bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcomes of magnesium‐incorporated oxidised implants: a randomised double‐blind clinical trial
Authors: Pang Kang‐Mi , Lee Jung‐Woo , Lee Jin‐Yong , Lee Jai‐Bong , Kim Soung‐Min , Kim Myung‐Jin , Lee Jong‐Ho 
Published: December 2012

AbstractObjectivesThis study evaluated implant stability and clinical outcomes obtained with magnesium‐incorporated oxidised implants (Mg titanate) and compared them to those blasted magnesium‐incorporated oxidised implants (blasted Mg titanate).Patients and methodsMg titanate was manufactured using the microarc oxidation (MAO) process. To obtain blasted Mg titanate, the MAO process was performed after blasting with TiO2 particles. The 15‐month, randomised, double ‐blind clinical trial was conducted on 54 implants in 40 patients (Mg titanate, 27 implants in 18 subjects; blasted Mg titanate, 27 implants in 22 subjects), in whom 4.0 mm × 10 mm implants were placed to restore the unilateral loss of one or two molars in the mandible. The final prosthesis was attached 3 months postoperatively. Implant stability was measured by the implant stability quotient (ISQ) and periotest value (PTV) at the time of implant insertion, and 2, 3, and 15 months postoperatively. Marginal bone loss was evaluated at 2, 6, and 15 months postoperatively. Soft tissue analysis was performed at 15 months postoperatively.ResultsBoth implant systems showed high stability at all time points (>71). Mean marginal bone loss was 0.71 ± 0.65 mm and 0.75 ± 0.73 after 15 months in Mg titanate and blasted Mg titanate, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two implant surfaces with respect to ISQ(P = 0.988), PTV(P = 0.935), and marginal bone loss(P = 0.807) after 15 months.ConclusionThe success rate after 1 year of follow‐up was 100% for both magnesium‐incorporated oxidised implants. There were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes between the two surfaces at 15 months follow‐up.
Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate Attenuates Aβ1–42‐Induced Neuroinflammation and Regulates MAPK and NF‐κB Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Zhao Hui , Wang Su‐Lei , Qian Lai , Jin Jia‐Li , Li Hui , Xu Yun , Zhu Xiao‐Lei 
Published: December 2012

SummaryBackground and purposeBeta‐amyloid (Aβ)‐mediated inflammation contributes to the progression and chronicity of Alzheimer's disease (AD), although the exact mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether diammonium glycyrrhizinate (DG) could inhibit Aβ‐induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo and to explore the underlying mechanisms.MethodsAβ1–42 was injected to bilateral hippocampus of mice to make the AD models in vivo. The levels of mRNA and protein of inflammatory cytokines were measured by real‐time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The viability of SH‐SY5Y and HT‐22 cells was determined by MTT. NF‐κB p65 translocation was analyzed by Western blotting and immunostaining. Phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK was tested by Western blotting.ResultsDG suppressed Aβ1–42‐induced activation of microglia and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. The media from Aβ1–42‐activated microglia decreased the viability of SH‐SY5Y and HT‐22 cells, but it was rescued when pretreated with DG. DG could inhibit the activation of MAPK and NF‐κB signaling pathways and attenuate the memory deficits in Aβ1–42‐induced AD mice.ConclusionsDG protects Aβ1–42‐induced AD models in vitro and in vivo through reducing activation of microglia and inflammation, which may be involved in MAPK and NF‐κB pathways.
Efficient p53 gene targeting by homologous recombination in rat‐induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Li G. , Chunxu Y. , Guisheng L. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractObjectivesTo generate rat induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using the PiggyBac (PB) transposon system, and to explore whether these iPSCs would be amenable to genetic manipulation.Materials and methodsThe PB transposon system was used to reprogramme rat embryonic fibroblasts (EF) to become iPSCs. Cells were identified with regard to pluripotency and differentiation capacity in vitro and in vivo, population growth characteristics and gene expression; furthermore, targeting vector was electroporated into them. Correct recombination colonies were acquired by positive and negative selection, and then phenotype confirmed by Southern blotting.ResultsThe rat EF cells were reprogrammed into iPSCs successfully, using the PB transposon system. Cell morphology was found to display characteristics of rat embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and results of immunofluorescence staining and PCR indicated that they expressed pluripotency markers. In vivo and in vitro differentiation experiments proved that the cells could differentiate into all phenotypes from three germ layers, and to form chimaeras with high rat iPSC contribution. After electroporation with p53 targeting vector, approximately (5.44 ± 0.74) × 10−6 colonies tolerated selection. Southern blotting confirmed that p53 gene was targeted successfully in the colonies.ConclusionThe PB transposon system proved to be an effective method for reprogramming of rat EF cells into iPSCs. The rat iPSCs were amenable to gene targeting mediated by routine homologous recombination.
The impact of gender and serum estradiol levels on HDL‐mediated reverse cholesterol transport
Authors: Badeau Robert M. , Metso Jari , Kovanen Petri T. , Lee‐Rueckert Miriam , Tikkanen Matti J. , Jauhiainen Matti 
Published: December 2012

AbstractObjectivePremenopausal women have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease compared to men of the same age. Endogenous oestrogens, especially estradiol, presumably protect against atherosclerosis by a variety of mechanisms. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) mechanisms also provide protection against this disease. RCT is defined as the removal of cholesterol from peripheral macrophage foam cells, via high‐density lipoproteins (HDL), and cholesterol transportation to the liver for excretion. We have previously shown in a preliminary study that HDL, isolated from premenopausal women, enhanced macrophage cholesterol efflux compared to HDL derived from age‐matched male subjects.Materials and methodsHere, we expanded this study by analysing a larger population of healthy volunteers and evaluated the capacity of HDL derived from women with high or low serum E2 concentrations, mainly representing premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively, or men (each group consisting of 30 subjects) to facilitate cholesterol removal from human THP‐1 macrophages. HDL isolated from serum samples was incubated with [3H] cholesterol oleate‐loaded macrophages for 16 h, after which cholesterol efflux to HDL was determined.ResultsNo significant differences in the efflux‐promoting ability of HDL existed among the three groups. Relevant plasma factors involved in further steps of RCT, such as cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activities were also analysed, but no differences were observed among the study groups.ConclusionThe results do not support a role for estradiol status or gender in modifying the initial step of RCT as a protective mechanism against cardiovascular disease.
The generation of theta rhythm in hippocampal formation maintainedin vitro
Authors: Kowalczyk Tomasz , Bocian Renata , Konopacki Jan 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe most spectacular example of oscillations and synchrony which appear in the brain is the rhythmic slow activity (theta) of the limbic cortex. Theta rhythm is the best synchronized electroencephalographic activity that can be recorded from the mammalian brain. Hippocampal formation is considered to be the main structure involved in the generation of this activity. Although detailed studies of the physiology and pharmacology of theta‐band oscillations have been carried out since the early 1950s, the first demonstration of atropine‐sensitive theta rhythm, recorded in completely deafferented hippocampal slices of a rat, was performed in the second half of the 1980s. Since the discovery of cholinergically inducedin vitrotheta rhythm recorded from hippocampal formation slices, the central mechanisms underlying theta generation have been successfully studied inin vitroconditions. Most of these experiments were focused on the basic question regarding the similarities between the cholinergically induced theta activity and theta rhythm examinedin vivo. The results of numerousin vitroexperiments strongly suggest that cholinergically induced theta rhythm recorded in hippocampal slices is a useful analogue of theta observed in intact animals, and could be helpful in searching for the mechanisms of oscillations and synchrony in the central nervous system neuronal networks. The objective of the present review is to discuss the main results of experiments concerning theta oscillations recorded inin vitroconditions. It is our intent to provide, on the basis of these results, the characteristics of essential mechanisms underlying the generation of atropine‐sensitivein vitrotheta.
Auditory cortex of the marmoset monkey – complex responses to tones and vocalizations under opiate anaesthesia in core and belt areas
Authors: Rajan Ramesh , Dubaj Vladimir , Reser David H. , Rosa Marcello G. P. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractMany anaesthetics commonly used in auditory research severely depress cortical responses, particularly in the supragranular layers of the primary auditory cortex and in non‐primary areas. This is particularly true when stimuli other than simple tones are presented. Although awake preparations allow better preservation of the neuronal responses, there is an inherent limitation to this approach whenever the physiological data need to be combined with histological reconstruction or anatomical tracing. Here we tested the efficacy of an opiate‐based anaesthetic regime to study physiological responses in the primary auditory cortex and middle lateral belt area. Adult marmosets were anaesthetized using a combination of sufentanil (8 μg/kg/h, i.v.) and N2O (70%). Unit activity was recorded throughout the cortical layers, in response to auditory stimuli presented binaurally. Stimuli consisted of a battery of tones presented at different intensities, as well as two marmoset calls (‘Tsik’ and ‘Twitter’). In addition to robust monotonic and non‐monotonic responses to tones, we found that the neuronal activity reflected various aspects of the calls, including ‘on’ and ‘off’ components, and temporal fluctuations. Both phasic and tonic activities, as well as excitatory and inhibitory components, were observed. Furthermore, a late component (100–250 ms post‐offset) was apparent. Our results indicate that the sufentanil/N2O combination allows better preservation of response patterns in both the core and belt auditory cortex, in comparison with anaesthetics usually employed in auditory physiology. This anaesthetic regime holds promise in enabling the physiological study of complex auditory responses in acute preparations, combined with detailed anatomical and histological investigation.
Suppression of terpenoid synthesis in plants by a virus promotes its mutualism with vectors
Authors: Luan Jun‐Bo , Yao Dan‐Mei , Zhang Tong , Walling Linda L. , Yang Mei , Wang Yu‐Jun , Liu Shu‐Sheng 
Published: December 2012

AbstractVectors often perform better on plants infected with pathogens, and this promotes the spread of pathogens. However, few studies have examined how plant defensive compounds mediate such mutualistic relationships. Although tobacco plants are relatively poor host plants for the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, tobacco's suitability to the whitefly was substantially increased when infected by the begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus. The change in suitability was associated with induced terpenoid synthesis in whitefly‐infested plants and repressed terpenoid synthesis in virus‐infected plants. Elevation of terpenoid levels via exogenous stem applications reduced the performance of whiteflies. In contrast, suppression of terpenoid synthesis via gene silencing improved whitefly fitness. By integrating genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics, this study demonstrated that virus infection depleted the terpenoid‐mediated plant defence against whiteflies, thereby favouring vector–virus mutualism. These data suggest that plant terpenoids play a key role in shaping vector–pathogen relationships.
Soft Post‐Legislative Rulemaking: A Time for More Stringent Control
Authors: Senden Linda 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe Commission's soft post‐legislative rulemaking by way of communications, notices, codes and similar instruments has become an increasingly important tool for the adequate functioning of the system of shared administration in the EU. However, the development of its legal framework has not kept pace with this, as the Treaty on the EU nor the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) recognise this regulatory phenomenon. As a result, its current procedural control is of a very ad hoc nature. Given the risks this rulemaking involves for the legitimacy of the EU, its practical and legal importance for legal practice and the way in which the Treaty of Lisbon has sought to condition and control the behaviour of the Union institutions, it is argued that the time is ripe for a more stringent and consistent procedural control of soft post‐legislative rulemaking. Some options to realise this are presented for further research.
Impact Assessment of EU Non‐Legislative Rulemaking: The Missing Link in ‘New Comitology’
Authors: Alemanno Alberto , Meuwese Anne 
Published: December 2012

AbstractImpact assessment (IA) has gone from an innocuous technical tool typically used in the pre‐legislative phase to an instrument at the heart of the European institutional machinery. However—in deviation from its roots as a tool governing delegated rulemaking in the US—most experience with IA in the EU has been gathered in a legislative context. Against the background of the recent evolution of the EU's old ‘comitology’ system into a two‐track system of delegated acts and implementing measures, this contribution discusses in three parts the ‘whys,’ ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of extending IA to ‘non‐legislative rulemaking.’ It explores various aspects of the rulemaking process that IA—if properly applied—could strengthen: consultation, control and quality.
Can fish really feel pain?
Authors: Rose J D , Arlinghaus R , Cooke S J , Diggles B K , Sawynok W , Stevens E D , Wynne C D L 
Published: December 2012

AbstractWe review studies claiming that fish feel pain and find deficiencies in the methods used for pain identification, particularly for distinguishing unconscious detection of injurious stimuli (nociception) from conscious pain. Results were also frequently misinterpreted and not replicable, so claims that fish feel pain remain unsubstantiated. Comparable problems exist in studies of invertebrates. In contrast, an extensive literature involving surgeries with fishes shows normal feeding and activity immediately or soon after surgery.Cfiber nociceptors, the most prevalent type in mammals and responsible for excruciating pain in humans, are rare in teleosts and absent in elasmobranchs studied to date. A‐delta nociceptors, not yet found in elasmobranchs, but relatively common in teleosts, likely serve rapid, less noxious injury signaling, triggering escape and avoidance responses. Clearly, fishes have survived well without the full range of nociception typical of humans or other mammals, a circumstance according well with the absence of the specialized cortical regions necessary for pain in humans. We evaluate recent claims for consciousness in fishes, but find these claims lack adequate supporting evidence, neurological feasibility, or the likelihood that consciousness would be adaptive. Even if fishes were conscious, it is unwarranted to assume that they possess a human‐like capacity for pain. Overall, the behavioral and neurobiological evidence reviewed shows fish responses to nociceptive stimuli are limited and fishes are unlikely to experience pain.
Variation in DVM behaviour of juvenile and adult pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri) linked to feeding strategies and related predation risk
Authors: Staby Arved , Srisomwong Jantra , Rosland Rune 
Published: December 2012

AbstractIn the Norwegian fjord Masfjorden, different developmental stages of the mesopelagic planktivore Maurolicus muelleri form vertically separate sound scattering layers (SSLs) and in late autumn display different diel vertical migration (DVM) behaviour. Post‐larvae and juvenile fish perform normal crepuscular DVM, whereas the large majority of adults remain at depth throughout the diel period. In this study we examined the stomach contents of juvenile and adult fish caught at different times and depths during a 24‐h period in autumn. The different DVM behaviour of these two SSLs in addition to a shallow layer believed to be composed of post‐larvae is explained with a model for visual foraging in aquatic environments that uses gradients in vertical light intensity and copepod density and size as input variables. Field data revealed that vertically migrating juveniles distributed at a higher ambient light intensity and on average consumed 25 times more copepods than non‐migrating adult fish. The model showed that juveniles experienced a 15 times higher prey encounter rate and a higher level of predation risk than non‐migrating adults, and that the energetic benefits for post larvae and juveniles from prolonged feeding in a nearly constant and brighter environment outweigh the associated predation risk. The model also suggests that the visual detection range of piscivore predators is relatively more limited by the turbid surface water than that of their prey, which provide the post‐larva and juvenile life‐stages of M. muelleri a window of reduced visual predation near the surface.
Niche versus neutrality in structuring the beta diversity of damselfly assemblages
Authors: SIEPIELSKI ADAM M. , MCPEEK MARK A. 
Published: December 2012

Summary1. Differences among communities in taxonomic composition – beta diversity – are frequently expected to result from taxon‐specific responses to spatial variation in ecological conditions, through niche partitioning. Such process‐derived patterns are in sharp contrast to arguments from neutral theory, where taxa are ecologically equivalent and beta diversity results primarily from dispersal limitation.2. Here, we compared beta diversity among assemblages of damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera), for which previous experiments have shown that niche differences maintain genera within a community, but patterns of relative abundance for species within each genus are shaped primarily by neutral dynamics.3. Using null‐model and ordination‐based methods, we find that both genera and (in contrast to neutral theory) species assemblage composition vary across the landscape in a deterministic fashion, shaped by environmental and spatial factors.4. While the observed patterns in species composition conflict with theory, we suggest that this a result of weak ecological filters acting to produce spatial variation in assemblages of ecologically similar species undergoing ecological drift within communities. Such patterns are especially likely in systems of relatively weak dispersers like damselflies.
A climate change‐induced threat to the ecological resilience of a subtropical monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest in Southern China
Authors: Zhou Guoyi , Peng Changhui , Li Yuelin , Liu Shizhong , Zhang Qianmei , Tang Xuli , Liu Juxiu , Yan Junhua , Zhang Deqiang , Chu Guowei 
Published: December 2012

AbstractRecent studies have suggested that tropical forests may not be resilient against climate change in the long term, primarily owing to predicted reductions in rainfall and forest productivity, increased tree mortality, and declining forest biomass carbon sinks. These changes will be caused by drought‐induced water stress and ecosystem disturbances. Several recent studies have reported that climate change has increased tree mortality in temperate and boreal forests, or both mortality and recruitment rates in tropical forests. However, no study has yet examined these changes in the subtropical forests that account for the majority of China's forested land. In this study, we describe how the monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest has responded to global warming and drought stress using 32 years of data from forest observation plots. Due to an imbalance in mortality and recruitment, and changes in diameter growth rates between larger and smaller trees and among different functional groups, the average DBH of trees and forest biomass have decreased. Sap flow measurements also showed that larger trees were more stressed than smaller trees by the warming and drying environment. As a result, the monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest community is undergoing a transition from a forest dominated by a cohort of fewer and larger individuals to a forest dominated by a cohort of more and smaller individuals, with a different species composition, suggesting that subtropical forests are threatened by their lack of resilience against long‐term climate change.
A high‐resolution bioclimate map of the world: a unifying framework for global biodiversity research and monitoring
Authors: Metzger Marc J. , Bunce Robert G. H. , Jongman Rob H. G. , Sayre Roger , Trabucco Antonio , Zomer Robert 
Published: December 2012

AbstractAimTo develop a novel global spatial framework for the integration and analysis of ecological and environmental data.LocationThe global land surface excluding Antarctica.MethodsA broad set of climate‐related variables were considered for inclusion in a quantitative model, which partitions geographic space into bioclimate regions. Statistical screening produced a subset of relevant bioclimate variables, which were further compacted into fewer independent dimensions using principal components analysis (PCA). An ISODATA clustering routine was then used to classify the principal components into relatively homogeneous environmental strata. The strata were aggregated into global environmental zones based on the attribute distances between strata to provide structure and support a consistent nomenclature.ResultsThe global environmental stratification (GEnS) consists of 125 strata, which have been aggregated into 18 global environmental zones. The stratification has a 30 arcsec resolution (equivalent to 0.86 km2 at the equator). Aggregations of the strata were compared with nine existing global, continental and national bioclimate and ecosystem classifications using the Kappa statistic. Values range between 0.54 and 0.72, indicating good agreement in bioclimate and ecosystem patterns between existing maps and the GEnS.Main conclusionsThe GEnS provides a robust spatial analytical framework for the aggregation of local observations, identification of gaps in current monitoring efforts and systematic design of complementary and new monitoring and research. The dataset is available for non‐commercial use through the GEO portal (http://www.geoportal.org).
Default of Systemically Important Financial Intermediaries: Short-term Stability versus Incentive Compatibility?
Authors: Dombret Andreas , Ebner André 
Published: December 2012

AbstractFinancial integration and globalization have acted as a major stimulus in the development of large, internationally operating banks, which not only provide cross-border services but also have a local presence. While these banks are themselves drivers of economic integration, they can pose serious threats to financial stability. Their size, interconnectedness and importance as providers of specific services mean that financial institutions can be too-systemic-to-fail (TSTF). Since the entry and exit of market participants is a crucial feature of well-functioning markets, the absence of any credible possibility of failure leads to serious distortions. This analysis gives an overview of the TSTF problem and discusses the challenges to be faced in establishing credible resolution regimes.