bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Associations of I148M variant in PNPLA3 gene with plasma ALT levels during 2‐year follow‐up in normal weight and overweight children: the PANIC Study
Authors: Viitasalo A. , Pihlajamaki J. , Lindi V. , Atalay M. , Kaminska D. , Joro R. , Lakka T. A. 
Published: June 2014

SummaryObjectivesPNPLA3 I148M polymorphism (rs738409) has been strongly associated with liver fat content and plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in obese adults and children, but little is known about these relationships in normal weight individuals. We studied the associations and interactions of overweight and the PNPLA3 I148M polymorphism with plasma ALT levels during 2‐year follow‐up in children.MethodsSubjects were a population sample of 481 Caucasian children aged 6–8 years examined at baseline and 419 children re‐examined after 2‐year follow‐up. Altogether, 58 (12%) of 481 children at baseline and 71 (17%) of 419 children after 2‐year follow‐up were overweight. We assessed plasma ALT levels and other cardiometabolic risk factors and genotyped the PNPLA3 I148M polymorphism.ResultsBeing overweight and carrying PNPLA3 148M allele were associated with increased ALT levels at baseline (P = 0.002; P = 0.033) and after 2‐year follow‐up (P < 0.001; P = 0.001). Being overweight (P < 0.001) and carrying PNPLA3 148M allele (P = 0.001) were also associated with increase in ALT levels during 2‐year follow‐up. PNPLA3 148M allele carriers had increased ALT levels at baseline (P = 0.024 for interaction) and after 2‐year follow‐up (P = 0.002 for interaction) as well as a larger increase in ALT levels during 2‐year follow‐up (P = 0.002 for interaction) if they were overweight but not if they were normal weight. Further adjustment for clinical puberty, dietary factors, physical activity or sedentary behaviour had little or no effect on these associations.ConclusionPNPLA3 148M allele carriers had higher plasma ALT levels and larger increase in ALT levels during follow‐up than non‐carriers only among overweight children.
The role of exclusive breastfeeding and sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption on preschool children's weight gain
Authors: Silveira J. A. C. , Colugnati F. A. B. , Poblacion A. P. , Taddei J. A. A. C. 
Published: June 2014

SummaryBackgroundSugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs) and breastfeeding practices have been recognized as important factors linked to children's weight status. However, no other studies have simultaneously investigated the role of each factor on children's conditional weight gain (CWG).ObjectiveTo evaluate the role of exclusive breastfeeding (EB) and the SSBs consumption on CWG from birth to the survey date among Brazilian preschool children (24–59 months old).MethodsA nationally represented cross‐sectional survey with complex probability sampling (n = 2421) was conducted. The outcome variable – CWG – represents how much an individual has deviated from its expected weight gain, given his or her prior weight. The multivariate linear regression to analyse the effects of EB and the consumption of SSBs on CWG were adjusted for economic status and maternal variables.ResultsThere was a significantly protective effect of EB duration during the first year of life on CWG from birth to the survey date (−0.02 [−0.03; 0.00 95% confidence interval]); however, the SSBs intake promoted an effect on the weight gain that was 2.5‐fold higher (0.05 [0.02; 0.08 95% confidence interval]) than the EB.ConclusionAs hypothesized, the exposure variables acted in opposite directions, but the harmful effect of SSBs intake had greater magnitude than the beneficial effect of EB on children's CWG.
The pallet loading problem: a review of solution methods and computational experiments
Authors: Silva Elsa , Oliveira José F. , Wäscher Gerhard 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe manufacturer's pallet loading problem (MPLP) has been widely studied during the past 50 years. It consists of placing a maximum number of identical rectangular boxes onto a single rectangular pallet. In this paper, we have reviewed the methods that have been proposed for the solution of this problem. Furthermore, the various problem instances and data sets are analyzed that have been used in computational experiments for the evaluation of these methods. The most challenging and yet unsolved methods are identified. By doing so, areas of future research concerning the MPLP can be highlighted.
The EU's Interpretation of the ‘Arab Uprisings’: Understanding the Different Visions about Democratic Change in EU‐MENA Relations
Authors: Pace Michelle 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis article focuses on how the EU has interpreted the Arab uprisings as they unfolded in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since December 2010. EU actors have long acknowledged limits in the EU's strategy towards its southern neighbourhood, which largely bypasses the demands of local populations. The article analyzes the EU's efforts at recreating an ‘enhanced’ framework of support for political reforms in the south. It concludes that the EU and local partners in the south still have different ‘visions’ regarding democratic change, which shows the limitations of the EU's understanding of the MENA region.
Distributions and Biomass of Benthic Ciliates, Foraminifera and Amoeboid Protists in Marine, Brackish, and Freshwater Sediments
Authors: Lei Yan‐Li , Stumm Karen , Wickham Stephen A. , Berninger Ulrike‐G. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe quantitative importance of ciliates, foraminifers, and amoebae was investigated in marine, brackish, and freshwater sediments from 15 littoral stations. Total protozoan communities were usually dominated by ciliates in term of abundance, while amoebae often dominated in terms of biomass. Applying the biomass‐metabolic rate equation, ciliates, amoebae, and foraminifera were estimated to contribute 66% of the total abundance and 33% of the biomass, but up to 55% of the combined metabolic rate to the micro‐ and meiobenthos in the 15 sediments. Statistical analyses using ciliate data demonstrated: (1) species composition and community structures represented significant differences between freshwater and marine/brackish sediments, and subsequently between temperate and arctic sampling sites; (2) the occurrence of dominant ciliates and their allocation to feeding types indicated that herbivory was the most common feeding strategy in these sediments; (3) multivariate analyses showed all of the tested environmental factors (temperature, salinity, silt/clay, carbon, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a) to be important to varying degrees, but especially the combination of salinity, temperature, and silt/clay. Multiple factor effects or comprehensive influences might be important in regulating the distribution of protozoa in sediments. The importance of protozoa in sediment systems and the potential ecological significance of cysts are discussed.
STRATEGIC CREDIT LINE USAGE AND PERFORMANCE
Authors: Kizilaslan Atay , Manakyan Mathers Ani 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe existing literature views credit line drawdowns as a quick, low‐cost way for a firm to access cash for immediate needs when facing a liquidity shock. We investigate whether firms use credit lines strategically to accumulate precautionary balances in anticipation of performance declines. We show that unexpected drawdowns, measured as the residual from a predictive regression of drawdowns, predict increases in cash balances, future cash flow declines, and future covenant violations. Firms with unexpected drawdowns see less favorable terms in renegotiations than firms without unexpected drawdowns but they are better able to finance future capital expenditures following a covenant violation.
A Systematic Approach to Definitive Planning and Designing Single and Multiple Unit Implant Abutments
Authors: Karunagaran Sanjay , Markose Sony , Paprocki Gregory , Wicks Russell 
Published: June 2014

AbstractWith an increase in the availability of implant restorative components, the selection of an appropriate implant abutment for a given clinical situation has become more challenging. This article describes a systematic protocol to help the practitioner more thoughtfully select abutments for single and multiple unit fixed implant prostheses. The article examines the evaluation, planning, design, and fabrication processes for the definitive restoration. It includes an assessment of a variety of factors, namely restorative space, soft and hard tissues, the location of the implant platform, the type of platform connection, platform switching indications, tissue collar heights, emergence profile, implant angulation, and finally the design and esthetic options for the final implant abutment.
In Vitro Comparison of the Cytotoxicity and Water Sorption of Two Different Denture Base Systems
Authors: Akin Hakan , Tugut Faik , Polat Zubeyde Akin 
Published: June 2014

AbstractPurposeDenture base resins have the potential to cause cytotoxicity in vivo, and the mechanical properties of resins are affected by water sorption. There is a correlation between residual monomer and water sorption. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate water sorption and cytotoxicity of light‐activated urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) denture base resin compared to a conventional heat‐activated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin.Materials and MethodsTwo denture base resins, heat‐activated PMMA (Meliodent) and light‐activated UDMA (Eclipse), were used in this study. Cytotoxicity (5 × 1 mm2) and water sorption (1 × 1 mm2) specimens were made following the manufacturers’ instructions (n = 10). Cytotoxicity tests of denture base resins were performed according to ISO10993–5:1999, and water sorption was evaluated according to ISO 1567:1997. ANOVA tests were employed for evaluating data (α = 0.05).ResultsThere was no cytotoxic effect in either the PMMA or UDMA group. In addition, contrary to short‐term water storage, a significantly lower water sorption value was shown for UDMA resins compared to PMMA resins in both 3‐ and 6‐month storage periods (p = 0.043 and p = 0.002, respectively).ConclusionThe tested denture base materials adhered to the ISO standards for both cytotoxicity and water sorption. The cytotoxicity of the light‐activated UDMA resin tested was statistically similar to that of the heat‐activated PMMA resin; however, the UDMA resin exhibited decreased water sorption in long‐term water storage.
Pretreatment with Andrographolide Pills® Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Pulmonary Microcirculatory Disturbance and Acute Lung Injury in Rats
Authors: Yang Ning , Liu Yu‐Ying , Pan Chun‐Shui , Sun Kai , Wei Xiao‐Hong , Mao Xiao‐Wei , Lin Fang , Li Xue‐Jun , Fan Jing‐Yu , Han Jing‐Yan 
Published: June 2014

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to explore the protective effect of AP on LPS‐induced PMD and ALI.MethodsMale SD rats were continuously infused with LPS (5 mg/kg/h) for one hour to induce PMD and ALI. AP was administrated orally one hour before LPS exposure. Arterial blood pressure and HR were monitored. Blood gas analysis, histological observation, cytokines in plasma, leukocyte recruitment, pulmonary oxidative stress, microvessel permeability, edema, and related proteins were evaluated six hours after LPS challenge.ResultsRats receiving LPS exhibited significant alterations, including hypotension, tachycardia, increase in cytokines, neutrophil adhesion and infiltration, oxidative stress, and microvessel hyperpermeability, resulting in pulmonary injury and dysfunction. AP (0.18 g/kg or 1.8 g/kg) improved rat survival rate, and significantly attenuated all aforementioned insults, and inhibited LPS‐induced increase in adhesion molecules, up‐regulation of Cav‐1 and Src kinase and NADPH oxidase subunits (p47phox and p67phox) membrane translocation in lung tissue, and preserved JAM‐1 and claudin‐5.ConclusionsThe results demonstrated the protective effect of AP on LPS‐induced PMD and ALI, suggesting the potential of AP as a prophylactic strategy for LPS‐induced ALI.
Long‐term results of pneumatic dilatation for relapsing symptoms of achalasia after Heller myotomy
Authors: Legros Ludivine , Ropert Alain , Brochard Charlène , Bouguen Guillaume , Pagenault Maël , Siproudhis Laurent , Bretagne Jean‐François 
Published: June 2014

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of pneumatic dilatation (PD) to treat symptom recurrence after Heller myotomy (HM).MethodsConsecutive patients receiving PD for relapsing symptoms following prior HM were included in this retrospective single‐center study. Eckardt score ≤3 and/or ∆ Eckardt (difference between Eckardt score before and after dilatation) ≥3 defined the success of initial dilatation. Patients who maintained response longer than 2 months after initial dilatation were defined as short‐term responders. Relapsers were offered further on‐demand dilatation. Remission was defined as an Eckardt score ≤3 at the study endpoint. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to determine relapse rates.Key ResultsEighteen patients (11 women, seven men) were included from January 2004 to January 2013. Ten patients had type I achalasia, and seven had type III, according to the Chicago classification. Thirty‐nine PDs were performed (1.5 [1–2.25] per patient). All patients had short‐term responses. The remission rate at the endpoint, after a median follow‐up of 33 months, was 78%, but 44% were treated with on‐demand PD during the follow‐up interval. The proportions of patients without relapse and subsequent PD were 72% at 12 months, 65% at 24 and 36 months, and 49% at 48 months. No factors predictive of long‐term response, particularly the type of achalasia, could be identified in this series. There were no perforations.Conclusions & InferencesIn treating symptom recurrence following HM, PD was safe and effective over the long term when combined with subsequent PD.
A nonRD receptor‐like kinase prevents nodule early senescence and defense‐like reactions during symbiosis
Authors: Berrabah Fathi , Bourcy Marie , Eschstruth Alexis , Cayrel Anne , Guefrachi Ibtissem , Mergaert Peter , Wen Jiangqi , Jean Viviane , Mysore Kirankumar S. , Gourion Benjamin , Ratet Pascal 
Published: June 2014

Summary

Rhizobia and legumes establish symbiotic interactions leading to the production of root nodules, in which bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plant's benefit. This symbiosis is efficient because of the high rhizobia population within nodules. Here, we investigated how legumes accommodate such bacterial colonization.

We used a reverse genetic approach to identify a Medicago truncatula gene, SymCRK, which encodes a cysteine‐rich receptor‐like kinase that is required for rhizobia maintenance within the plant cells, and performed detailed phenotypic analyses of the corresponding mutant.

The Medicago truncatula symCRK mutant developed nonfunctional and necrotic nodules. A nonarginine asparate (nonRD) motif, typical of receptors involved in innate immunity, is present in the SymCRK kinase domain. Similar to the dnf2 mutant, bacteroid differentiation defect, defense‐like reactions and early senescence were observed in the symCRK nodules. However, the dnf2 and symCRK nodules differ by their degree of colonization, which is higher in symCRK. Furthermore, in contrast to dnf2, symCRK is not a conditional mutant.

These results suggest that in M. truncatula at least two genes are involved in the symbiotic control of immunity. Furthermore, phenotype differences between the two mutants suggest that two distinct molecular mechanisms control suppression of plant immunity during nodulation.
Magical mystery tour: MLO proteins in plant immunity and beyond
Authors: Acevedo‐Garcia Johanna , Kusch Stefan , Panstruga Ralph 
Published: June 2014

SummaryStable heritable restriction of the ubiquitous powdery mildew disease is a desirable trait for agri‐ and horticulture. In barley (Hordeum vulgare), loss‐of‐function mutant alleles of the Mildew resistance locus o (Mlo) gene confer broad‐spectrum resistance to almost all known isolates of the fungal barley powdery mildew pathogen, Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei. Despite extensive cultivation of barley mlo genotypes, mlo resistance has been durable in the field. Mlo genes are present as small families in the genomes of all higher plant species. The presumed negative regulatory role of particular members in plant immunity is evolutionarily conserved, as powdery mildew resistant mlo mutants have also been described in Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pea (Pisum sativum). Barley Mlo encodes a plasma membrane‐localized seven‐transmembrane domain protein of unknown biochemical activity. Here, we review the known requirements for mlo‐mediated disease resistance in barley and Arabidopsis and reflect current views regarding Mlo function. We discuss additional mlo mutant phenotypes recently discovered in Arabidopsis and present a meta‐analysis of the phylogenetic relationships within the Mlo family. Finally, we consider the novel versatile tools for functional analysis and targeted genome modification that can be used to induce mlo‐based powdery mildew resistance in virtually any plant species.
Conradi–Hünermann–Happle Syndrome: A Novel Heterozygous Missense Mutation, c.204G>T (p.W68C)
Authors: Lambrecht Charlotte , Wouters Carine , Van Esch Hilde , Moens Pierre , Casteels Ingele , Morren Marie‐Anne 
Published: June 2014

AbstractConradi–Hünermann–Happle syndrome (X‐linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata, CDPX2 [Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man 302960]) is a rare genodermatosis that presents with blaschkolinear ichthyosis, cicatricial alopecia, chondrodysplasia punctata, asymmetric shortening of the bones, and cataracts. In this case report we describe a child presenting with a patterned alopecia in which supplementary signs and clinical examination of the mother led to the suspicion of Conradi‐Hünermann‐Happle syndrome. Mutation analysis revealed a heterozygous novel missense mutation, c.204G>T (p.W68C), in exon 2.
The Perennial Nature of the Catholic Worker Farms: A Reconsideration of Failure
Authors: Stock Paul V. 
Published: June 2014

AbstractContemporary challenges in rural and environmental politics hinge on understanding what success and failure mean. One avenue of studying success and failure of political and social change efforts is to study social movements and intentional communities often equated with how many years such efforts persisted. The Catholic Worker movement's combination of a vision of radical social change, religion, nonviolence, hospitality, activism, and agrarianism involve publications, urban houses, and farms that constitute a movement and a network of autonomous intentional communities. The Catholic Worker movement's communal farms began in 1933 and at various points those efforts were deemed failures. Thus, the story of the Catholic Worker farms is one of impermanence and struggle for a desired ideal. However, what we are missing in condemning the farms to failure is the utter success since the 1970s of a strong agrarian and environmental strain of the Catholic Worker movement based on farm activity, activism, and cooperative economics. This study reconceptualizes failure in the language of process and context. The Catholic Worker farms case study refigures failure such that we can articulate a politics of possibility related to the dramatic challenges not only of society but also of the environment.
Sincerity, Solidarity, and Deliberative Commitment
Authors: Kadlac Adam 
Published: June 2014

AbstractTwo challenges have lately been posed to the importance of sincerity for our public discourse. On the one hand, it has been suggested that because sincerity is so difficult to identify, a preoccupation with the inner lives of others distracts us from the substance of what people say. On the other hand, some worry that making sincere statements can sometimes undermine the very deliberation that advocates of sincerity are so concerned to protect. In light of these challenges, I attempt to analyze our interest in sincerity in terms of a concern for solidarity with our fellow citizens. I then argue that focusing on the sincerity of various assertions is not a good way to promote social cohesion and that this concern is better addressed by looking at the commitment that others have to the process of democratic deliberation.
The Incentives Argument Revisited: A Millean Account of Copyright
Authors: Falgoust Michael 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe U.S. Constitution employs a utilitarian view in authorizing Congress to establish patents and copyrights. Let us refer to this way of justifying copyright as the Incentives Argument, or more extensively, the Incentives Argument for Intellectual Property Rights. While seemingly straightforward, the Incentives Argument has been widely criticized in philosophical literature on intellectual property. Scholars have come to prefer Neo‐Lockean labor‐desert accounts, grounding intellectual property rights in the author's natural ownership claims over his creations. Neo‐Lockean accounts are thought to avoid some of the problems classically associated with utilitarian arguments, such as vulnerability to empirical evidence and an inability to make sense of rights or duties morally prior to consequential considerations. Fortunately, many criticisms articulated by opponents of the Incentives Argument can be answered by a strategic retreat to the version of utilitarianism found in the work of John Stuart Mill. I argue that not only does a Millian account of the Incentives Argument prove less vulnerable to oft‐cited criticisms, but also allows for a more robust account of how the audience benefits from a proliferation of creative works. Mill's focus on the importance of critical self‐development allows for a deeper analysis of how creative works benefit members of the audience as individuals and as a community. Within a Millian framework, viewing the audience as mere passive consumers of media fails to take into account the impact of expressive acts on an individual's critical self‐development. Instead, one must see members of the audience as active participants in the creation of meaning and the common culture. Construing the community that receives creative works as an Active Audience alters the landscape of copyright, and the Incentives Argument, making balancing the desires of creators and the desires of audience members a key priority.
French Philosophy of Science, Structuralist Epistemology, and the Problem of the Subject
Authors: Eyers Tom 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThis article examines the multiple relations between the rationalist tradition of French philosophy of science exemplified by the work of Gaston Bachelard, and the rethinking of the relation between science and ideology undertaken by Louis Althusser and a young Alain Badiou in the 1960s. Both Bachelard and Althusser are interrogated for the philosophy of language that underpins their respective visions of scientificity; in turn, the problem of the subject is posed, in part through an investigation of Althusser's inheritance and transformation of Lacanian psychoanalysis.