as command, fairness as contract, utilitarianism and divine command. The concept of justice is inherent in the child's expression of social justice, as suggested by Piaget, and brilliantly developed by Kohlberg. The striving for justice that is regulated through the harsh superego produces the “injustice collector” and the urge toward retribution; the benign superego encourages orderliness and affectionateness which is essential to the mutual respect that is required for the highest level of moral justice.
Civil liabilities of government psychotherapists and agencies for the release of the mentally ill
Authors: Del Carmen Rolando V. 
Published: February 2018

The release of the mentally ill carries potential liabilities, under state and federal laws, for psychotherapists and agencies. While plaintiffs have had no widespread success in liability lawsuits, damage awards have been given in cases where there is abuse of discretion, gross negligence, or lack of due care; when the injury is foreseeable; and when a special relationship exists between the victim and the released patient. Case law suggests several operational models in cases where liability is imposed. Among these are the foreseeability model, the special relationship model, and the strict liability model. This article suggests a modified strict liability model where the government, instead of the injured party or the psychotherapist, generally bears the burden of loss.
Pathophysiology of telangiectasias of the lower legs and its therapeutic implication: A systematic review
Authors: Kern P 
Published: February 2018

Objective Telangiectasias of the lower legs are intradermal dilatations of the subpapillary venous plexus, but their pathophysiology and risk factors are still largely unknown. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the pathophysiology and risk factors for telangiectasias. Methods A systematic review of the literature indexed in Medline completed with textbooks and European phlebology journals from the French, Swiss, and German phlebology societies was performed. Results A multitude of risk factors and several pathophysiological hypotheses, such as reflux, arterio-venous micro-shunts, parietal, and connective tissue abnormalities, are described in the literature. The different hypotheses are discussed and put in a clinical perspective, in particular their therapeutic implications for phlebologists. Conclusion In conclusion, pathophysiology and risk factors of telangiectasias are still largely unknown, and a better understanding could improve treatment results and reduce recurrence.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) in systemic lupus erythematosus: relation to disease activity, organ damage and immunological findings
Authors: Waldron J , Raymond W , Ostli-Eilertsen G , Nossent J 
Published: February 2018

Background Insulin growth factor-1 (IGF1) activates cell proliferation pathways and inhibits apoptosis. IGF1 is involved in tumour growth and required for T-cell independent activation of B cells. Activated B cells and autoantibody production are a hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the possible role of IGF1 in SLE, we studied IGF1 across clinical characteristics, immunological biomarkers, disease activity and organ damage in SLE patients. Method In a cross-sectional study, we collected clinical characteristics, medication, disease activity (SLEDAI-2K) and organ damage (SDI) for 94 SLE patients. Autoantibodies and cytokines were measured by ELISA, and levels of IGF1 and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) by chemiluminescence. Free IGF1 was estimated by the IGF1:IGFBP3 ratio. Healthy controls served as a comparator group. Results There was a significant age-related decline in IGF1, IGFBP3 and free IGF1 (IGF1:IGFBP3 ratio) that was similar in SLE patients and controls with very few outliers. Free IGF1 was inversely related to blood pressure (Rs −0.327, p < 0.01) and HbA1c (Rs −0.31, p < 0.01). Free IGF1 was higher in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-treated patients ( p < 0.01), but there was no significant association between the IGF1 axis and autoantibody profiles, cytokine levels or SLEDAI-2K or SDI categories. IGF1 correlated inversely with BAFF level and B, natural killer and CD8 + cell counts. Conclusion Free IGF1 levels in SLE patients declined appropriately with age. IGF1 levels were not associated with disease activity, severity or autoantibody levels in SLE. Free IGF1 had positive metabolic effects in SLE and may play an indirect role in dampening the cellular immune response by downregulating B- and T-cell activity.
Measurement of Overall and Disease-Specific Health Status: Does the Order of Questionnaires Make a Difference?
Authors: Barry Michael J. , Walker-Corkery Elizabeth , Chang YuChiao , Tyll Lynda T. , Cherkin Daniel C. , Fowler Floyd J. 
Published: February 2018

Objectives: This study was designed to detect any effect of order when modules on disease-specific and overall health status are combined in an outcomes research questionnaire. Methods: Men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were prospectively enrolled in a clinical trial of an educational intervention in Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, a prepaid group practice. Within the trial, 392 consecutive men were randomized to one of two versions of a baseline questionnaire. One had a 38-item module on BPH-specific health status first, followed by a 30-item module on overall health status; the other had the modules in reverse order. Scores were compared for three BPH-specific scales and eight scales measuring overall health. Data were collected in the form of self-administered questionnaires. Results: Comparing the groups assigned the two versions of the questionnaire, no significant differences in scores on any of the health status scales were found. Conclusions: In this dataset, we could find no evidence of an order effect when modules on BPH-specific and overall health status were combined in different sequences.
Where Do Internal Markets Come from and Can They Work?
Authors: McGuire Alistair 
Published: February 2018

The basis for the argument in favour of the internal market as a means of allocating resources within the health care sector has never been made fully explicit. In particular, the link between the economic theory of market allocation and the specific pricing rules adopted by a number of health care sectors to allocate resources is rarely a focus of attention. Health sector objectives are rarely specified. The mechanisms which remedy failure in the exchange process are not explicitly defined. In short, the optimal structural conditions for the operation of internal markets are not known. The central argument pursued here is that, as this is the case, and using the UK as an example, there are no criteria to which purchasers or providers can turn to assess the operation of exchange within the internal market. Not surprisingly, the internal market dissolves into a number of individual bilateral agreements between purchasers and providers which may or may not increase efficiency in allocating health sector resources.
Problems with Recruitment in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Counselling in General Practice: Causes and Implications
Authors: Fairhurst Karen , Dowrick Christopher 
Published: February 2018

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of counselling in the management of minor psychiatric morbidity in general practice, and to explore the reasons for difficulties in recruiting patients to such an evaluation. Methods: We attempted to conduct a randomized controlled trial of counselling in eight general practices in one NHS family health services authority area in England. Having experienced significant problems recruiting patients, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews ( n = 8) with participating GPs to explore the reasons for these difficulties. Results: Five months after the start of the study only one patient had been recruited. The main reasons identified as contributing to the recruitment problems were: General practitioners' motivation for involvement in the study; their ethical doubts about the randomization process; the perceived lack of a viable non-counselling intervention; and their existing practical commitment to counselling. Conclusion: Although methodological modification might enhance the potential for success in future studies of this sort, more fundamental difficulties concerning general practitioners' attitudes to research and their professional responsibilities lie at the heart of our recruitment problems.
A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Health Service Interventions Aimed at Reducing Inequalities in Health
Authors: Arblaster Lorna , Lambert Mark , Entwistle Vikki , Forster Martin , Fullerton Deirdre , Sheldon Trevor , Watt Ian 
Published: February 2018

Objective: To review the available evidence in order to identify effective interventions which health services alone or in collaboration with other agencies could use to reduce inequalities in health. Methods: A search of the literature was undertaken using a number of databases including Medlin (from 1990), Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts (1987–1994), and the System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (1984–1994), on a large range of key words. Studies were included if they assessed interventions designed to reduce inequalities in health or improve the health of a population group relevant to the review, and could be carried out by a health service alone or in collaboration with other agencies. Only studies evaluating interventions using an experimental design were included. Papers in any language were considered. In addition, systematic reviews of the research on the effectiveness of health promotion and the treatment of conditions where there are significant health inequalities were identified in order to illustrate the potential for reducing inequalities in health. Results: 94 studies were identified which satisfied all the inclusion criteria and 21 reviews were included. A number of interventions have been shown to improve the health of groups who are disadvantaged by socio-economic class, ethnicity or age and, if properly targeted, could be expected to reduce health inequalities. If a health intervention is being used, there should be evidence that it has an impact on health status. Attention should then be given to the way in which the intervention is delivered and the characteristics of a programme to promote implementation. Characteristics of successful interventions specifically aimed at reducing health differentials include: Systematic and intensive approaches to delivering effective health care; improvement in access and prompts to encourage the use of services; strategies employing a combination of interventions and those involving a multi-disciplinary approach; ensuring interventions address the expressed or identified needs of the target population; and the involvement of peers in the delivery of interventions. However, these characteristics alone are not sufficient for success, nor are they universally necessary. Conclusions: Although it is likely that the most significant contributions to reducing health inequalities will be in improving economic and social conditions and the physical environment, there are interventions which health services, either alone or in collaboration with other agencies, can use to reduce inequalities in health.