bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fragmented Energy Governance and the Provision of Global Public Goods
Authors: Escribano Gonzalo 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis article analyses global energy governance from an international political economy and global public goods (GPG) perspective. It first describes the fragmentation that characterises energy governance and its current trend towards an increasingly inter‐polar and polycentric pattern. Then, it shows how the myriad of dedicated international energy regimes conform to an energy regime complex that provides a diverse set of GPG rather than a single international energy regime. Then, global energy governance is analysed from a global public good angle, (1) categorizing the different institutional energy‐related arrangements according to the public good they intend to provide; and (2) highlighting that the supply of such institutional arrangements is greatly influenced by the different provision technologies that are applied to the different energy‐related global public goods.
Changes in the Methylation Status of DAT,SERT, and MeCP2 Gene Promoters in the Blood Cell in Families Exposed to Alcohol During the Periconceptional Period
Authors: Lee Bom‐Yi , Park So‐Yeon , Ryu Hyun‐Mee , Shin Chan‐Young , Ko Ki‐Nam , Han Jung‐Yeol , Koren Gideon , Cho Youl‐Hee 
Published: February 2015

BackgroundAlcohol exposure has been shown to cause devastating effects on neurobehavioral development in numerous animal and human studies. The alteration of DNA methylation levels in gene‐specific promoter regions has been investigated in some studies of human alcoholics. This study was aimed to investigate whether social alcohol consumption during periconceptional period is associated with epigenetic alteration and its generational transmission in the blood cells.MethodsWe investigated patterns of alcohol intake in a prospective cohort of 355 pairs of pregnant women and their spouses who reported alcohol intake during the periconceptional period. A subpopulation of 164 families was established for the epigenetic study based on the availability of peripheral blood and cord blood DNA. The relative methylation changes of dopamine transporter (DAT), serotonin transporter (SERT), and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene promoters were analyzed using methylation‐specific endonuclease digestion followed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsThe relative methylation level of the DAT gene promoter was decreased in the group of mothers reporting above moderate drinking (p = 0.029) and binge drinking (p = 0.037) during pregnancy. The relative methylation level of the DAT promoter was decreased in the group of fathers reporting heavy binge drinking (p = 0.003). The relative methylation levels of the SERT gene promoter were decreased in the group of newborns of light drinking mothers before pregnancy (p = 0.012) and during pregnancy (p = 0.003). The methylation level in the MeCP2 promoter region of babies whose mothers reported above moderate drinking during pregnancy was increased (p = 0.02). In addition, methylation pattern in the DAT promoter region of babies whose fathers reported heavy binge drinking was decreased (p = 0.049).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that periconceptional alcohol intake may cause epigenetic changes in specific locus of parental and newborn genomes as follows: Alcohol consumption decreases the methylation level of the DAT promoter region of the parent themselves, maternal alcohol drinking during the periconceptional period decreases the methylation level of the SERT promoter region of newborns, and maternal alcohol consumption increases the methylation level of the MeCP2 promoter region of newborns.
A review of co‐morbid tobacco and cannabis use disorders: Possible mechanisms to explain high rates of co‐use
Authors: Rabin Rachel Allison , George Tony Peter 
Published: February 2015

BackgroundTobacco and cannabis are among the most commonly used psychoactive substances worldwide, and are often used in combination. Evidence suggests that tobacco use contributes to an increased likelihood of becoming cannabis dependent and similarly cannabis use promotes transition to more intensive tobacco use. Further, tobacco use threatens cannabis cessation attempts leading to increased and accelerated relapse rates among cigarette smokers. Given that treatment outcomes are far from satisfactory among individuals engaged in both tobacco and cannabis use highlights the need for further exploration of this highly prevalent co‐morbidity.ObjectiveTherefore, this review will elucidate putative neurobiological mechanisms responsible for facilitating the link between co‐morbid tobacco and cannabis use.MethodWe performed an extensive literature search identifying published studies that examined co‐morbid tobacco and cannabis use.ResultsEvidence of both synergistic and compensatory effects of co‐morbid tobacco and cannabis use have been identified. Following, co‐morbid use of these substances will be discussed within the context of two popular theories of addiction: the addiction vulnerability hypothesis and the gateway hypothesis. Lastly, common route of administration is proposed as a facilitator for co‐morbid use.Conclusions & Scientific SignificanceWhile, only a paucity of treatment studies addressing co‐morbid tobacco and cannabis use have been conducted, emerging evidence suggests that simultaneously quitting both tobacco and cannabis may yield benefits at both the psychological and neurobiological level. More research is needed to confirm this intervention strategy and future studies should consider employing prospective systematic designs. (Am J Addict 2015;24:105–116)
Rare copy number variants are common in young children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Eriksson Mats Anders , Liedén Agne , Westerlund Joakim , Bremer Anna , Wincent Josephine , Sahlin Ellika , Gillberg Christopher , Fernell Elisabeth , Anderlid Britt‐Marie 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimSeveral studies have suggested that rare copy number variants (CNVs) are an important genetic contributor to autism spectrum disorders. The aims of the study were to use chromosomal microarray to investigate the presence of rare copy number variants in a population‐based cohort of well‐characterised young children with autism spectrum disorders and to relate the genetic results to neurodevelopmental profiles and medical conditions.MethodsWe performed chromosomal microarray on samples from 162 children who had been referred to the Stockholm Autism Centre for Young Children in Sweden after being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between 20 and 54 months of age.ResultsPathogenic aberrations were detected in 8.6% of the children and variants of uncertain significance were present in another 8.6%. CNVs were more frequent in children with congenital malformations or dysmorphic features as well as in the subgroup with intellectual disability.ConclusionOur results support the use of chromosomal microarray methods for the first tier genetic analysis of autism spectrum disorder. However, it is likely in the near future that chromosomal microarray methods will probably be replaced by whole‐exome and whole‐genome sequencing technologies in clinical genetic testing.
Outcomes 18 years after implementation of a nonoperative caries preventive program – the Nexö‐method – on children in Moscow, Russia
Authors: Kuzmina Irina , Ekstrand Kim R. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractObjectivesTo report the long‐term effect (18 years) of the Nexö‐method, initially implemented in groups of children in Moscow in 1994.MethodsThree groups of children were included in the initial study in 1994. This study is a follow‐up study of two of the three initial groups: a group of 6‐year‐olds (test group6; control group6) and a group of 11‐year‐olds (test group11, control group11), n = 50 individuals in each of the four subgroups. In 2012, >80% of the participants in the two groups (now aged 24 and 28 years old) were re‐examined by the original examiner, who was blinded to which group the patients had belonged in the initial study. After re‐examination, the participants were interviewed by a person not otherwise attached to the study. Finally, caries data were collected from 100 24‐year‐olds and 100 28‐year‐olds who attended the dental school (50%) and private clinic (50%) in Moscow (External control groups24,28). The outcome variables of the study were plaque and gingival status, and DMFT/S.ResultsIn 2012, the control groups24,28 displayed significantly higher plaque scores than the test groups24,28 (P‐values < 0.05). No differences were seen regarding gingivitis scores (P‐values > 0.41). Mean DMFT/S in 2012 was test group24 = 6.98/10.51, control group24 = 8.84/13.14 (P = 0.02/0.06). External control group24 = 8.89/15.86 (test24 versus external control group24, P = 0.01/0.007; control24 versus external control group24, P = 0.94/0.16). Test group28 = 6.74/10.83, control group28 = 8.70/14.48 (P = 0.02/0.008). External control group28 = 9.03/18.06 (test28 versus external control28, P = 0.03/0.001; control28 versus external control28, P = 0.68/0.07). The interview indicated that the participants in the test groups were more aware of factors that are considered important for control of caries than participants in the control groups.ConclusionsThe data from this group of Moscow citizens suggest a long‐term positive effect of the Nexö‐method implemented during childhood.
Signalling pathways involved in the process of mesenchymal stem cells differentiating into hepatocytes
Authors: Ye Jun‐Song , Su Xiao‐San , Stoltz J.‐F. , de Isla N. , Zhang Lei 
Published: February 2015

AbstractEnd‐stage liver disease can be the termination of acute or chronic liver diseases, with manifestations of liver failure; transplantation is currently an effective treatment for these. However, transplantation is severely limited due to the serious lack of donors, expense, graft rejection and requirement of long‐term immunosuppression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted considerable attention as therapeutic tools as they can be obtained with relative ease and expanded in culture, along with features of self‐renewal and multidirectional differentiation. Many scientific groups have sought to use MSCs differentiating into functional hepatocytes to be used in cell transplantation with liver tissue engineering to repair diseased organs. In most of the literature, hepatocyte differentiation refers to use of various additional growth factors and cytokines, such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), oncostatin M (OSM) and more, and most are involved in signalling pathway regulation and cell–cell/cell–matrix interactions. Signalling pathways have been shown to play critical roles in embryonic development, tumourigenesis, tumour progression, apoptosis and cell‐fate determination. However, mechanisms of MSCs differentiating into hepatocytes, particularly signalling pathways involved, have not as yet been completely illustrated. In this review, we have focused on progress of signalling pathways associated with mesenchymal stem cells differentiating into hepatocytes along with the stepwise differentiation procedure.
Bioimpedance phase angle indicates catabolism in Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Dittmar M. , Reber H. , Kahaly G. J. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAimsBody cell mass is directly proportional to the bioimpedance phase‐angle which is an indicator of the amount of electrical charge that cell membranes can hold and is an index of cellular health and function. To evaluate whether the bioimpedance phase angle is relevant for indicating catabolism in people with diabetes and whether it discriminates between people with diabetes receiving different types of therapy.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was performed in 182 people with Type 2 diabetes and 107 age‐ and BMI‐matched control subjects. The phase angle was measured at 5, 50 and 100 kHz using multifrequency bioimpedance analysis. The phase angles were compared among different diabetes therapy groups (untreated patients with diabetes, patients receiving oral antidiabetic drugs and patients receiving insulin therapy).ResultsThe phase angle at 100 kHz strongly correlated with total body potassium (r = 0.70, P = 0.001), and was therefore a good indicator of body cell mass. The phase angle at 100 kHz discriminated more strongly between patients with Type 2 diabetes and control subjects than did the phase angle at 50 kHz. Compared with control subjects, patients with Type 2 diabetes had a smaller phase angle at 100 kHz (men: 5.2° vs. 4.5°, P < 0.0001; women: 4.8° vs. 4.2°, P < 0.0001) and a smaller phase angle at 50 kHz (men: 5.9° vs. 5.3°, P < 0.0001; women: 5.4° vs. 4.8°, P = 0.0001), but a larger phase angle at 5 kHz (men: 2.0° vs. 2.6°, P = 0.0001; women: 2.3° vs. 3.0°, P = 0.00001). Phase angle ratios better discriminated between patients and control subjects than phase angles alone (phase angle at 5 kHz/ phase angle at 50 kHz ratio, P = 1.51 × 10−16; phase angle at 5kHz/phase angle at 100 kHz ratio, P = 2.13 × 10−15). No differences were found among phase angles in the different therapy groups. In patients with diabetes, the phase angle at 50 kHz and the phase angle at 100 kHz correlated inversely with duration of disease (men: P = 0.026, P = 0.016; women: only phase angle at 100 kHz, P = 0.003) and with HbA1c concentration (men: P = 0.010, P = 0.001; women: P = 0.007, P = 0.043).ConclusionsThe phase angle at 100 kHz is a promising measurement for assessing catabolic state in people with diabetes.
Investment and Growth: The Impact of Britain's Post‐War Trunk Roads Programme
Authors: Starkie David 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn Great Britain, a basic inter‐urban network of motorways was completed in a very short period between the end of 1959 and 1972. We calculate that this substantial investment had the potential to reduce most inter‐urban journey times by about one third. In spite of this, a recent OECD study suggested that the investment had no discernible positive impact on the trend rate of economic growth. We attribute this outcome to a serious misalignment of the early investments with the then predominant flows of industrial and commercial traffics and a significant, and probably endogenous, increase in real wages in a road transport industry in which labour productivity was slow to improve. We conclude with a number of policy recommendations.
Is It Time to Revisit the Savings Rate Floor in the ECCU?
Authors: Mounsey Allister , Polius D. Tracy 
Published: February 2015

AbstractMember states of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) experienced a secular decline in growth following the great recession circa 2008, resulting in increased unemployment and social dislocation. Given the ECCU's currency board arrangement and current fiscal challenges, policy options for resuscitating growth are limited to supply‐side adjustments. This paper contends that the 3 per cent interest rate floor on savings deposits has contributed to higher lending rates and lower levels of capital formation. Ultimately it is a drag on growth and a threat to the banking sector's health as it has resulted in reduced risk compensation when default and other banking sector risks have risen. Revisiting the floor is advocated as an integral component of this structural adjustment policy response.
Regulating Work: Measuring the Scope and Burden of Occupational Licensure Among Low‐ and Moderate‐Income Occupations in the United States
Authors: Carpenter Dick M. , Knepper Lisa , Erickson Angela C. , Ross John K. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis study examines the scope and burden of occupational licensing laws in the United States for 102 low‐ and moderate‐income occupations. Findings indicate that the licences studied require of aspiring workers, on average, $US209 in fees, one exam, and about nine months of education and training, plus minimum grade and age levels. Data also indicate striking disparities in requirements within and between occupations and within and between states. These inconsistencies likely reflect not the relative public health and safety risks of occupations, but instead the lobbying prowess of practitioners in securing laws to shut out competition.
Large‐scale fuzzy rule‐based prediction for suitable chestnut ink disease sites: a case study in north‐east Italy
Authors: Dal Maso E. , Montecchio L. 
Published: February 2015

SummaryIn the past few decades, economic interest in the cultivation of chestnuts for both timber and nut production has resurfaced in the Mediterranean area. However, chestnut cultivation has suffered in recent years from the spread of exotic pests, such as the gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus, and from the resurgence of previously present diseases, most likely due to anomalous climate dynamics. This is the case with chestnut ink disease, caused by the soilborne pathogens Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. cambivora. Scientific and technical support in monitoring and management, that utilizes new forecasting approaches incorporating related environmental variables, is therefore essential. The main aim of this study was to develop a mathematical model assessing the potential for the establishment of chestnut ink disease at a large scale. Towards this goal, fuzzy rule‐based theory was applied to the environmental variables associated with host presence, pathogens' ecological niches and ink disease symptoms expression. The effectiveness of the rule‐based modelling outcomes, provided with uncertainty maps to facilitate their correct interpretation, was confirmed by detailed field data collected from a large chestnut‐growing area where ink disease has been increasing in recent years. The final model gave consistent predictions for disease presence. For this reason, it represents a flexible and valuable decision‐support tool to forecast which sites are at risk from CID.
Osteopontin deficiency affects imiquimod‐induced psoriasis‐like murine skin inflammation and lymphocyte distribution in skin, draining lymph nodes and spleen
Authors: Frenzel Denis F. , Borkner Lisa , Scheurmann Jan , Singh Kamayani , Scharffetter‐Kochanek Karin , Weiss Johannes M. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractOsteopontin (OPN) that enhances autoimmunity is expressed in psoriasis lesions; however, its functions in psoriatic inflammation are unknown. We investigated the role of OPN in OPN deficient mice (OPN−/−) by inducing psoriasis‐like inflammation through skin application of imiquimod (IMQ). OPN−/− mice treated with IMQ showed delayed onset ear swelling and attracted less inflammatory cells to the skin. IMQ‐induced lymph node swelling was reduced in the absence of OPN, and IMQ‐mediated expansion of B cells was inhibited. Further, reduction of CD4+ T‐cell numbers by IMQ in lymph nodes was suppressed in OPN−/− mice, with an increase in the CD4/CD8 ratio. A comparable pattern was found in spleen. Importantly, IMQ‐induced IL‐17 and IL‐4 expression by CD4+ lymph node T cells was reduced in OPN−/− mice. In conclusion, OPN may modulate psoriasis‐like inflammation through altering lymphocyte distribution in skin and draining lymph nodes and by inducing IL‐17 expression of inflammatory T cells.
Long‐term effects of exercise and amino acid supplementation on muscle mass, physical function and falls in community‐dwelling elderly Japanese sarcopenic women: A 4‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Kim Hunkyung , Suzuki Takao , Saito Kyoko , Kojima Narumi , Hosoi Erika , Yoshida Hideyo 
Published: February 2015

AimTo determine the long‐term effects of interventions carried out for the improvement of muscle mass, strength, walking ability and fall rate, 4 years after the completion of the intervention.MethodsOut of 304 elderly sarcopenic women aged over 75 years, 155 participated in an intervention and 149 were excluded from the intervention. Those excluded were considered as non‐participants and included in the analysis. Follow‐up data were available for 259 women (135 intervention participants; 124 non‐participants). Muscle mass was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Physical fitness measurements and interview surveys were carried out at baseline and at 4‐year follow up.ResultsCompared with the non‐participants, women in the intervention group had significantly smaller reductions in measures of muscle mass, strength and walking speed from baseline to follow up. The absolute mean difference between the two groups was 3.7% (95% confidence interval −6.5 to −0.8; P = 0.012) for leg muscle mass, 10.7% (−21.0 to −0.3; P = 0.011) for knee extension strength and 8.4% (−16.0 to −0.9; P = 0.029) for usual walking speed. Instrumental activities of daily living disability significantly increased in both participants and non‐participants in 4 years. The fall rate of the previous 1 year in intervention participants was 18.5% in 2008 and 23.0% in 2012 (χ2 = 2.122, P = 0.145), and 17.7% in 2008 and 29.0% in 2012 among non‐participants (χ2 = 15.415, P < 0.001).ConclusionParticipation in an intervention could prevent significant declines in lower extremity muscle mass, strength and mobility, even in the long‐term, and might be beneficial in suppressing otherwise significant rises in fall rates. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 175–181.
Predictors of difficulty in carrying out basic activities of daily living among the old‐old: A 2‐year community‐based cohort study
Authors: Sakamoto Ryota , Okumiya Kiyohito , Ishine Masayuki , Wada Taizo , Fujisawa Michiko , Imai Hissei , Ishimoto Yasuko , Kimura Yumi , Fukutomi Eriko , Chen Wenling , Sasiwongsaroj Kwanchit , Kato Emiko , Otsuka Kuniaki , Matsubayashi Kozo 
Published: February 2015

AimTo present practical predictors for the difficulty of carrying out basic activities of daily living (ADL) among the old‐old during a 2‐year period.MethodsAssessment was carried out using data obtained from the Tosa Longitudinal Aging Study, a community‐based cohort survey on geriatric functions in the elderly. Predictor variables measured at baseline included age; sex; height; weight; blood pressure; oxygen saturation; neurobehavioral functions, such as Mini‐Mental State Examination, Kohs Block Design test, Timed Up and Go test, button score, functional reach test, geriatric depression scale, cardio‐ankle vascular index, ankle brachial pressure index; and blood chemical results, such as hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, serum lipids, serum albumin and serum creatinine. The outcome variable was the presence of difficulties while carrying out basic ADL after 2 years.ResultsAge of ≥85 years, Timed Up and Go test of ≥15 s, button score of >17 s and presence of knee pain were independent predictors of difficulty in carrying out basic ADL after 2 years. Elderly individuals who have had at least two positive findings out of these four variables were likely to have impaired basic ADL during a 2‐year period with a positive predictive value of 52.0%, negative predictive value of 90.2%, sensitivity of 70.3% and specificity of 80.8%.ConclusionsAssessment of age, Timed Up and Go test, manual dexterity, and presence of knee pain is a useful and relevant way to identify patients who should be informed about their likelihood of developing difficulties in carrying out basic ADL. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 214–222.