bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Catechin Treatment Ameliorates Diabetes and Its Complications in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Samarghandian Saeed , Azimi-Nezhad Mohsen , Farkhondeh Tahereh 
Published: February 2017

Context: Diabetes mellitus causes atherosclerosis and lipid abnormalities. Hypolipidemic and antioxidative properties of catechin (CTN) have been reported in several studies. Objective: This study assesses the possible protective effects of CTN against oxidative damage in the diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: The rats were divided into the control, untreated diabetic, and 3 CTN-treated diabetic groups (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg/d, intraperitoneal). The diabetic rats were induced by streptozotocin. Catechin was injected for 4 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, glucose, lipid profile, apoprotein A-I (apo A-I), apoprotein B (apo B), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and antioxidant enzymes including glutathione- S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were determined in serum. Statistical analyses were performed using the InStat 3.0 program. Results: Streptozotocin caused an elevation of glucose, MDA, triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apo B with reduction in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apo A-I, SOD, CAT, and GST in the serum ( P < .05). The findings showed that the significant elevation in the body weight, glucose, MDA, TG, TC, LDL-C, and apo B and reduction in HDL-C, apo A-I, SOD, CAT, and GST were ameliorated in the CTN-treated diabetic groups versus the untreated group, in a dose-dependent manner ( P < .05). Conclusion: The present investigation proposes that CTN may ameliorate diabetes and its complications by modification of oxidative stress.
Can breast ultrasound reduce patient’s level of anxiety and pain?
Authors: Zarei Fariba , Pishdad Parisa , Hatami Mohammad , Zeinali-Rafsanjani Banafsheh 
Published: February 2017

Background Breast pain is one of the most common complaints of women attending a gynecology clinic and general practitioners. This pain can cause anxiety and, consequently, reduce the woman’s quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the severity of pain and anxiety in patients with breast pain and normal examination, before and after breast sonography. Materials and methods Among the patients with breast pain and normal examination who came for breast sonography in three centers in Shiraz during 2011–2012, 51 patients agreed to cooperate in this project. These patients filled out the questionnaire for evaluation of pain and anxiety before and after breast sonography. Results Sonography findings indicated that 88% of patients have normal sonography without any finding. The average amounts of pain severity before and after sonography were 3.3 and 2.4, respectively ( p < 0.005). The average amounts of anxiety severity in patients before and after sonography were 51.9 and 37.9, respectively ( p < 0.005). Conclusion This study shows the severity of pain and anxiety after ultrasonography decreased significantly. It can be concluded that ultrasound findings, which reassure the patients that they do not have specific pathology, can reduce the pain and anxiety by its impact on psychological status of the patient.
Attenuation of N-glycosylation causes polarity and adhesion defects in the C. elegans embryo
Authors: Stevens Julia , Spang Anne 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT
The Caenorhabditis elegans early embryo is highly polarized, requiring sequestration of cytoplasmic polarity factors at the plasma membrane. This compartmentalization aids asymmetric distribution of lipids and proteins, which is partially responsible for the fates of the daughter cells. Since most plasma membrane proteins are glycosylated, we determined the effect of attenuation of N-glycosylation on cell polarity. While polarity establishment was not perturbed, the size difference between the two cells formed in first cell division (AB and P1) was more variable in embryos with reduced N-glycosylation than in the mock-treated embryos. In addition, among other deficiencies, we observed spindle orientation defects in two-cell embryos. Moreover, cell–cell adhesion was specifically lost at the two-cell stage when N-glycosylation was reduced. This loss-of-adhesion phenotype was rescued by interfering with polarity establishment, indicating that polarity establishment enforces plasma membrane compartmentalization. Consistent with this idea, the decreased plasma membrane levels of the adhesion proteins E-cadherin and MAGI-1 in ribo-1(RNAi) embryos were restored in the absence of functional PAR-2. Our data suggest a general role for N-glycosylation in plasma membrane compartmentalization and cell polarity.
Widely Tunable Plasmon Resonances from Visible to Near-Infrared of Hollow Silver Nanoshells
Authors: Kado Shinpei , Yokomine Shoichi , Kimura Keiichi 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Tuning of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanostructures has attracted a great deal of interest, and the controlled syntheses of them have been extensively studied for fine tuning of their LSPR. In this paper, we report widely tunable LSPR from visible to near-infrared of hollow silver nanoshells synthesized by reduction of silver thiocyanate. The silver nanoshell exhibits size- and thickness-dependent LSPR for symmetric dipole mode from visible to near-infrared regions, while the antisymmetric dipole resonance is not changed. By combining characterization of the nanoshells by transmission electron microscopy and theoretical simulation based on discrete dipole approximation, we reveal that the LSPRs are controlled by the size and shell thickness of the nanoshells and also that dimples on the shell surfaces would significantly affect the LSPRs of symmetric dipole, and quadrupole mode for larger nanoshells.
σ-CAM Mechanisms for the Hydrogenation of Alkenes by cis- and trans-Disilametallacyclic Carbonyl Complexes (M = Fe, Ru, Os): Experimental and Theoretical Studies
Authors: Hoshi Konoka , Tahara Atsushi , Sunada Yusuke , Tsutsumi Hironori , Inoue Ryoko , Tanaka Hiromasa , Shiota Yoshihito , Yoshizawa Kazunari , Nagashima Hideo 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The hydrogenation of alkenes catalyzed by disilametallacyclic carbonyl complexes of iron, ruthenium or osmium was studied experimentally and theoretically. The disilaruthenacycle 2 with two CO ligands in the trans-configuration was prepared, characterized, and its ability to catalyze hydrogenation was studied. Similar to the corresponding iron analogue 1 in which the CO ligands are in the cis-configuration, 2 contains a H2MSi4 core with Si⋯H⋯Si SISHA (secondary interaction of silicon and hydrogen atoms) and catalyzed the hydrogenation of several alkenes under mild conditions. DFT calculations of 1 and 2 with cis- and trans-CO configurations (cis-1, trans-1, cis-2 and trans-2) revealed that the mechanism of ethylene hydrogenation comprises three catalytic cycles, and a key step involves the H-H bond of H2 being activated by an M-Si bond through oxidative hydrogen migration. These mechanisms are a variety of σ-CAM (σ-complex-assisted metathesis) mechanisms. Further calculations suggest that these catalytic cycles can apply to the catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene by osmium analogues of 1 and 2 (cis-3 and trans-3). Some of the elementary reactions in the cycles are dependent on the metal, and the osmium complexes show different performance from the iron and ruthenium analogues due to the characteristic natures of the third-row transition metals.
Bond Risk Premia and Gaussian Term Structure Models
Authors: Feunou Bruno , Fontaine Jean-Sébastien 
Published: February 2017

Existing results show that (i) lagged forward rates help predict bond returns and (ii) modern Markovian dynamic term structure models (DTSMs) cannot match the evidence [Cochrane JH, Piazzesi M (2005) Bond risk premia. Amer. Econom. Rev. 95(1):138–160]. We develop the family of conditional mean DTSMs where the dynamics depend on current yields and their history through a moving-average component. Our preferred conditional mean model combines one moving average with the usual three Gaussian risk factors, closely matches the bond risk premium measured from predictive regressions, and provides better forecasts of bond returns. Our framework nests Duffee’s models with a small “hidden” factor [Duffee G (2011) Information in (and not in) the term structure. Rev. Financial Stud. 24(9):2895–2934], and our results compare favorably with his five-factor model. Conditional mean models are easier to estimate than state-space term structure models based on Kalman estimates of latent factors. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2602 . This paper was accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance.
Truck Scheduling in the Postal Service Industry
Authors: Boysen Nils , Fedtke Stefan , Weidinger Felix 
Published: February 2017

The distribution networks of the postal service industry are organized according to the hub-and-spoke paradigm, so that parcel distribution centers play a crucial role to consolidate the parcel flows to full truckloads. In these terminals, inbound trucks are unloaded at gates, shipments are identified, sorted by the central sortation conveyor system, and loaded into outbound trailers, in which they are moved toward their next destination. In this context, the scheduling of inbound trucks, which assigns a gate and a processing interval to each truck, is an essential operational decision problem. We formalize the resulting optimization problem and provide suited solution procedures. Furthermore, we test the impact of truck scheduling on the sortation performance of the central conveyor system with the help of a comprehensive terminal simulation. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2016.0722 .
Discourses supporting socio-economic inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the United Kingdom
Authors: Barford Anna 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Socio-economic inequalities are often studied at the country or local level, which offers insight into local dynamics and perceptions. This article considers discourses of inequality within and between countries, enabling a consideration of the web of connections between places and ideas. The three studied countries are spread along a continuum, with varying national wealth and diverse regional locations: Kenya, Mexico and the United Kingdom. This international comparative approach identifies some key discursive ways of supporting inequality that persist in diverse neo-liberal settings. Specific discursive devices include the focus on personal aspirations, opportunities, denial of problems, discrediting alternatives and framing inequality as being natural.
Mobility and household forms as adaptive strategies of rural populations
Authors: Camarero Luis , Oliva Jesús 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Social and territorial inequalities take on new dimensions in times of economic recession. The impact of the crisis on policies aimed at achieving equity in access to opportunities and the provision of public services has been particularly acute in rural areas of Southern Europe. This article analyses the role that mobility, household composition and family networks play in the strategies that social groups use when facing such periods of uncertainty. We first analyse the changes in the forms of rural governance and in policies aimed at rural territories and societies. Second, we look at the role that mobility and rural households have historically played in strategies of resistance in times of crisis. The plasticity that family and household forms offer in shaping relations of intergenerational solidarity – caring for dependents, material assistance, etc. – is an essential resource in these strategies. These issues are illustrated with examples from fieldwork carried out in the Pyrenees in the region of Navarre. In contrast to the traditional equivalence assumed between the family as a kinship group, the home as a domestic partnership and the household as a space of single residency, our analysis sees them as independent. Our research shows that, in the adaptive strategies of family groups, mobility, networks between homes and the advantages of territorial localization play an essential role.
Trends in income inequality: Comparing the United States and Portugal
Authors: Cantante Frederico 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
This article presents a comparative analysis of the United States and Portugal in terms of economic inequality from the early twentieth century to the present decade. We use different measures of inequality from several statistical sources. The article revolves around three complementary points. The first is a synchronic and diachronic analysis of economic inequalities Portugal and the United States, the second is the issue of redistribution of income and the final analysis addresses the evolution of top incomes in both countries.
Who are you calling sub/urban? Socio-spatial inequality and mobility in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area
Authors: Santos Sofia 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
This article addresses the socio-territorial heterogeneity of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) and its relationship with different types of mobility. We first use the 2011 Census to interpret the socio-demographic diversity of the LMA. We employ multivariate analysis to identify differentiating dimensions that distinguish between metropolitan parishes and use them to define groups. We then describe the mobility patterns of employees and students by constructing another typology of parishes (cluster analysis). Finally, we cross-reference the two typologies – socio-territorial and mobility – to show how space and society interact in the production of mobility in the LMA. The different patterns of mobility in the LMA are considered both a result and a reproduction factor of inequality in access to the metropolitan space.
New elements for an analysis on the dynamics of the classroom in secondary education
Authors: Ferreira Nuno 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The importance of the impact of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) on society and the everyday life of social actors has allowed sociological analysis to extend its grasp far beyond the obvious features of the network society. Since the incidence of these phenomena intersects with ways of communicating and accessing information, it becomes increasingly reasonable to consider a series of changes and reconfigurations within teaching contexts and, essentially, the educational relationship. The analysis of the secondary classroom must take these emerging realities into account and combine them with existing models. This article proposes widening the sociological debate around school changes, contributing with new analytical features concerning classroom ethnography.
Book reviews
Authors: Ferreira David , Mushtaq Sabah 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
The EU and the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Strategies, Policies, Actions, S. Blavoukos, D. Bourantonis and C. Portela (eds) (2015) London: Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN: 9781137378439, h/bk, 264 pp., £68
State of War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1945–2011, P. A. C. Koistinen (2012) Lawrence: University Press of Kansas ISBN: 9780700618743, h/bk, 320 pp., £38.95
Error Analysis of Randomized Runge–Kutta Methods for Differential Equations with Time-Irregular Coefficients
Authors: Kruse Raphael , Wu Yue 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThis paper contains an error analysis of two randomized explicit Runge–Kutta schemes for ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with time-irregular coefficient functions. In particular, the methods are applicable to ODEs of Carathéodory type, whose coefficient functions are only integrable with respect to the time variable but are not assumed to be continuous. A further field of application are ODEs with coefficient functions that contain weak singularities with respect to the time variable. The main result consists of precise bounds for the discretization error with respect to theLp⁢(Ω;ℝd){L^{p}(\Omega;{\mathbb{R}}^{d})}-norm. In addition, convergence rates are also derived in the almost sure sense. An important ingredient in the analysis are corresponding error bounds for the randomized Riemann sum quadrature rule. The theoretical results are illustrated through a few numerical experiments.
A Compact SIW-Fed Dielectric Antenna with Equivalently Tapered E-plane Profile
Authors: Cai Yang , Zhang Yingsong , Qian Zuping 
Published: February 2017

AbstractIn this paper, a compact substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) fed dielectric antenna with equivalently tapered E-plane profile is proposed and investigated. Firstly, transition from SIW to broadwall-detached SIW (DSIW) is analyzed, which provides basis for designing a compact SIW-fed dielectric antenna. Secondly, in order to realize an effective radiation structure while keeping geometrical size unchanged, a gradually tapered profile in E-plane is realized through perforating air-vias with different diameters into the DSIW. Effect of transition stage(s) is compared to validate the function of equivalently tapered profile. Results indicate the proposed antenna operates with 27.7 % fractional bandwidth ranging from 20.2 GHz to 26.7 GHz. Moreover, stable end-fire radiation patterns can be observed in the whole operating band. Above all, this antenna shows similarity with E-plane waveguide horn antenna but maintains advantage of planar configuration.
Anti-aging effects of M2000 (β-D-mannuronic acid) as a novel immunosuppressive drug on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidative stress parameters in an experimental model
Authors: Hosseini Soma , Abdollahi Mohammad , Azizi Gholamreza , Fattahi Mohammad Javad , Rastkari Noshin , Zavareh Farzaneh Tofighi , Aghazadeh Zahra , Mirshafiey Abbas 
Published: February 2017

Abstract

Background:
The anti-aging property of β-D-mannuronic acid (M2000) as a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agent was investigated on several determinants relative to the oxidative stress in an animal model.

Methods:
Sprague-Dawley rats were used for evaluating the safety and efficacy properties of M2000 on some oxidative stress enzymes, including the following: mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), glutathione S-transferase (GST), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression by real-time PCR. Malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl protein (PCO) (the lipid and protein oxidation marker, respectively), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were tested in serum by biochemical analysis. In addition, cortisol as a steroid hormone was surveyed by chemiluminescence immunoassay after 12 weeks of M2000 consumption. The rats were sacrificed 3 months after daily oral administration of M2000.

Results:
Our findings revealed the favorable effects of M2000 on several antioxidant enzyme and gene expression, including SOD2, CAT, GPX1, and GST; however, our results were not statistically significant. Moreover, there was no significant difference in MDA and PCO as lipid and protein oxidation markers, TAC, and cortisol compared with the control group following M2000 consumption. A slight weight increase in the M2000-treated group was also observed.

Conclusions:
Our data showed the anti-aging property of M2000 as a novel designed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with immunosuppressive property on various oxidative stress determinants.
Die menschliche Natur und ihr Wert
Authors: Bayertz Kurt 
Published: February 2017

Zusammenfassung
Die Entwicklung der Biotechnologie und der Medizin macht immer tiefere Eingriffe in die körperliche Konstitution des Menschen möglich, sodass die Idee einer technischen Umgestaltung der menschlichen Natur nicht mehr als vollkommen utopisch angesehen werden kann. Einige Theoretiker haben die Überzeugung vertreten, dass dieser beunruhigenden Entwicklung nur dadurch Einhalt geboten werden kann, dass der menschlichen Natur (wieder) ein moralischer Wert zugeschrieben wird. Die Vertreter dieser Idee stehen vor zwei Aufgaben: Zunächst muss der Begriff „menschliche Natur“ hinreichend präzise bestimmt werden; dann muss ihr moralischer Wert bestimmt und begründet werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Schwierigkeiten, die dabei auftreten; und er kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass diese Schwierigkeiten groß sind.
The role of defects and dimensionality in influencing the charge, capacitance, and energy storage of graphene and 2D materials
Authors: Bandaru Prabhakar R. , Yamada Hidenori , Narayanan Rajaram , Hoefer Mark 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe inevitable presence of defects in graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials influences the charge density and distribution along with the concomitant measured capacitance and the related energy density. We review, in this paper, the various manifestations of the capacitance including both the classical electrostatic (e.g. associated with double layer, space charge, chemical capacitances) and the quantum forms, as well as a few methodologies to tune the respective capacitances. The role of a proper determination of the surface area of 2D materials, considering the presence of defects, in determining the capacitance and the magnitude of the energy storage is also considered.
Specification analysis in regime-switching continuous-time diffusion models for market volatility
Authors: Bu Ruijun , Cheng Jie , Hadri Kaddour 
Published: February 2017

AbstractWe examine model specification in regime-switching continuous-time diffusions for modeling S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX). Our investigation is carried out under two nonlinear diffusion frameworks, the NLDCEV and the CIRCEV frameworks, and our focus is on the nonlinearity in regime-dependent drift and diffusion terms, the switching components, and the endogeneity in regime changes. While we find strong evidence of regime-switching effects, models with a switching diffusion term capture the VIX dynamics considerably better than models with only a switching drift, confirming the presence and importance of volatility regimes. Strong evidence of nonlinear endogeneity in regime changes is also detected. Meanwhile, we find significant nonlinearity in the regime-dependent diffusion specification, suggesting that the nonlinearity in the VIX dynamics cannot be accounted for by regime-switching effects alone. Finally, we find that models based on the CIRCEV specification are significantly closer to the true data generating process of VIX than models based on the NLDCEV specification uniformly across all regime-switching specifications.