bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oil shocks and oil producers' growth: where did all the spending go?
Authors: El Anshasy Amany A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractI use panel unit root tests and panel error correction models to examine the effects of oil windfall shocks and types of public spending on economic performance in 16 oil‐producing countries over the period 1972–2008. Higher oil prices seem toreducenon‐oil growth in the long run, butstimulateit in the short run. However, oil abundance may or may not become a ‘curse’ conditional on how the windfalls are managed. I find that the large windfalls of the 1970s and the 2000s have contributed to the slow long‐run growth performance, after controlling for the composition of public spending. Public sector wages stimulated long‐run non‐oil growth in more oil‐abundant economies; but had a negative effect in less oil‐endowed countries. The large public investment programs were not effective in stimulating non‐oil long‐run growth; and the higher the dependency on oil, the lesser the contribution of new infrastructure investments to the non‐oil sector's growth.
Pediatric airway anatomy may not be what we thought: implications for clinical practice and the use of cuffed endotracheal tubes
Authors: Tobias Joseph D. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryOne of the long held tenets of pediatric anesthesia has been the notion that the pediatric airway is conical shape with the narrowest area being the cricoid region. However, recent studies using radiologic imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography) or direct bronchoscopic observation have questioned this suggesting that the narrowest segment may be at or just below the glottic opening. More importantly, it has been clearly demonstrated that the airway is elliptical in shape rather than circular with the anterior–posterior dimension being greater than the transverse dimension. These findings coupled with the development of a new generation of cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETTs) with a thin, polyurethane cuff have caused a transition in the practice of pediatric anesthesiology with an increased use of cuffed ETTs, even in neonates and infants. The following article reviews the historical data leading to the assumption that the pediatric airway is conical as well as the more recent imaging and direct bronchoscopic observational studies which refute this tenet. The transition to the use of cuffed ETTs is discussed and potential advantages presented in both the operating room and the intensive care unit. Issues regarding the monitoring of intracuff pressure and techniques to limit potential morbidity related to a high intracuff pressure are outlined.
Improving Photoprotection Attitudes in the Tropics: Sunburn vs Vitamin D
Authors: Silva Abel A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe ultraviolet radiation of type B (the UVB) stimulates both the production of vitamin D (VD) and the incorporation of erythema dose (ED). The UVA also contributes to ED. The turning point between the benefit of producing VD and the harm of incorporating ED cannot be determined easily. However, the casual behavior regarding the exposure to the Sun can be changed in order to improve the protoprotection attitudes and create a trend towards benefit. In the case, people living in the low latitudes should exposure themselves to the Sun for a determined time interval within the noon time and avoid the Sun in other periods. This would produce an adequate amount of VD through the VD dose (207–214 J m−2) against minimum ED (≈105 J m−2) for skin type II. For it, unprotected forearms and hands must be exposed to the noon Sun (cloudless) for 11 min (winter) and 5 min (summer). The exposure at other times different from noon can represent increases of up to 24% in ED and up to 12 times in the time interval to be in the Sun in relation to the minimum amounts of both ED and time interval at noon.
Skin Responses to Micro Scale Field Size of Solar‐Simulated Radiation – Preliminary Evaluation by Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in vivo
Authors: Seo InSeok , Chu Melissa , Bargo Paulo R. , Kollias Nikiforos 
Published: September 2014

AbstractErythema and pigment responses of human skin following an acute exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) are frequently used to determine the photosensitivity of the skin. In this study we investigated the responses of the skin to a micro‐scale area of UVR exposure (MiR) and compared the responses to a macro‐scale area of exposure (MaR). Ten human volunteers were tested with solar‐simulated radiation on their upper arm or back using a beam size of 8 mm and 0.2 mm in diameter. The fluence required to produce a minimally perceptible erythema (MED) using the MiR was found to be higher than that for the MaR. The erythema response extended beyond the exposed area and this became pronounced when the beam size was microscopic. Reflectance confocal microscopy in vivo revealed that MiR induced cellular alterations within a confined area of smaller dimensions than the area of exposure. Pigment responses were confined within the areas of cellular damage. The erythema expression of exposed skin recovered faster for the sites receiving MiR even when the applied fluence was higher than the MED for the MaR. Through the use of MiR we were able to visualize spatially dissimilar skin responses of erythema and pigmentation suggesting different cellular mechanisms.
Sun Exposure and Vitamin D Status as Northeast Asian Migrants Become Acculturated to Life in Australia
Authors: Guo Shuyu , Gies Peter , King Kerryn , Lucas Robyn M 
Published: September 2014

AbstractVitamin D deficiency is more common in Northeast‐Asian immigrants to western countries than in the local population; prevalence equalizes as immigrants adopt the host country's culture. In a community‐based study of 100 Northeast‐Asian immigrants in Canberra, Australia, we examined predictors of vitamin D status, its association with indicators of acculturation (English language use; time since migration) and mediators of that association. Participants completed a sun and physical activity diary and wore an electronic ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dosimeter for 7 days. Skin colour was measured by reflectance spectrophotometry. Serum concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and cardio‐metabolic biomarkers were measured on fasting blood. In a multiple linear regression model, predictors for 25(OH)D concentration were season of blood collection, vitamin D supplementation, UVR exposure, body mass index, physical activity and having private health insurance (R2 = 0.57). Greater acculturation was associated with lower risk of vitamin D deficiency (de‐seasonalized 25(OH)D level <50 nmol L−1) (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 0.22 [95%CI 0.04–0.96]); this association was statistically mediated by physical activity and time outdoors. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher total cholesterol levels (>5.0 mmol L−1) (AOR: 7.48 [95%CI 1.51–37.0]). Targeted public health approaches are required to manage the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in migrants retaining a traditional lifestyle.
The Employment of a Removable Chitosan‐Derivatized Polymeric Sensitizer in the Photooxidation of Polyhydroxylated Water‐Pollutants
Authors: Ferrari Gabriela V. , Andrada María E. , Natera José , Muñoz Vanesa A. , Paulina Montaña M. , Gambetta Carolina , Boiero María L. , Montenegro Mariana A. , Massad Walter A. , García Norman A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractThe known O2(1∆g)‐sensitizer system Chitosan bounded Rose Bengal (CH‐RB), with Rose Bengal (RB) immobilized by irreversible covalent bonding to the polymer Chitosan (CH), soluble in aquous acidic medium, was employed in the photodegradation of three tri‐hydroxy benzene water‐contaminants (THBs). The system sensitizes the O2(1∆g)‐mediated photodegradation of THBs by a process kinetically favored, as compared to that employing free RB dissolved in the same solvent. Additionally the free xanthene dye, degradable by O2(1∆g) through self‐sensitization upon prolonged light‐exposure, is considerably protected when bonded to CH‐polymer. The polymeric sensitizer, totally insoluble in neutral medium, can be removed from the solution after the photodegradative cycle by precipitation through a simple pH change. This fact constitutes an interesting aspect in the context of photoremediation of confined polluted waters. In other words, the sensitizing system could be useful for avoiding to dissolve dyestuffs in the polluted waters, in order to act as conventional sunlight‐absorbing dye‐sensitizers. In parallel the interaction CH ‐ O2(1∆g) in acidic solution was evaluated. The polymer quenches the oxidative species with a rate constant 2.4 × 108 M−1 s−1 being the process mostly attributable to a physical interaction. This fact promotes the photoprotection of the bonded dye in the CH‐RB polymer.
Immune response in susceptible BALB/c mice immunized with DNA encoding Lipophosphoglycan 3 of Leishmania infantum
Authors: Pirdel L. , Zavaran Hosseini A. , Rasouli M. 
Published: September 2014

SummaryVisceral leishmaniasis is a serious parasitic infection that the development of an effective vaccine is necessary to control the disease. Lipophosphoglycan 3 (LPG3) is essential for the synthesis of glycoconjugates as parasite virulence factors. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of Leishmania infantum LPG3 gene as a DNA vaccine against murine visceral leishmaniasis. For this purpose, BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with the DNA encoding LPG3 either alone or in combination with recombinant heat shock protein 70 (rHSP70). Next, its immunogenicity and protective efficacy were evaluated in the immunized mice. The results showed a mixed Th1/Th2 response following immunization, which was associated with the production of both IFN‐γ and IL‐10 by splenocytes compared with control groups but did not lead to reduction in the splenic parasite burden. Serum levels of IgG antibody isotypes indicated no significant difference between the LPG3 DNA and the empty vector. In addition, the co‐administration of rHSP70 with the DNA vaccine offered no additive protective advantage on experimental infectious challenge. Thus, we propose to strengthen the immunogenic potential of L. infantum LPG3 in prime‐boost approach with a powerful adjuvant to elicit a robust parasite‐specific protective Th1 response.
Variation in plant‐mediated interactions between rhizobacteria and caterpillars: potential role of soil composition
Authors: Pangesti N. , Pineda A. , Dicke M. , van Loon J. J. A. 
Published: September 2014

AbstractSelected strains of non‐pathogenic rhizobacteria can trigger induced systemic resistance (ISR) in plants against aboveground insect herbivores. However, the underlying mechanisms of plant‐mediated interactions between rhizobacteria and herbivorous insects are still poorly understood. UsingArabidopsis thalianaCol‐0–Pseudomonas fluorescensWCS417r as a model system, we investigated the performance and the molecular mechanisms underlying plant‐mediated effects of rhizobacteria on the generalist caterpillarMamestra brassicaeand the specialistPieris brassicae. Rhizobacteria colonisation ofArabidopsisroots resulted in decreased larval weight ofM. brassicae,whereas no effect was observed on larval weight ofP. brassicae. Using a jasmonic acid (JA)‐impaired mutant (dde2‐2), we confirmed the importance ofJAin rhizobacteria‐mediatedISRagainstM. brassicae. Interestingly, in some experiments we also observed rhizobacteria‐induced systemic susceptibility toM. brassicae. The role of soil composition in the variable outcomes of microbe–plant–insect interactions was then assessed by comparingM. brassicaeperformance and gene transcription in plants grown in potting soil or a mixture of potting soil and sand in a 1:1 ratio. In a mixture of potting soil and sand, rhizobacteria treatment had a consistent negative effect onM. brassicae, whereas the effect was more variable in potting soil. Interestingly, at 24 h post‐infestation (hpi) rhizobacteria treatment primed plants grown in a mixture of potting soil and sand for stronger expression of theJA‐ and ethylene‐regulated genesPDF1.2andHEL, respectively. Our study shows that soil composition can modulate rhizobacteria–plant–insect interactions, and is a factor that should be considered when studying these belowground–aboveground interactions.
Composition of the stubble weed flora and its role for Heterodera schachtii in the year preceding sugar beet production
Authors: Meinecke A , Ziegler K , Bürcky K , Westphal A 
Published: September 2014

SummaryIn Germany, sugar beet is often rotated with 2 years of cereal. Extensive fallow periods between cereal harvest and autumn primary tillage allow for a weed flora to develop. Broad‐leaved weeds could potentially be alternate hosts for the common nematode Heterodera schachtii, one of the most important pests of sugar beet. Between 2009 and 2012, annual weeds developing in cereal stubble fields during July to mid‐October in the season prior to sugar beet were surveyed, including known hosts of H. schachtii. Yearly weather patterns and agronomic practices possibly impacted weed species composition and weed population densities. During September, Chenopodium album, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Mercurialis annua, Polygonum spp., Solanum nigrum and Sonchus spp. occurred at the highest frequencies. Weed hosts of H. schachtii were present, but densities, frequencies and uniformity were limited. In 2010 and 2011, staining for nematodes in roots revealed juvenile penetration of some weeds but few adult stages. No indication of nematode reproduction of H. schachtii was found on these weed hosts. A fairly stable weed flora was detected on stubble fields that could provide some carry over for weed species. An elevated risk for nematode population density build‐up on these weeds was not found and management of these weeds at the observed densities during the stubble period for nematological reasons appeared unnecessary.
Rac1 – a novel regulator of contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle
Authors: Sylow Lykke , Møller Lisbeth L. V. , Kleinert Maximilian , Richter Erik A. , Jensen Thomas E. 
Published: September 2014

New Findings
What is the topic of this review?
Novel evidence indicates a role of the GTPase Rac1 in the regulation of exercise‐ and contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.

What advances does it highlight?
The intracellular mechanisms regulating exercise and contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake in muscle are not well understood. Recent findings from our group suggest that Rac1 is an important regulator of contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake. In this review, we discuss published and unpublished findings supporting a role of Rac1 in exercise/contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake. The possible downstream effectors of Rac1 are also considered.

Muscle contraction stimulates muscle glucose uptake by facilitating translocation of glucose transporter 4 from intracellular locations to the cell surface, which allows for diffusion of glucose into the myofibres. The intracellular mechanisms regulating this process are not well understood. The GTPase Rac1 has, until recently, been investigated only with regard to its involvement in insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake. However, we recently found that Rac1 is activated during muscle contraction and exercise in mice and humans. Remarkably, Rac1 seems to be necessary for exercise and contraction‐stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, because muscle‐specific Rac1 knockout mice display reduced ex vivo contraction‐ and in vivo exercise‐stimulated glucose uptake. The molecular mechanism by which Rac1 regulates glucose uptake is presently unknown. However, recent studies link Rac1 to the actin cytoskeleton, the small GTPase RalA and/or free radical production, which have previously been shown to be regulators of glucose uptake in muscle. We propose a model in which Rac1 is activated by contraction‐ and exercise‐induced mechanical stress signals and that Rac1 in conjunction with other signalling regulates glucose uptake during muscle contraction and exercise.
Retour aux sources: defining the structural basis of glutamate receptor activation
Authors: Dawe G. Brent , Aurousseau Mark R. , Daniels Bryan A. , Bowie Derek 
Published: September 2014

AbstractIonotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are the major excitatory neurotransmitter receptor in the vertebrate CNS and, as a result, their activation properties lie at the heart of much of the neuronal network activity observed in the developing and adult brain. iGluRs have also been implicated in many nervous system disorders associated with postnatal development (e.g. autism, schizophrenia), cerebral insult (e.g. stroke, epilepsy), and disorders of the ageing brain (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism). In view of this, an emphasis has been placed on understanding how iGluRs activate and desensitize in functional and structural terms. Early structural models of iGluRs suggested that the strength of the agonist response was primarily governed by the degree of closure induced in the ligand‐binding domain (LBD). However, recent studies have suggested a more nuanced role for the LBD with current evidence identifying the iGluR LBD interface as a “hotspot” regulating agonist behaviour. Such ideas remain to be consolidated with recently solved structures of full‐length iGluRs to account for the global changes that underlie channel activation and desensitization.
The properties, distribution and function of Na+–Ca2+ exchanger isoforms in rat cutaneous sensory neurons
Authors: Scheff N. N. , Yilmaz E. , Gold M. S. 
Published: September 2014

Key points
There has been little if any systematic analysis of the Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) in sensory neurons despite conflicting results in the literature regarding the extent to which it contributes to the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in these neurons.
While the differential distribution and/or biophysical properties of NCX isoforms may contribute to these conflicting results, only indirect evidence points to the consequences of NCX activity on afferent function.
NCX activity is restricted to a subpopulation of putative nociceptive neurons.
All three NCX isoforms are expressed in putative nociceptive afferents and appear to be differentially distributed along major neuron compartments: central axon, cell body and peripheral axon.
NCX 3 plays a dominant role in the regulation of the duration of the evoked Ca2+ transient in the cell body, regulation of the action potential conduction velocity, and establishment of nociceptive threshold.
AbstractThe Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) appears to play an important role in the regulation of the high K+‐evoked Ca2+ transient in putative nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The purpose of the present study was to (1) characterize the properties of NCX activity in subpopulations of DRG neurons, (2) identify the isoform(s) underlying NCX activity, and (3) begin to assess the function of the isoform(s) in vivo. In retrogradely labelled neurons from the glabrous skin of adult male Sprague–Dawley rats, NCX activity, as assessed with fura‐2‐based microfluorimetry, was only detected in putative nociceptive IB4+ neurons. There were two modes of NCX activity: one was evoked in response to relatively large and long lasting (∼325 nm for >12 s) increases in the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), and a second was active at resting [Ca2+]i > ∼150 nm. There also were two modes of evoked activity: one that decayed relatively rapidly (<5 min) and a second that persisted (>10 min). Whereas mRNA encoding all three NCX isoforms (NCX1–3) was detected in putative nociceptive cutaneous neurons with single cell PCR, pharmacological analysis and small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of each isoform in vivo suggested that NCX2 and 3 were responsible for NCX activity. Western blot analyses suggested that NCX isoforms were differentially distributed within sensory neurons. Functional assays of excitability, action potential propagation, and nociceptive behaviour suggest NCX activity has little influence on excitability per se, but instead influences axonal conduction velocity, resting membrane potential, and nociceptive threshold. Together these results indicate that the function of NCX in the regulation of [Ca2+]i in putative nociceptive neurons may be unique relative to other cells in which these exchanger isoforms have been characterized and it has the potential to influence sensory neuron properties at multiple levels.
k‐space sampling optimization for ultrashort TE imaging of cortical bone: Applications in radiation therapy planning and MR‐based PET attenuation correction
Authors: Hu Lingzhi , Su Kuan‐Hao , Pereira Gisele C. , Grover Anu , Traughber Bryan , Traughber Melanie , Muzic Raymond F. 
Published: September 2014

Purpose:The ultrashort echo‐time (UTE) sequence is a promising MR pulse sequence for imaging cortical bone which is otherwise difficult to image using conventional MR sequences and also poses strong attenuation for photons in radiation therapy and PET imaging. The authors report here a systematic characterization of cortical bone signal decay and a scanning time optimization strategy for the UTE sequence through k‐space undersampling, which can result in up to a 75% reduction in acquisition time. Using the undersampled UTE imaging sequence, the authors also attempted to quantitatively investigate the MR properties of cortical bone in healthy volunteers, thus demonstrating the feasibility of using such a technique for generating bone‐enhanced images which can be used for radiation therapy planning and attenuation correction with PET/MR.Methods:An angularly undersampled, radially encoded UTE sequence was used for scanning the brains of healthy volunteers. Quantitative MR characterization of tissue properties, including water fraction and R2∗ = 1/T2∗, was performed by analyzing the UTE images acquired at multiple echo times. The impact of different sampling rates was evaluated through systematic comparison of the MR image quality, bone‐enhanced image quality, image noise, water fraction, and R2∗ of cortical bone.Results:A reduced angular sampling rate of the UTE trajectory achieves acquisition durations in proportion to the sampling rate and in as short as 25% of the time required for full sampling using a standard Cartesian acquisition, while preserving unique MR contrast within the skull at the cost of a minimal increase in noise level. The R2∗ of human skull was measured as 0.2–0.3 ms−1 depending on the specific region, which is more than ten times greater than the R2∗ of soft tissue. The water fraction in human skull was measured to be 60%–80%, which is significantly less than the >90% water fraction in brain. High‐quality, bone‐enhanced images can be generated using a reduced sampled UTE sequence with no visible compromise in image quality and they preserved bone‐to‐air contrast with as low as a 25% sampling rate.Conclusions:This UTE strategy with angular undersampling preserves the image quality and contrast of cortical bone, while reducing the total scanning time by as much as 75%. The quantitative results of R2∗ and the water fraction of skull based on Dixon analysis of UTE images acquired at multiple echo times provide guidance for the clinical adoption and further parameter optimization of the UTE sequence when used for radiation therapy and MR‐based PET attenuation correction.