bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The pharmacogenetics of drug metabolizing enzymes in the Lebanese population
Authors: Ossaily Safaa , Zgheib Nathalie K. 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play a major role in the metabolism and final elimination of most drugs and xenobiotics from the body. Both phase I and phase II enzymes are highly polymorphic. Most studies on the pharmacogenetics (PGx) of DMEs and its influence on interindividual variability have been conducted in Western countries. Middle Easterners, however, may have a different genetic makeup and may be exposed to different environmental factors when compared with their Western counterparts. Thus, results obtained in Western populations cannot be extrapolated to the population of the Middle East, and it is important to examine and document PGx differences and influences within the Middle Eastern population as there have been very little published data from this region. Herein, we provide an update on the genetic polymorphisms of DMEs that were studied in Lebanon and their impact on drug toxicity and efficacy. It is hoped that with more time, additional funds, and perseverance, the PGx of DMEs in Lebanon picks up and becomes closer in quantity and quality to that in the West.
Pharmacogenetics of drug metabolizing enzymes in Brazilian populations
Authors: Cerda Alvaro , Hirata Mario Hiroyuki , Hirata Rosario Dominguez Crespo 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Phase I and II drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) play an important role in biotransformation of endogenous and exogenous compounds including drugs currently used in pharmacoterapy. Moreover, the genetic variability of DMEs causes important interindividual differences in drug and metabolite exposure, drug response, and risk of adverse drug reactions. We reviewed pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics (PGx) studies that evaluated the influence of polymorphisms in the CYPs genes – mainly CYP1, CYP2 and CYP3 gene families – and in the phase II genes – TPMT, NAT2, GSTs and UGTs – on therapeutic response in Brazilian cohorts. Ethnic admixture of Brazilians resulted in a population characterized by a unique genetic profile, in which ancestry informative markers change continuously among ethnic groups. Therefore, some of the PGx biomarkers have a different distribution among Brazilians and PGx data from well-defined ethnic groups are not applicable to Brazilian populations. PGx data focused on phase I and phase II DMEs from Brazilian studies are needed in order to establish the influence of the genetic diversity on therapeutic response to clinically relevant drugs in a population with a composition from a complex genetic admixture. These studies and their impact are discussed in this review.
A missed opportunity—a near disaster
Authors: Sarosi George A. 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common medical problem. Over 1.5 million patients annually will be diagnosed with CAP and treated with empiric therapy initially. The vast majority of patients will improve with a single course broad spectrum antimicrobial agent. Rarely a patient will not improve and some may progress on this regimen. Giving a second course of broad spectrum antimicrobial agent is not warranted until further evaluation is performed to look for the unusual cause of CAP. Blastomycosis is a regionally common community acquired fungal infection. When potential exposure of the patient to an area of high endemicity is recognized appropriate diagnostic studies should be performed.
The Hope for Audacity: The Understated Unilateralism of President Obama
Authors: Dodds Graham G. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis article offers an overall assessment of President Barack Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives and situates his usage in a broader historical context. It draws on academic scholarship and history to better understand the extent to which Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives (such as executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda) comports with or departs from that of other presidents. It examines five perspectives on Obama’s use of unilateral presidential directives (namely, a quantitative overview of his executive orders and proclamations, a qualitative review of some of his more noteworthy directives, and a survey of what the president, his conservative critics, and liberals have had to say about his directives). The evidence indicates that Obama has been fairly reserved or reticent in his use of unilateral directives. Four possible explanations for the nature of his (dis)use of unilateral directives (namely, reservations of a political, constitutional, or psychological nature, as well as the use of alternatives to unilateral presidential directives are considered).
Presidential Party Fundraising in Hopes of Not Having to Govern by Himself
Authors: Doherty Brendan J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe extent to which presidents embrace the role of electoral leader of their party is important but relatively understudied. Each of the past three presidents devoted substantial time to the role of chief party fundraiser during his first 2 years in office, hoping to avoid having to govern by himself in the final 2 years of his first term. Key institutional and contextual factors drive these dynamics. Presidents are incentivized to spend time fundraising for their co-partisans because of the interaction of the high costs of campaigns and the contribution limits mandated by campaign finance laws in an era of intense partisan competition. While even unpopular presidents are in demand as fundraisers, popularity does relate to fundraising dynamics. An unpopular Bill Clinton aggressively embraced fundraising efforts behind closed doors in his first 2 years in office, supporting his fellow Democrats with a kind of hidden-hand leadership, while over 90% of George W. Bush’s fundraisers were open to the media in 2001 and 2002, as his popularity surged following 9/11. Popularity makes a difference in terms of where presidents raise money for their fellow party members as well. While Clinton and Barack Obama largely confined their efforts to states in which they had found electoral support, the more popular Bush headlined fundraisers for fellow Republicans in states across the political spectrum. Presidents’ efforts can win them more political allies in elected office, but also expose them to criticism and may make it more difficult for presidents to work across the aisle on questions of public policy.
Presidential Policymaking: Race to the Top, Executive Power, and the Obama Education Agenda
Authors: McGuinn Patrick 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis article offers an analysis of the origins, evolution, and impact of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grant program and places it in the broader context of the debate over President Obama’s aggressive use of executive power. Faced with divided control and partisan gridlock in Congress – which has been unable to reauthorize ESEA, the largest federal education program – the Obama administration has opted to make education policy from the executive branch. While many observers have questioned the expansive interpretation of statutory and regulatory authority that undergirds RTTT – and the NCLB waiver process – there is little doubt that the efforts have had a significant impact on the national political discourse around education and pushed many states to propose or enact important policy changes, particularly around charter schools, common core standards, and teacher evaluation processes. Along with health care, education reform is likely to be remembered as the most significant policy legacy of the Obama administration. However, while the Affordable Care Act was drafted by Congress and secured through the “normal” legislative process, the Obama education agenda has largely been designed and enacted through unilateral executive branch authority. As a result, these actions may well set significant precedents for the separation of powers as well as for education policy.
Obama’s Choice: Bowling Alone in the White House
Authors: Renshon Stanley A. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractWhy has President Obama chosen to “Govern by Himself.” This essay analyzes the psychological and political elements that have led President Obama to choose this leadership strategy in the White House. The analysis is framed through the lenses of decision discretion and choice, presidential ambition, and the president’s approach to both leading and governing. It is true that the country is politically divided but the essence of president leadership is choice and President Obama, like every president, had an array of leadership and governing strategies before him from which to choose. This essay locates Obama’s choices in his conception of himself as a “great” and transformative leader. That ambition led him to pursue large legislative and foreign policy accomplishments instead of more modest, possibly bipartisan, initiatives, with equivocal and ultimately poignant results.
Chemithermomechanical and kraft pulping of Pinus radiata wood chips after the hydrothermal extraction of hemicelluloses
Authors: Reyes Pablo , Ferraz André , Pereira Miguel , Rodríguez Jaime , Mendonça Regis Teixeira 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Pinus radiata D. Don wood chips were submitted to a hydrothermal (HT) process, which is a pretreatment with pressurized water at P-factors of 20 (E1) and 1200 (E2), leading to 27% and 56% of hemicellulose removal, respectively. The residual wood chips were pulped by the chemithermomechanical (CTMP) and kraft processes. The pulp yield in the HT/CTMP process was in the range of 56–75%. The cellulose yields were not affected by the HT pretreatment, whereas the solubilization of hemicelluloses and lignin was intensified. The HT process provided energy savings in the refining of CTMP pulps, and the E1/CTMP pulp had a similar tensile and increased tear strength as the control wood. For kraft pulping, the HT wood chips demanded more active alkali (AA) to achieve a κ number (KN) of 30, and consequently, a decrease in pulp yield was observed (47.2% yield in the control and 44.4% and 37.8% in the E1 and E2 pulps, respectively). The fiber length decreased in the E1 and E2 kraft pulps compared with their control samples. In the E1 pulps, the tensile, tear, and burst indexes decreased by 10%, 25%, and 30%, respectively. Considering the low hemicellulose content and pulp viscosity in the range of 800–900 ml g-1, the mild HT process of P. radiata would be better suited for preparing cellulose-rich materials instead of paper-grade pulps under the biorefinery concept.
Influence of spruce xylan characteristics on tensile strength of spruce kraft pulp
Authors: Tavast Daniel , Jansson Zheng Li , Brännvall Elisabet 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility to use spruce xylan more efficiently by possible relocation of dissolved xylan with certain characteristics from the first part of the kraft cooking to the later part, when precipitation occur. The characteristics of re-located xylan was controlled by replacing half the black liquor (BL) at a late stage of a kraft cook, with the same amount of black liquor containing spruce xylan with known molecular weight and content of uronic acid (UA). Pulp with addition of xylan with high amount of UA groups responded strongly on beating, resulting in improved tensile strength. It is proposed that the best effect of xylan on tensile strength occurs when the xylan penetrates some distance into the subsurface of the fiber wall. Both low molecular weight (Mw)and a high degree of substitution decreases the tendency of xylan to aggregate, which enables the dissolved xylan to penetrate some distance into the exposed fiber surface. Upon beating, this xylan will be exposed thus facilitating improved fiber-fiber joint formation, which leads to increased tensile strength.
Nutrition, lifestyle factors, and mental health in adolescents and young adults living in Austria
Authors: Walther Julia , Aldrian Ulrike , Stüger Hans Peter , Kiefer Ingrid , Ekmekcioglu Cem 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Background: Due to an alarming trend of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, along with the sparse data on dietary habits and lifestyle factors, the present study aims to analyze the current nutritional behavior as well as the lifestyle and mental health of adolescents and young adults living in Austria.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 500 respondents (aged between 14 and 24 years) completed an anonymous questionnaire on nutrition behavior, mental health, and lifestyle factors by Internet survey.
Results: Only 50% of the participants ate breakfast daily and 10% did not eat breakfast at all. About 47% of the respondents consumed milk and milk products daily. Furthermore, only 31% ate fruit and 21% ate vegetables at least once a day, and 46% ate fish seldom or never. Nearly 28% of young people liked to eat fast food twice or thrice a week and more, with males more often replacing a meal with a fast food product (36%) than females (21%). About 46% of the respondents engaged in physical activity only once a week (or more rarely). A fifth of our respondents (23%) spent more than 2 h a day using various social networks, with Facebook being the most popular social network among the respondents. Around 27% claimed to be smokers, with more female (33%) than male (20%) smoker. In terms of sleeping habits, 19% slept <6 h a day. Regarding well-being, 44% were more likely to feel stressed, 35% stated that they were tense, and 43% felt tired and listless. Eating together, physical activity, and sleep patterns showed positive effects on well-being, whereas higher consumption of fast food/snacks/soft drinks and alcoholic drinks/energy drinks was associated with relatively lower well-being.
Conclusions: Unhealthy eating habits, suboptimal physical activity, and smoking are still prominent in a sample of Austrian adolescents and young people. In addition, stress and tiredness are also relevant problems in this collective.
A Nonlinear Excitation Controller Design Method for Terminal Voltage Regulation and Transient Stability Enhancement
Authors: Huang Chongxin , Zhang Kaifeng , Dai Xianzhong , Zang Qiang 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
This paper proposes a cascade control method to design a nonlinear excitation controller to guarantee the terminal voltage regulation and the transient stability. Firstly, a nonlinear automatic voltage regulator (NAVR) in the inner loop is designed to control the terminal voltage exactly. Secondly, the generator model including the NAVR is transformed to be a reduced one. Subsequently, based on the reduced generator model, the nonlinear power system stabilizer in the external loop is designed to enhance the transient stability of the power systems. Furthermore, a coordination strategy is presented to improve the performances of the terminal voltage regulation in the steady state and the stability in the transient state. Finally, the proposed method is verified by numerous simulation results.
Modes of ideal continuity and the additive property in the Riesz space setting
Authors: Boccuto Antonio , Dimitriou Xenofon , Papanastassiou Nikolaos , Wilczyński Władysław 
Published: May 2014

Abstract.
In this paper we present some different types
of ideal convergence/divergence and of ideal continuity for Riesz space-valued functions, and prove some
basic properties and comparison results. We investigate the relations among
different modes of ideal continuity and present a
characterization of the (AP)-property for ideals of
an abstract set Λ. Finally we pose some open problems.
Abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella in female albino rats
Authors: Lilaram  , Raichur Nazeer Ahmed 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Background: The abortifacient potential of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella was assessed in the present study.

Methods: Twenty-four pregnant Wistar albino rats were divided into two groups containing 12 animals in each group. Control group rats were orally administered with distilled water, while rats in the second group received 300 mg/kg b. wt of the seed extract from gestation day 12 to 18, once daily. Half of the rats from both the groups were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose on gestation day 20 and the remaining were allowed to go to full term to deliver vaginally.

Results: A significant reduction in maternal final weight, number of implantation sites, average weight of pups, implantation index, number of live fetuses, placental weight, percentage survival of fetuses, progesterone level, as well as the contrasting significant increase in resorption index, post-implantation loss, number of dead fetuses, and percentage of abortions was recorded in the seed extract treated rats. Histology of the uteri exhibited increased myometrium thickness and decreased endometrium thickness with degenerated cubic epithelial cells, uterine glands and increased infiltration of white blood cells in seed extract treated group. The ovaries revealed shrunken and degenerated corpora lutea in extract treated rats. The placentas exhibited degeneration of the junctional zone and the labyrinth in the seed extract treated rats. Fetuses were noticed with deformities in extract treated group. Seed extract treated rats did not deliver any pups until the full term of gestation.

Conclusions: The results obtained in this study suggest that the seeds of Caesalpinia bonducella possess abortifacient activity.
Caffeic and chlorogenic acids inhibit key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes (in vitro): a comparative study
Authors: Oboh Ganiyu , Agunloye Odunayo M. , Adefegha Stephen A. , Akinyemi Ayodele J. , Ademiluyi Adedayo O. 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Background: Chlorogenic acid is a major phenolic compound that forms a substantial part of plant foods and is an ester of caffeic acid and quinic acid. However, the effect of the structures of both chlorogenic and caffeic acids on their antioxidant and antidiabetic potentials have not been fully understood. Thus, this study sought to investigate and compare the interaction of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid with α-amylase and α-glucosidase (key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes) activities in vitro.

Methods: The inhibitory effect of the phenolic acids on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities was evaluated. Thereafter, their antioxidant activities as typified by their 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability and ferric reducing antioxidant properties were determined.

Results: The results revealed that both phenolic acids inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in a dose-dependent manner (2–8 μg/mL). However, caffeic acid had a significantly (p<0.05) higher inhibitory effect on α-amylase [IC50 (concentration of sample causing 50% enzyme inhibition)=3.68 μg/mL] and α-glucosidase (IC50=4.98 μg/mL) activities than chlorogenic acid (α-amylase IC50=9.10 μg/mL and α-glucosidase IC50=9.24 μg/mL). Furthermore, both phenolic acids exhibited high antioxidant properties, with caffeic acid showing higher effects.

Conclusions: The esterification of caffeic acid with quinic acid, producing chlorogenic acid, reduces their ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. Thus, the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities by the phenolic acids could be part of the possible mechanism by which the phenolic acids exert their antidiabetic effects.
Gastroprotective activity of essential oils from turmeric and ginger
Authors: Liju Vijayasteltar B. , Jeena Kottarapat , Kuttan Ramadasan 
Published: May 2014

Abstract

Background: Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officianale) are widely used in Asian countries as traditional medicine and food ingredients. In the present study, we have evaluated the gastroprotective activity of turmeric essential oil (TEO) and ginger essential oil (GEO) in rats.

Methods: Turmeric and ginger were evaluated for their antiulcer activity against ethanol-induced ulcers in male Wistar rats at different doses: 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight. Ethanol was used to induce gastric ulcer in Wistar rats. Parameters such as ulcer index, histopathology and levels of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured to assess the degree of protection produced by the essential oils.

Results: TEO and GEO inhibited ulcer by 84.7% and 85.1%, respectively, as seen from the ulcer index. Reduced antioxidant enzymes such as GPx, SOD, catalase and GSH produced by alcohol administration were significantly (p<0.001) increased by simultaneous administration of TEO and GEO. Histopathological examination showed that ethanol-induced lesions such as necrosis, erosion and hemorrhage of the stomach wall were significantly reduced after oral administration of essential oils.

Conclusions: Results suggest that TEO and GEO could reduce the gastric ulcer in rat stomach as seen from the ulcer index and histopathology of the stomach. Moreover, oxidative stress produced by ethanol was found to be significantly reduced by TEO and GEO.
Character deflations
and a generalization of the Murnaghan–Nakayama rule
Authors: Evseev Anton , Paget Rowena , Wildon Mark 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
Given natural numbers m and n,
we define a deflation map from the
characters of the symmetric group
S

mn
to the characters of Sn
.
This map is obtained by
first restricting a character of S

mn
to the
wreath product Sm
≀ Sn
, and then taking the sum of
the
irreducible constituents
of the restricted character
on which the base group Sm
× ⋯ × Sm

acts trivially.
We prove a combinatorial formula which gives the
values of the images of the irreducible characters of S

mn

under this map.
We also prove an
analogous result for more general deflation maps
in which the base group is not required to act trivially.
These results generalize
the Murnaghan–Nakayama rule and special cases of the Littlewood–Richardson rule.
As a corollary we obtain a new combinatorial formula
for the character multiplicities that are the subject of the
long-standing Foulkes' Conjecture.
Using this formula we verify Foulkes' Conjecture in some new cases.
Relationship between Mental Rotation of Body Parts and Postural Stability during Quiet Stance
Authors: Kawasaki Tsubasa , Yasuda Kazuhiro , Fukuhara Kazunobu , Higuchi Takahiro 
Published: May 2014

Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate a relationship between the ability to quickly perform a mental rotation (MR) task using body (particularly foot) stimuli and postural stability during unipedal and bipedal quiet stance. Twenty-four healthy young adults participated in this study to measure reaction times for the MR (stimuli: foot, hand, and car), postural sway values during unipedal and bipedal standings, and lower extremity functions. Results showed significant correlations between the reaction time for the MR of the foot stimuli (but not for hand and car stimuli) and some of postural sway values (total length of sway and mean velocity in the anterior–posterior direction) during unipedal standing (but not for bipedal standing). Consistently, participants who performed the MR task quickly showed significantly smaller sway values during unipedal standing than those who performed the task slowly. These findings suggest that the ability to mentally imagine the foot movement is likely to relate to postural stability, while involving a challenging postural task, such as unipedal standing. The reaction time for the MR of foot stimuli was also correlated with two-point discrimination (TPD) distance on the plantar skin. Given that the TPD distance not only represents cutaneous acuity but also reflects participants’ body image relating to their feet, MR performance may have been related to postural stability because both involve cognitive processes used for both motor imagery and motor execution of the foot movement.