bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Balancing the diet and the budget: Food purchasing practices of food‐insecure families in New Zealand
Authors: Smith Claire , Parnell Winsome Ruth , Brown Rachel Clare , Gray Andrew R. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractAimThe aims of this study were to examine total food expenditure and the types of food purchased in food‐insecure households with children, to compare these by severity of food insecurity (moderate or low food security) and furthermore to estimate food expenditure as a percentage of net household income.MethodsThe study was conducted in Dunedin, New Zealand (NZ) (from June 2009 to May 2010), and included low‐income (≤NZ$45 000/year), food‐insecure households with children (n = 165). The main food preparer was interviewed to determine the food security status of the household. Households collected food shopping receipts and recorded all food that was purchased for four weeks.ResultsHouseholds reported spending NZ$132/week on food. The greatest percentage of food dollars was allocated to the food group meat, fish and poultry (14.5%), followed by fruit and vegetables (13.7%). Households with low food security reported spending less money compared to households with moderate food security on total food and the food groups fruit and vegetables and cereals but not on the food groups meat, fish and poultry or dairy and eggs (excluding milk). Food expenditure was estimated to be more than 30% of net income for households with an annual income of less than NZ$35 000.ConclusionsFor the core foods fruit, vegetables and cereals, reported food spending was less for households with low food security compared to households with moderate food security. This is likely to contribute to poor health in addition to being an undesirable and stressful condition for a household.
Dietary sources and meal distribution of sodium and potassium in a sample of Australian adults
Authors: Margerison Claire , Riddell Lynnette J. , Wattanapenpaiboon Naiyana , Nowson Caryl A. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractAimReducing dietary sodium and increasing dietary potassium are recommended to reduce blood pressure. This study aimed to determine the main foods sources of sodium and potassium.MethodsParticipants were recruited via advertisements or blood pressure screening sessions. Food sources of sodium and potassium were assessed via 24‐hour dietary records in 299 free‐living Australian adults (141 male, 158 female; age 54.6(9.5)years; BMI 29.4(3.9)kg/m2).ResultsThe mean sodium intake was 118(51)mmol/d (2725(1176)mg/d) and the mean potassium intake was 91(28)mmol/d (3550(1098)mg/d). Breads and cereals provided the majority (38%) of sodium with bread contributing 20%. Vegetable products/dishes contributed most potassium (23%) with potatoes providing 9%. Main meals provided 89% of sodium and 85% of potassium. Lunch and dinner provided similar sodium proportions (34% and 38%, respectively) but more energy was consumed at dinner (26% vs 40%, respectively). Lunch had the highest sodium density of all meals (420 mg/MJ).ConclusionA reduction in the salt content of processed foods, particularly bread, is recommended to decrease sodium intake. This reduction in salt content combined with meal specific education focusing on choosing lower sodium foods at lunch in particular, as well as incorporating more fruits and vegetables, could effectively reduce dietary sodium and increase potassium.
Functional dyspepsia: the economic impact to patients
Authors: Lacy B. E. , Weiser K. T. , Kennedy A. T. , Crowell M. D. , Talley N. J. 
Published: June 2013

SummaryBackgroundAlthough highly prevalent, little is known about the economic impact of functional dyspepsia (FD).AimsTo quantify FD patients' health care utilisation patterns and to estimate direct and indirect costs of FD to patients.MethodsICD‐9 codes identified adult patients with dyspepsia. A validated questionnaire was mailed to patients who met Rome III criteria for FD.ResultsThree hundred and fifty‐five patients met all inclusion criteria. The response rate was 63%. The respondents' mean age was 50 (14) years; 75% were women; 52% of respondents rated their FD as moderate. Patients reported 3 visits (mean) to their PCP over 12 months; 75% reported having blood work, 92% an EGD, 59% an ultrasound and 40% a CT scan. The direct cost of testing using Medicare reimbursement rates per patient was $582. To treat FD symptoms, 89% tried dietary changes, 89% over‐the‐counter medications, 87% prescription medications and 25% alternative therapies. Mean patient expenditure over the last year was $246 for OTC medications (range $0–12,000), $290 for co‐payments (range $0–9,000) and $110 for alternative treatments (range $0–3,741). Total mean direct cost yearly to patients was $699. In the 7 days prior to completing the questionnaire, respondents reported a mean of 1.4 h absence from work. Extrapolating the results to the US population, we conservatively calculate the costs of FD were $18.4 billion in 2009.ConclusionsFunctional dyspepsia patients incur significant direct and indirect costs and work productivity is impaired by dyspeptic symptoms.
Colonisation by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and maintenance of clinical remission in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Varela E. , Manichanh C. , Gallart M. , Torrejón A. , Borruel N. , Casellas F. , Guarner F. , Antolin M. 
Published: June 2013

SummaryBackgroundAlthough incrimination of the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of IBD is widely accepted, few data are available about the role of specific bacteria. Potentially, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, bacteria with anti‐inflammatory properties, might be deficient in ulcerative colitis (UC).AimTo quantify F. prausnitzii in the faecal microbiota of UC patients in remission and determine its relationship with relapse.MethodsA cross‐sectional study included 116 UC patients in remission, 29 first‐degree relatives and 31 healthy controls. A subset of eighteen patients, recruited during the first month of remission, underwent a 1‐year follow‐up. Total bacteria and F. prausnitzii were measured by quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR, copies/g). Calprotectin was determined as inflammatory index (μg/g).ResultsWe found that F. prausnitzii was reduced in patients (median, IQR: 1.4 × 108, 5.1 × 107–4.5 × 108) and relatives (1.7 × 108, 9.3 × 107–5.1 × 108) vs. controls (6.5 × 108, 3.7 × 108–1.6 × 109, P < 0.0001). Moreover, low counts of F. prausnitzii were associated with less than 12 months of remission (8.0 × 107, 2.0 × 107–3.5 × 108 vs. 2.1 × 108, 1.0 × 108–7.9 × 108, P < 0.001) and more than 1 relapse/year (8.0 × 107, 3.2 × 107–3.8 × 108 vs. 1.9 × 108, 6.8 × 107–6.0 × 108, P < 0.01). When patients were followed up, F. prausnitzii increased steadily until reaching similar levels to those of controls if remission persisted (2.9 × 108, 9.3 × 106–1.2 × 109; calprotectin: 76, 19–212), whereas it remained low if patients relapsed (2.2 × 108, 1.4 × 106–3.3 × 108; calprotectin: 1760, 844–3662 P < 0.05 vs. controls).ConclusionsDefective gut colonisation by F. prausnitzii occurred in UC patients during remission and in their unaffected relatives. The recovery of the F. prausnitzii population after relapse is associated with maintenance of clinical remission.
A Model for Managing Corporate Sustainability
Authors: Macagno Thomas 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThe world is faced with unprecedented global economic, environmental, and social challenges. Sustainable development has emerged as an organizing principle for addressing these issues. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is seen as the business contribution to sustainable development. The article defines CSR as an organization's efforts to secure resources and legitimacy for survival or competitive advantage by managing nonmarket and nonregulated issues arising from complex social and environmental problems. Supporting this definition, the “sustainability issue management” (SIM) model is presented to help managers and researchers assess and manage CSR issues. Based on ecological economics, the tool originated from a larger study. The model is used to explain and discuss how the UK Government's National Indicator 185 (requiring carbon reporting from Local Authorities) shaped the action of a supplier to Local Authorities. The case illustrates how the SIM model can help both managers and researchers understand and manage CSR issues.
David v. Goliath: A Brief Assessment of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2011 Ruling Denying Class Certification in Dukes v. Wal‐Mart
Authors: Adams Ronald J. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractIn 2001, Betty Dukes, then a 54‐year‐old African American, filed suit against her employer, Wal‐Mart, alleging that she had been the victim of gender discrimination. Ms. Dukes alleged that Wal‐Mart, the nation's largest private employer, routinely paid women less than men for comparable work and arbitrarily favored men over women in promotion decisions. In 2004, a U.S. District Court entered an order granting class certification, potentially extending the retailer's financial liability to thousands of current and past Wal‐Mart employees. At that time, the Wal‐Mart suit was the largest class action lawsuit ever approved in the United States. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia cited Wal‐Mart's long‐standing explicit gender‐neutral employment policy and the decentralized manner in which local managers have discretion to adjust salaries and recommend applicants for promotion—factors that led the majority to question “the glue” binding the class together. Proponents of the Court's decision hailed the ruling as a victory for business and a step in the direction of needed legal reform. Critics viewed the decision as another in a series of defeats for minority interests by a pro‐business, ideologically divided Court. Did the Court get it right, or is this yet another example of might defeating right?
Inosine induces presynaptic inhibition of acetylcholine release by activation of A3 adenosine receptors at the mouse neuromuscular junction
Authors: Cinalli A R , Guarracino J F , Fernandez V , Roquel L I , Losavio A S 
Published: June 2013

Background and PurposeThe role of inosine at the mammalian neuromuscular junction (NMJ) has not been clearly defined. Moreover, inosine was classically considered to be the inactive metabolite of adenosine. Hence, we investigated the effect of inosine on spontaneous and evoked ACh release, the mechanism underlying its modulatory action and the receptor type and signal transduction pathway involved.Experimental ApproachEnd‐plate potentials (EPPs) and miniature end‐plate potentials (MEPPs) were recorded from the mouse phrenic‐nerve diaphragm preparations using conventional intracellular electrophysiological techniques.Key ResultsInosine (100 μM) reduced MEPP frequency and the amplitude and quantal content of EPPs; effects inhibited by the selective A3 receptor antagonist MRS‐1191. Immunohistochemical assays confirmed the presence of A3 receptors at mammalian NMJ. The voltage‐gated calcium channel (VGCC) blocker Cd2+, the removal of extracellular Ca2+ and the L‐type and P/Q‐type VGCC antagonists, nitrendipine and ω‐agatoxin IVA, respectively, all prevented inosine‐induced inhibition. In the absence of endogenous adenosine, inosine decreased the hypertonic response. The effects of inosine on ACh release were prevented by the Gi/o protein inhibitor N‐ethylmaleimide, PKC antagonist chelerytrine and calmodulin antagonist W‐7, but not by PKA antagonists, H‐89 and KT‐5720, or the inhibitor of CaMKII KN‐62.Conclusion and ImplicationsOur results suggest that, at motor nerve terminals, inosine induces presynaptic inhibition of spontaneous and evoked ACh release by activating A3 receptors through a mechanism that involves L‐type and P/Q‐type VGCCs and the secretory machinery downstream of calcium influx. A3 receptors appear to be coupled to Gi/o protein. PKC and calmodulin may be involved in these effects of inosine.
Prediction of kidney graft failure using clinical scoring tools
Authors: Gourishankar Sita , Grebe Scott O. , Mueller Thomas F. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractBackgroundDonor organ quality is a key determinant of graft function, and considerable efforts have been made to identify donor and transplant factors predicting inferior outcomes. This has resulted in the development of various scoring tools to aid in allocation of kidneys.MethodsThe performance of four donor quality scoring systems in predicting delayed graft function, and death‐censored graft failure was examined in a single‐center cohort of 730 consecutive deceased donor kidneys transplanted between 1990 and 2004. The predictive accuracy of the variables was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic curves and graft survival distribution.ResultsThe three outcome tools, that is, deceased donor score (DDS; Am J Transplant, 3, 2003, 715), donor risk score (DRS; Am J Transplant, 5, 2005, 757) and kidney donor risk index (KDRI; Transplantation, 88, 2009, 231) provided a significant and equivalent prediction of graft failure by using variables available at time of transplantation (p < 0.01). The risk of delayed graft function was predicted by the (DGF) nomogram (J Am Soc Nephrol, 14, 2003, 2967; Am J Transplant 10, 2010, 2279) with a high degree of discrimination (concordance index of 0.69, p < 0.01).ConclusionsOur findings validate four pre‐operative clinical scoring tools to predict early and late graft outcome in an independent, single‐center set of kidney transplants.
Can flat‐type brownish microlesions in the orohypopharynx be followed up without biopsy or endoscopic resection?
Authors: Takemura Kenichi , Doyama Hisashi , Nakanishi Hiroyoshi , Takeda Yasuhito , Kito Yosuke , Ito Renma , Hayashi Tomoyuki , Tsuji Kunihiro , Tominaga Kei , Yoshida Naohiro , Waseda Yohei , Tsuji Shigetsugu , Yamada Shinya , Niwa Hideki , Katayanagi Kazuyoshi , Kurumaya Hiroshi , Okada Toshihide 
Published: June 2013

BackgroundNarrow‐band imaging (NBI) is useful for detecting superficial oropharyngeal lesions. However, the diagnostic and treatment guidelines for NBI are not established. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the treatment strategy for these microlesions.MethodsFrom October 2008 to September 2009, 68 flat‐type brownish microlesions were observed in the orohypopharynx using NBI. Lesions were examined via magnifying NBI (M‐NBI) and followed up without biopsy or endoscopic resection for >12 months. To clarify the characteristics, lesions were compared with the endoscopic characteristics of flat‐type lesions diagnosed by biopsy and endoscopic resection as squamous cell carcinoma and high‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia.ResultsThe average diameter of the 68 lesions was 1.6 mm (range, 0.5–5 mm). At the 1‐year follow up, 19 lesions had disappeared. No size increases or morphological changes wereobserved among 49 lesions followed for >1 year. At 2 years, 10 patients had dropped out and 11 lesions had disappeared. No changes were observed among 28 lesions followed for >2 years. Of the flat‐type lesions as squamous cell carcinoma and high‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia, a distinct border and irregular distribution of atypical vessels were observed in all cases using M‐NBI. These findings were observed in two of 68 flat‐type brownish microlesions during follow up.ConclusionAlthough there is some possibility of squamous cell carcinoma or high‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia, flat‐type microlesions of ≤5 mm diameter in the orohypopharynx may be followed for up to 2 years without biopsy or endoscopic resection.
With Liberty and Some Justice for a Few: Thinking Theologically about Criminal Justice
Authors: Nelson Derek R. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractThe current crisis in the American criminal justice system begs for theological response, and its sources need theological critique. The recent proposed statement of the ELCA draws attention to the needs of victims of crime and their families, and makes sensible recommendations for paths to greater justice. In doing so it is important to remember what forms of justice are possible under the jurisdiction of fallible, earthly institutions.
Save It for God: Confession and the Irrelevance of the Judicial System with Special Attention to Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov
Authors: Webb Stephen H. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractConfession is essential for spiritual growth, but the judicial system provides little room for it. The judiciary is particularly unequipped to help convicts grapple with their guilt. Dostoevsky was the first to raise this critique in The Brothers Karamazov.
Hemin therapy suppresses inflammation and retroperitoneal adipocyte hypertrophy to improve glucose metabolism in obese rats co‐morbid with insulin‐resistant type‐2 diabetes
Authors: Ndisang J. F. , Jadhav A. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractAimVisceral adiposity and impaired glucose metabolism are common patho‐physiological features in patients co‐morbid with obesity and type‐2 diabetes. We investigated the effects of the heme‐oxygenase (HO) inducer hemin and the HO blocker stannous‐mesoporphyrin (SnMP) on glucose metabolism, adipocyte hypertrophy and pro‐inflammatory cytokines/mediators in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, a model characterized by obesity and type‐2 diabetes.MethodsHistological, morphological/morphometrical, Western immunoblotting, enzyme immunoassay, ELISA and spectrophotometric analysis were used.ResultsTreatment with hemin enhanced HO‐1, HO activity and cGMP, but suppressed retroperitoneal adiposity and abated the elevated levels of macrophage‐chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), ICAM‐1, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin 6 (IL‐6), IL‐1β, NF‐κB, c‐Jun‐NH2‐terminal‐kinase (JNK) and activating‐protein (AP‐1), with parallel reduction of adipocyte hypertrophy. Correspondingly, important proteins of lipid metabolism and insulin‐signalling such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), insulin‐receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1), GLUT4, PKB/Akt, adiponectin, the insulin‐sensitizing and anti‐inflammatory protein and adenosine‐monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) were significantly enhanced in hemin‐treated ZDF rats.ConclusionElevated retroperitoneal adiposity and the high levels of MCP‐1, ICAM‐1, TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, NF‐κB, JNK and AP‐1 in untreated ZDF are patho‐physiological factors that exacerbate inflammatory insults, aggravate adipocyte hypertrophy, with corresponding reduction of adiponectin and deregulation of insulin‐signalling and lipid metabolism. Therefore, the suppression of MCP‐1, ICAM‐1, TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, NF‐κB, JNK, AP‐1 and adipocyte hypertrophy, with the associated enhancement of LPL, adiponectin, AMPK, IRS‐1, GLUT4, PKB/Akt and cGMP in hemin‐treated ZDF are among the multifaceted mechanisms by which the HO system combats inflammation to potentiate insulin signalling and improve glucose and lipid metabolism. Thus, HO inducers may be explored in the search of novel remedies against the co‐morbidities of obesity, dysfunctional lipid metabolism and impaired glucose metabolism.
Regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and distribution by synapse position and neuronal activity in the axon
Authors: Obashi Kazuki , Okabe Shigeo 
Published: June 2013

AbstractProper distribution of axonal mitochondria is critical for multiple neuronal functions. To understand the underlying mechanisms for population behavior, quantitative characterisation of elemental dynamics on multiple time scales is required. Here we investigated the stability and transport of axonal mitochondria using live‐cell imaging of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons. We first characterised the long‐term stability of stationary mitochondria. At a given moment, about 10% of the mitochondria were in a state of transport and the remaining 90% were stationary. Among these stationary mitochondria, 40% of them remained in the same position over several days. The rest of the mitochondria transited to mobile state stochastically and this process could be detected and quantitatively analysed by time‐lapse imaging with intervals of 30 min. The stability of axonal mitochondria increased from 2 to 3 weeks in culture, was decreased by tetrodotoxin treatment, and was higher near synapses. Stationary mitochondria should be generated by pause of moving mitochondria and subsequent stabilisation. Therefore, we next analysed pause events of moving mitochondria by repetitive imaging at 0.3 Hz. We found that the probability of transient pause increased with field stimulation, decreased with tetrodotoxin treatment, and was higher near synapses. Finally, by combining parameters obtained from time‐lapse imaging with different time scales, we could estimate transition rates between different mitochondrial states. The analyses suggested specific developmental regulation in the probability of paused mitochondria to transit into stationary state. These findings indicate that multiple mitochondrial behaviors, especially those regulated by neuronal activity and synapse location, determine their distribution in the axon.
Direction‐specific adaptation of motion‐onset auditory evoked potentials
Authors: Grzeschik Ramona , Böckmann‐Barthel Martin , Mühler Roland , Verhey Jesko L. , Hoffmann Michael B. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractAuditory evoked potentials (AEPs) to motion onset in humans are dominated by a fronto‐central complex, with a change‐negative deflection 1 (cN1) and a change‐positive deflection 2 (cP2) component. Here the contribution of veridical motion detectors to motion‐onset AEPs was investigated with the hypothesis that direction‐specific adaptation effects would indicate the contribution of such motion detectors. AEPs were recorded from 33 electroencephalographic channels to the test stimulus, i.e. motion onset of horizontal virtual auditory motion (60° per s) from straight ahead to the left. AEPs were compared in two experiments for three conditions, which differed in their history prior to the motion‐onset test stimulus: (i) without motion history (Baseline), (ii) with motion history in the same direction as the test stimulus (Adaptation Same), and (iii) a reference condition with auditory history. For Experiment 1, condition (iii) comprised motion in the opposite direction (Adaptation Opposite). For Experiment 2, a noise in the absence of coherent motion (Matched Noise) was used as the reference condition. In Experiment 1, the amplitude difference cP2 − cN1 obtained for Adaptation Same was significantly smaller than for Baseline and Adaptation Opposite. In Experiment 2, it was significantly smaller than for Matched Noise. Adaptation effects were absent for cN1 and cP2 latencies. These findings demonstrate direction‐specific adaptation of the motion‐onset AEP. This suggests that veridical auditory motion detectors contribute to the motion‐onset AEP.