bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Italian validation of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire
Authors: Mecugni Daniela , Albinelli Patrizia , Pellegrin Joellemarie , Finotto Stefano 
Published: July 2014

Background: To properly direct nursing training and to improve the professional practice to become more effective, it is important to understand students’ values. Literature review has shown that there have been changes in students’ values in the last 20 years. In contemporary students, a general decrease in altruism has been observed, but also a larger appreciation for honesty toward patients has been declared. The analyzed literature did not find validated tools available in Italian that explore personal and professional values of nursing students. Design of the study: This study was an Italian linguistic and cultural adaptation of a research tool. Purpose: The authors aimed to validate, for the Italian context, the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire, enhanced by Johnson to explore the nursing profession’s values. Methods: The Beaton Model was used as well as Valmi’s. These models require five phases, with the goal of producing a pre-final version of the instrument for it to then be administered to a sample of the target and expert population. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Council of the Nursing Degree University course of the Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Reggio Emilia site, and the identity of the subjects was protected at every moment of the testing. Results: Face validation was achieved since the clarity percentile for each item was 100%. Content validity was also reached, measured from the content validity index and the scale validity index. The study has confirmed the reliability of the instrument’s internal consistence with a value of Cronbach’s alpha on 0.95 of total of items. The reliability of the test–retest confirms the stability of the instrument in time (r = 0.908; p = 0.01). Conclusion: The study concludes that the instrument is ready to be administered to the target population, a sample group of nursing students.
Eplerenone reduces arterial thrombosis in diabetic rats
Authors: Zakrzeska Agnieszka , Gromotowicz-Popławska Anna , Szemraj Janusz , Szoka Piotr , Kisiel Wioleta , Purta Tomasz , Kasacka Irena , Chabielska Ewa 
Published: July 2014

Introduction: Clinical studies demonstrated the benefits of eplerenone (EPL) in reduction of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients. Since acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke are related to acute intravascular thrombosis, we postulate that the beneficial effects of EPL may result from its antithrombotic action. Materials and methods: Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were treated with EPL (100 mg/kg/day) for 10 days. Thrombosis in the carotid artery was stimulated electrically. Results: Thrombosis development was enhanced in STZ-induced diabetic rats as compared to normoglycaemic controls. EPL caused prolongation of the time to artery occlusion, reduction in the incidence of occlusion and decrease in thrombus weight. Changes in the thrombi structure and the inhibition of hypertrophy of the tunica media in the artery wall were also observed. EPL caused reduction in tissue factor, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and interleukin-1β plasma levels. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the antithrombotic effect of EPL manifested by a decrease in the dynamics of thrombus formation and changes in its structure. The changes in thrombosis process were accompanied by antihaemostatic, profibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory effects. The aldosterone blockade with EPL seems to be an additional pharmacological strategy for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic disorders in diabetes.
The D allele of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene is associated with greater hemodynamic response to resistance exercises
Authors: Freire Ivna V , Machado Marco , Ribeiro Ícaro JS , Hackney Anthony C , Barbosa Ana AL , Pereira Rafael 
Published: July 2014

Hypothesis/introduction: The association of ACE I/D polymorphism and hemodynamic response to exercise have been limited to primarily aerobic exercises. We hypothesized that D allele carriers would show greater hemodynamic response to resistance exercise, as has been observed with aerobic. This study aimed to investigate the association of ACE I/D polymorphism and hemodynamic (blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and rate-pressure product (RPP)) response to resistance exercise in young healthy subjects. Materials and methods: ACE I/D polymorphisms were studied by PCR analysis from 75 healthy men. Subjects completed a resistance exercise session of three sets of 10 knee extension repetitions with loads of 50, 75 and 100% of 10RM and two-minute rest intervals. Hemodynamic measures were recorded before and immediately after each set. Analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences among ACE genotypes. Results: ACE I/D polymorphism is associated with hemodynamic response to resistance exercise, as healthy subjects with ACE D allele were prone to higher responses. In addition, this phenotypic difference seems to be a load-dependent trend. Conclusion: ACE DD carriers exhibit greater heart work during resistance exercise. Future studies should focus on the influence of resistance training period with different workloads on the hemodynamic response in healthy individuals with different ACE genotypes.
Impacts of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activation on cigarette smoke-induced exacerbated response to bacteria
Authors: Morissette Mathieu C. , Shen Pamela , Thayaparan Danya , Stämpfli Martin R. 
Published: July 2014

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by a state of chronic pulmonary inflammation punctuated by microbial exacerbations. Despite advances in treatment options, COPD remains difficult to manage. In this study, we investigated the potential of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ activation as a new therapy against cigarette smoke-induced inflammation and its associated bacterial exacerbation.C57BL/6 mice were exposed to room air or cigarette smoke for either 4 days or 4 weeks and treated either prophylactically or therapeutically with rosiglitazone. The impact of rosiglitazone on cigarette smoke-induced exacerbated response to the bacterial pathogen nontypeableHaemophilus influenzae(NTHi) was studied using the therapeutic treatment protocol.We found that rosiglitazone was able to reduce cigarette smoke-induced neutrophilia both when administered prophylactically or therapeutically. Therapeutic intervention with rosiglitazone was also effective in preventing cigarette smoke-induced neutrophilia exacerbation following NTHi infection. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of rosiglitazone did not lead to an increase in the pulmonary bacterial burden, unlike dexamethasone.Altogether, our data suggest that pharmacological activation of PPARγ may be an effective therapeutic approach to improve COPD management, as it is able to reduce cigarette smoke-induced inflammation and decrease the magnitude of bacterial exacerbations, without compromising the ability of the immune system to control the infection.
The role of the Hippo pathway in human disease and tumorigenesis
Authors: Barron Daniel A , Kagey Jacob D 
Published: July 2014

AbstractUnderstanding the molecular nature of human cancer is essential to the development of effective and personalized therapies. Several different molecular signal transduction pathways drive tumorigenesis when deregulated and respond to different types of therapeutic interventions. The Hippo signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play a central role in the regulation of tissue and organ size during development. The deregulation of Hippo signaling leads to a concurrent combination of uncontrolled cellular proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis, two key hallmarks in cancer development. The molecular nature of this pathway was first uncovered in Drosophila melanogaster through genetic screens to identify regulators of cell growth and cell division. The pathway is strongly conserved in humans, rendering Drosophila a suitable and efficient model system to better understand the molecular nature of this pathway. In the present study, we review the current understanding of the molecular mechanism and clinical impact of the Hippo pathway. Current studies have demonstrated that a variety of deregulated molecules can alter Hippo signaling, leading to the constitutive activation of the transcriptional activator YAP or its paralog TAZ. Additionally, the Hippo pathway integrates inputs from a number of growth signaling pathways, positioning the Hippo pathway in a central role in the regulation of tissue size. Importantly, deregulated Hippo signaling is frequently observed in human cancers. YAP is commonly activated in a number of in vitro and in vivo models of tumorigenesis, as well as a number of human cancers. The common activation of YAP in many different tumor types provides an attractive target for potential therapeutic intervention.
Relationship between acid–base status and inflammation in the critically ill
Authors: Zampieri Fernando G , Kellum John A , Park Marcelo , Ranzani Otavio T , Barbeiro Hermes V , de Souza Heraldo P , da Cruz Neto Luiz Monteiro , Pinheiro da Silva Fabiano 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Introduction
There is a complex interplay between changes in acid–base components and inflammation. This manuscript aims to explore associations between plasma cytokines and chemokines and acid–base status on admission to intensive care.

Methods
We conducted a prospective cohort study in a 13-bed ICU in a tertiary-care center in Brazil. 87 unselected patients admitted to the ICU during a 2-year period were included. We measured multiple inflammatory mediators in plasma using multiplex assays and evaluated the association between mediator concentrations and acid–base variables using a variety of statistical modeling approaches, including generalized linear models, multiadaptive regression splines and principal component analysis.

Results
We found a positive association between strong ion gap (SIG) and plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)6, 8, 10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF); whereas albumin was negatively associated with IL6, IL7, IL8, IL10, TNF and interferon (IFN)α. Apparent strong ion difference (SIDa) was negatively associated with IL10 and IL17. A principal component analysis including SAPS 3 indicated that the association between acid–base components and inflammatory status was largely independent of illness severity, with both increased SIG and decreased SIDa (both drivers of acidosis) associated with increased inflammation.

Conclusion
Acid–base variables (especially increased SIG, decreased albumin and decreased SIDa) on admission to ICU are associated with immunological activation. These findings should encourage new research into the effects of acid–base status on inflammation.
Aberrant host defense againstLeishmania majorin the absence of SLPI
Authors: McCartney-Francis Nancy , Jin Wenwen , Belkaid Yasmine , McGrady George , Wahl Sharon M 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTSLPI, a potent epithelial and myeloid-derived serine protease inhibitor with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory functions, is induced by the intracellular parasite Leishmania major, and increased SLPI expression is evident within lesions that follow L. major infection. In contrast to self-resolving infection in C57Bl/6 WT mice, Slpi−/− mice launch a strong Th1 response to L. major, yet fail to control infection and develop destructive, nonhealing lesions with systemic spread of parasites. Because SLPI is both produced by murine macrophages and antagonizes their function, we examined the contribution of macrophage polarization to the defective host response in the absence of SLPI. Slpi−/− and Slpi+/+ macrophages were first primed with either IFNγ or IL-4 to generate classically activated M1 or alternatively activated M2 macrophages. After infection with L. major, Slpi−/− M1 macrophages expressed elevated iNOS RNA, whereas arginase was more highly expressed in WT than Slpi−/− M2 macrophages. After in vivo infection, we found that both IFNγ and iNOS were persistently overexpressed in chronic lesions in Slpi−/− mice, but surprisingly, IL-4 and arginase concomitantly remained elevated. Moreover, overexpression of the negative regulators SOCS1 and IL-27 provided insight into the failure of IFNγ to clear L. major from the dermal lesions. Notably, adenoviral delivery of SLPI to L. major-infected Slpi−/− mice significantly limited the progression of infection. These studies suggest that convergence of M1 and M2 macrophage responses may influence the outcome of innate host defense against intracellular parasites and that SLPI is critical for coordinating resistance to chronic leishmaniasis.
Catalytic Activity of Magnetite with Different Shapes for the Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Yao Jialiang 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
The catalytic activity of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanosheets, particles, and rods for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated. The TG-DTA results showed that Fe3O4 with different shapes exhibited different catalytic activity. The catalytic activity of Fe3O4 occurred mainly during the high-temperature decomposition process of AP. The Fe3O4 nanosheets with exposed high-energy {110} facets showed better catalytic activity than that of particles and rods with {111} facets. The catalytic mechanism for the thermal decomposition of AP was discussed.
Synergy or Interference: The Effect of Product Placement on Commercial Break Audience Decline
Authors: Schweidel David A. , Foutz Natasha Zhang , Tanner Robin J. 
Published: July 2014

Recent years have seen a considerable rise in the use of product placement in television shows. Taking advantage of second-by-second product placement, advertising, and audience tuning data, this research explores the impact of such product placement on the extent to which viewers tune away from downstream advertisements. Motivated by the behavioral priming literature, we examine how this impact relates to the brand- and category-match between product placement and subsequent advertising, as well as the temporal distance between them. Our analysis suggests that the coveted first position of a commercial break holds a greater audience when preceded by product placement from the same brand. This indicates a positive synergy between the two activities that can reduce audience decline by more than 10%. Product placements by other brands, however, can actually exacerbate audience loss, thus interfering with the reach of advertisements by competitors. Significantly, these changes in audience size are not temporary, but are retained across the remaining commercials in the same break. We discuss the managerial implications of these findings and directions for future research in the rapidly changing media landscape. Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx/doi.org/10.1287.mksc.2014.0864 .
Timing of Product Allocation: Using Probabilistic Selling to Enhance Inventory Management
Authors: Fay Scott , Xie Jinhong 
Published: July 2014

This paper examines probabilistic selling (PS) as an inventory-management mechanism, paying special attention to the impact of the timing of product assignment to buyers of probabilistic goods. In practice, sellers tend to offer probabilistic products only after major demand uncertainty has been resolved. By deferring product assignments, a firm is able to obtain more information about demand for each specific product before deciding which product to assign to consumers. However, our analysis demonstrates that PS can be an effective inventory-management mechanism even if the firm allocates products before knowing which product will be more popular and, thus, scarcer. Interestingly, we show that it can be more profitable for the firm to allocate products to consumers before, rather than after, learning the true demand for a product because, although early allocation imposes higher inventory costs (as a result of larger required inventory levels), it also enables the firm to charge higher prices. Our results also reveal that, when introducing probabilistic goods, the firm should order less inventory (relative to the case where probabilistic goods are not offered) if costs are very low but more inventory otherwise. Finally, we show that PS, as an inventory-management mechanism, can create a win–win situation, both improving profit and increasing social welfare. This paper was accepted by J. Miguel Villas-Boas, marketing.
The Effect of Crop Residue Application to Soil Fauna Community and Mungbean Growth (Vigna radata)
Authors: SUGIYARTO SUGIYARTO 
Published: July 2014

Litterbag experiment was carried out to determine the effect of crop residue application to soil fauna community andmungbean growth. The experiment arranged in randomized complete design with triplicate. The four treatment application of crotalarian, rice straw and bananaâ€™s aerial stem residues as well as without residue application as control. Soil fauna community and mungbean growth measured at 8 weeks after mungbean sown. Soil fauna extracted by modified Barless-Tullgren extractor apparatus. Height and dry weight of mungbean measured as crop growth parameters. The results indicated that the soil fauna densities and diversities as well as the growth of mungbean tended to increase by the application of crop residues. The effect of the treatment decreasing in thefollowing order: bananaâ€™s aerial stem residue > crotalarian residue > rice straw > without residue application. Therewere high correlation between mungbean growth and soil fauna diversities.Â© 2001 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS Surakarta
Key words: crop residue, soil fauna, mungbean.
Shooting Bollywood abroad: The outsourcing of Indian films in Italy
Authors: Cucco Marco , Scaglioni Massimo 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Since the end of the 1990s, Indian producers have been outsourcing an increasing number of film productions to western countries (especially in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, in the United Kingdom and United States). The outsourcing is part of a corporatization process that is laying roots within the Indian film industry and pushing its producers to play an important role in the global media landscape. In light of these trends, the article investigates the reasons motivating Indian producers to move their film shoots abroad. It especially analyses the phenomenon of Indian films shot in Italy, and explains why Italy is currently so appealing for Indian producers. The article is based on some in-depth interviews conducted in India and Italy with some key-players of their respective film industries, and on a survey submitted to the Italian film commissions.
Do university students change after taking a subject on leadership and intrapersonal development?
Authors: Shek Daniel T.L. , Ma Cecilia M.S. 
Published: July 2014

AbstractThe changes in university students after taking a subject on leadership and intrapersonal development (“Tomorrow’s Leaders” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) are presented in this paper. Adopting a pre-experimental design (one group pretest-posttest design), 1029 students responded to a questionnaire assessing different aspects of development, including measures of positive youth development and life satisfaction. While students showed positive changes in self-determination, thriving and life satisfaction, their scores declined in some measures of positive youth development. The present findings are consistent with the previous findings that the subject is able to promote the holistic development of university students in Hong Kong, but it also generated some odd findings to be clarified in future studies.
Membrane Penetration in Granular Materials at High Pressures
Authors: Bopp Paul A. , Lade Poul V. 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
The Roscoe dummy-rod method was employed to determine the influence of membrane penetration over a large pressure range for Cambria sand. Specimens with three different initial relative densities were subjected to increasing isotropic confining pressures, up to a maximum stress of 60 MPa. A relationship between effective confining pressure and volume change due to membrane penetration was established. Results indicate that above a confining pressure of approximately 8 MPa, membrane penetration decreases with increasing confining pressure. This is believed to be a function of particle crushing. It was also found that over a large pressure range initial relative density influences the degree of membrane penetration.
Do Candidate Genes Mediating Conspecific Sperm Precedence Affect Sperm Competitive Ability Within Species? A Test Case in Drosophila
Authors: Civetta Alberto , Finn Scott 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
When females mate to multiple males, the last male to mate fathers the majority of progeny. When males of different species inseminate a female, the sperm of the male conspecific to the female is favored in fertilization in a process known as conspecific sperm precedence (CSP). A large number of studies in Drosophila have assayed the genetic basis of sperm competition, with a main focus on D. melanogaster and accessory gland protein genes. Only a few studies have attempted to disentangle the genetic basis of CSP between related species of Drosophila. Although there is no a priori reason to believe that genes influencing intraspecific sperm competitive ability might also mediate conspecific sperm precedence, no study has addressed the question. Here, we test a group of candidate CSP genes between D. simulans and D. mauritiana for their effect on sperm competition in D. melanogaster. The use of P-element insertion lines identified CG14891 gene disruption as the only one causing a significant decrease in second male paternity success relative to wild-type and ebony tester males. The gene disruption affected both sperm displacement and the sperm fertilizing ability. Out of five genes tested using RNA interference, only gene knockdown of CG6864 (Mst89B) significantly reduced the male’s ability to father progeny when second to mate. Our results suggest that CG14891 and CG6864 might have been co-opted from an intraspecies gene function (i.e., sperm competition) into an interspecies avoidance phenotype (i.e., CSP). Alternatively, the dual role of these genes could be a consequence of their pleiotropic roles.
Biopolymer Based Tough and Self-Recovering Ionic-Covalent Entanglement Hydrogels
Authors: Kirchmajer Damian M. , Panhuis Marc in het 
Published: July 2014

ABSTRACTEmerging applications for hydrogels such as soft robotics and tissue engineering require hydrogels with enhanced mechanical performance. We report the mechanical characteristics of two types of hydrogels: i) ionic-covalent entanglement (ICE) network hydrogels based on calcium cross-linked gellan gum and genipin cross-linked gelatin and ii) ICE microsphere reinforced gelatin hydrogels. This investigation showed that ICE gels can recover up 80% of their mechanical behavior during 5 repeated compressions. In addition, the optimum mechanical performance of gelatin reinforced gels was achieved with inclusion of 40% of ICE microspheres.