bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immunoregulatory networks in human Chagas disease
Authors: Dutra W. O. , Menezes C. A. S. , Magalhães L. M. D. , Gollob K. J. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryChagas disease, caused by the infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in all Latin America. Due to the increase in population migration, Chagas disease has spread worldwide and is now considered a health issue not only in endemic countries. While most chronically infected individuals remain asymptomatic, approximately 30% of the patients develop a potentially deadly cardiomyopathy. The exact mechanisms that underlie the establishment and maintenance of the cardiac pathology are not clear. However, there is consistent evidence that immunoregulatory cytokines are critical for orchestrating the immune response and thus influence disease development or control. While the asymptomatic (indeterminate) form represents a state of balance between the host and the parasite, the establishment of the cardiac form represents the loss of this balance. Analysis of data obtained from several studies has led to the hypothesis that the indeterminate form is associated with an anti‐inflammatory cytokine profile, represented by high expression of IL‐10, while cardiac form is associated with a high production of IFN‐gamma and TNF‐alpha in relation to IL‐10, leading to an inflammatory profile. Here, we discuss the immunoregulatory events that might influence disease outcome, as well as the mechanisms that influence the establishment of these complex immunoregulatory networks.
Age‐related decline in thermal adaptation capacities: An evoked potentials study
Authors: Kemp Jennifer , Després Olivier , Pebayle Thierry , Dufour André 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAging is associated with changes in thermosensitivity and decreases in the functionality of the autonomic thermoregulation. The underlying mechanisms are, however, not fully understood. Elderly subjects may undergo functional changes in the integration process of the thermal sensory system, especially in their thermal adaptation capacities. To verify this hypothesis, we compared thermal evoked responses in younger and older subjects exposed to thermoneutral (27°C) and warm (30°C) environments. In the warm environment, the amplitudes of thermal evoked potentials (EPs) were significantly lower in older than in younger subjects, whereas in the thermoneutral environment, the EP amplitudes were similar in both groups. These findings suggest that thermal adaptation capacities are reduced in elderly individuals, due to a dysfunction of C‐fibers with aging, particularly expressed by lowered adaptation capacities to temperature variations.
Root caries among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients visiting a hospital
Authors: Soni Sugandhi , Mehta Mohit , M Aruna Devi , P Radha , Pallavi  , Kadanakuppe Sushi , Nagashree  , B Vijayalakshmi 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTThe relationship between diabetes and root caries has not received much attention in the literature; therefore the objectives of the present study were to assess the root surface caries among type 2 diabetic patients and the factors affecting root surface caries. A hospital based cross‐sectional study was done among type 2 diabetics visiting a medical hospital in Bangalore. Those who had been diagnosed from at least past 5 years and were above 35 years of age were included. Among the 400 study subjects, root caries were present among 42% of the subjects. There was a statistically significant association for the presence of root caries and age (p = 0.00023), presence of periodontal pockets (p = 0.0004) and presence of loss of attachment of more than 3 mm (p < 0.0001). These findings indicate that there is a need for implementation of caries preventive measures with increasing age, and among those with compromised periodontal status among those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Thrombocytopenia in ESRD Patients: Epidemiology, Mechanisms and Interventional Nephrology Perspective
Authors: Shah Ravish , Haddad Nabil , Vachharajani Tushar J. , Asif Arif , Agarwal Anil 
Published: February 2014

AbstractA well‐functioning vascular access is essential for provision of life‐sustaining dialysis treatment in patients with end‐stage renal disease. Arteriovenous accesses are preferred form of vascular access. Although significant advances have been made in the field of dialysis access, arteriovenous access dysfunction remains the single most important cause of morbidity in ESRD patients. While thrombosis and stenosis of AV access are more frequently seen, hemorrhage from AV access can be life threatening with or without risk of permanent access loss. Aside from anticoagulation for comorbidities, qualitative and/or quantitative platelet abnormalities are often the predisposing factors. We describe an ESRD patient who developed new onset but severe thrombocytopenia due to metastatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of lung. Given her persistent thrombocytopenia and presence of prolonged bleeding from the cannulation sites, a right internal jugular tunneled dialysis catheter was placed for continuation of maintenance dialysis. This review discusses the definition of thrombocytopenia, mechanisms of thrombocytopenia in patients with ESRD and with a special focus on implications of thrombocytopenia on dialysis access interventions. The review underscores the need for consensus with regard to cannulating AV access as well as guidelines specific to dialysis access‐related endovascular intervention in the setting of thrombocytopenia and other coagulation abnormalities.
Occult hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors from the Brazilian Amazon: implications for transfusion policy
Authors: Moresco M. N. dos S. , Virgolino H. de A. , de Morais M. P. E. , da Motta‐Passos I. , Gomes‐Gouvêa M. S. , de Assis L. M. S. , Aguiar K. R. de L. , Lombardi S. C. F. , Malheiro A. , Cavalheiro N. de P. , Levi J. E. , Torres K. L. 
Published: February 2014

BackgroundBrazil requires the performance of both a test for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and a test for antibodies to the core of hepatitis B for blood donor screening. Blood centres in regions of high HBV endemicity struggle to maintain adequate stocks in face of the high discard rates due to anti‐HBc reactivity. We evaluated the potential infectivity of donations positive for anti‐HBc in search of a rational approach for the handling of these collections.Study Design and MethodsWe tested anti‐HBc reactive blood donations from the state of Amazonas for the presence of HBV DNA and for titres of anti‐HBs. The study population consists of village‐based donors from the interior of Amazonas state.ResultsAmong 3600 donations, 799 were anti‐HBc reactive (22·2%). We were able to perform real‐time PCR for the HBV S gene on specimens from 291 of these donors. Eight of these samples were negative for HBsAg and positive for HBV DNA and were defined as occult B virus infections (2·7%). Six of those eight specimens had anti‐HBs titres above 100 mIU/ml, indicating the concomitant presence of the virus with high antibody titres.ConclusionA small proportion of anti‐HBc reactive donors carry HBV DNA and anti‐HBs testing is not useful for predicting viremia on them. This finding indicates the possibility of HBV transmission from asymptomatic donors, especially in areas of high HBV prevalence. Sensitive HBV DNA nucleic acid testing may provide another level of safety, allowing eventual use of anti‐HBc reactive units in critical situations.
ZYGON 'S DUAL MISSION
Authors: Barbour Ian G. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe first mission ofZygonhas been the exploration of the relation betweenReligionandScience. The second, I suggest, has been consideration of the relation betweenEthicsandTechnology. Some articles have given attention to the relation ofReligiontoEthics, or that ofSciencetoTechnology. The interaction ofEthicsandScience, and that ofReligionandTechnology, are also significant. I give examples of articles or symposia in each of these categories and close with great hope forZygon's future.
THE IMAGO DEI: EVOLUTIONARY AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Authors: De Cruz Helen , De Maeseneer Yves 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis short article provides an introduction to a special section, consisting of six papers on human evolution and the imago Dei. These papers are the result of dialogue between theologians and philosophers of religion at the University of Oxford and the Catholic University of Leuven. All contributors focus on the imago Dei, and consider how this theological notion can be understood from an evolutionary perspective, looking at a variety of disciplines, including the psychology of reasoning, cognitive science of religion, paleoanthropology, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary ethics.
EXAMINING THE BODHISATTVA'S BRAIN
Authors: Finnigan Bronwyn 
Published: February 2014

AbstractOwen Flanagan'sThe Bodhisattva's Brainaims to introduce secular‐minded thinkers to Buddhist thought and motivate its acceptance by analytic philosophers. I argue that Flanagan provides a compelling caution against the hasty generalizations of recent “science of happiness” literature, which correlates happiness with Buddhism on the basis of certain neurological studies. I contend, however, that his positive account of Buddhist ethics is less persuasive. I question the level of engagement with Buddhist philosophical literature and challenge Flanagan's central claim, that a Buddhist version of eudaimonia is a common core conception shared by all Buddhists. I argue that this view is not only a rational reconstruction in need of argumentation but is in tension with competing Buddhist metaphysical theories of self, including the one Flanagan himself endorses.
EMIL BRUNNER REVISITED: ON THE COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF RELIGION, THEIMAGO DEI, AND REVELATION
Authors: Smedes Taede A. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis article aims at a constructive and argumentative engagement between the cognitive science of religion (CSR) and philosophical and theological reflection on theimago Dei. The Swiss theologian Emil Brunner argued that the theological notion that humans were created in the image of God entails that there is a “point of contact” for revelation to occur. This article argues that Brunner's notion resonates quite strongly with the findings of the CSR. The first part will give a short overview of the CSR. The second part deals with Brunner's idea of theimago Deiand the “point of contact.” The third and final part of the article outlines a model of revelation that is in line with Brunner's thought and the CSR. The aim of this article is to show how the naturalistic methodology of the CSR provides a fertile new perspective on several theological issues and thereby enriches theological reflection.
Renal epithelial sodium channel is critical for blood pressure maintenance and sodium balance in the normal late pregnant rat
Authors: West Crystal A. , Han Weiquing , Li Ningjun , Masilamani Shyama M. E. 
Published: February 2014

New Findings
What is the central question of this study?
Normal pregnancy is a state marked by avid sodium retention and plasma volume expansion. Increased epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity in pregnancy may mediate these changes. We investigated the role of the ENaC using pharmacological and genetic inhibition.
What is the main finding and its importance?
We found that chronic ENaC blockade (systemic and local renal) prevented normal sodium retention in the pregnant rat. Prevention of sodium retention was associated with a decrease in maternal blood pressure and body weight, as well as fetal growth restriction. Taken together, these findings emphasize the importance of increased ENaC activity during pregnancy in maintaining the pregnancy‐mediated changes in sodium balance, volume status and blood pressure.
Normal pregnancy is a state marked by avid sodium retention and plasma volume expansion. Insufficient plasma volume expansion results in the compromised maternal state of intrauterine growth restriction, which afflicts ∼5% of all human pregnancies. We have recently shown that renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity in vivo in the late pregnant (LP) rat is increased. To determine the importance of the renal versus extrarenal ENaC in sodium retention and blood pressure regulation during pregnancy, we have chronically blocked the ENaC pharmacologically with daily subcutaneous injections of benzamil and genetically using intrarenal transfection of αENaC short hairpin RNA. Compared with untreated LP control animals, LP rats treated with benzamil retain less sodium and have reduced mean arterial blood pressure. Furthermore, LP rats treated with benzamil had lower maternal body weight gain. Intrarenal transfection of αENaC short hairpin RNA versus scrambled small RNA successfully decreased renal αENaC mRNA expression in LP rats. Intrarenal transfection of αENaC short hairpin RNA reduced maternal sodium retention, body weight gain and pup weight. Redundant physiological systems that protect blood pressure and sodium homeostasis were unable to compensate for the loss of ENaC activity in the pregnant rat. These findings demonstrate that the renal ENaC is necessary for maintaining pregnancy‐mediated sodium retention, volume expansion and blood pressure regulation.
Evaluation of Active Living Every Day in Adults With Arthritis
Authors: Callahan Leigh F. , Cleveland Rebecca J. , Shreffler Jack , Hootman Jennifer M. , Mielenz Thelma J. , Schoster Britta , Brady Teresa , Schwartz Todd 
Published: February 2014

Background:Adults with arthritis can benefit from participation in physical activity and may be assisted by organized programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 20-week behavioral lifestyle intervention, Active Living Every Day (ALED), for improvements in primary outcomes (physical activity levels, aerobic endurance, function, symptoms).Methods:A 20-week randomized controlled community trial was conducted in 354 adults. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 20 weeks in the intervention and wait-list control groups. The intervention group was also assessed at 6 and 12 months. Mean outcomes were determined by multilevel regression models in the intervention and control groups at follow-up points.Results:At 20 weeks, the intervention group significantly increased participation in physical activity, and improved aerobic endurance, and select measures of function while pain, fatigue and stiffness remained status quo. In the intervention group, significant improvements in physical activity at 20 weeks were maintained at 6 and 12 months, and stiffness decreased.Conclusions:ALED appears to improve participation in physical activity, aerobic endurance, and function without exacerbating disease symptoms in adults with arthritis.
Sport Participation and Subjective Well-Being: Instrumental Variable Results From German Survey Data
Authors: Ruseski Jane E. , Humphreys Brad R. , Hallman Kirstin , Wicker Pamela , Breuer Christoph 
Published: February 2014

Background:A major policy goal of many ministries of sport and health is increased participation in sport to promote health. A growing literature is emerging about the benefits of sport participation on happiness. A challenge in establishing a link between sport participation and happiness is controlling for endogeneity of sport participation in the happiness equation.Methods:This study seeks to establish causal evidence of a relationship between sport participation and self reported happiness using instrumental variables (IV).Results:IV estimates based on data from a 2009 population survey living in Rheinberg, Germany indicate that individuals who participate in sport have higher life happiness. The results suggest a U-shaped relationship between age and self-reported happiness. Higher income is associated with greater self-reported happiness, males are less happy than females, and single individuals are less happy than nonsingles.Conclusions:Since the results are IV, this finding is interpreted as a causal relationship between sport participation and subjective well-being (SWB). This broader impact of sport participation on general happiness lends support to the policy priority of many governments to increase sport participation at all levels of the general population.
Effects of Intervention Programs on Child and Adolescent BMI: A Meta-Analysis Study
Authors: Vasques Catarina , Magalhães Pedro , Cortinhas António , Mota Paula , Leitão José , Lopes Vitor Pires 
Published: February 2014

Background:This meta-analysis study aims to assess the efficacy of school-based and after-school intervention programs on the BMIs of child and adolescents, addressing the correlation between some moderating variables.Methods:We analyzed 52 studies (N = 28,236) published between 2000–2011.Results:The overall effect size was 0.068 (P < .001), school (r = .069) and after-school intervention (r = .065). Programs conducted with children aged between 15–19 years were the most effective (r = .133). Interventions programs with boys and girls show better effect sizes (r = .110) than programs that included just girls (r = .073). There were no significant differences between the programs implemented in school and after-school (P = .770). The effect size was higher in interventions lasting 1 year (r = .095), with physical activity and nutritional education (r = .148), and that included 3–5 sessions of physical activity per week (r = .080). The effect size also increased as the level of parental involvement increased.Conclusions:Although of low magnitude (r = .068), the intervention programs had a positive effect in prevention and decreasing obesity in children. This effect seems to be higher in older children’s, involving interventions with physical activity and nutritional education combined, with parent’s participation and with 1-year duration. School or after-school interventions had a similar effect.
Dose-Response of Women’s Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and Life Satisfaction to Physical Activity
Authors: Eime Rochelle , Harvey Jack , Payne Warren 
Published: February 2014

Background:To examine the dose-response relationship between health related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction (outcomes) and duration of recreational physical activity (exposure). Further, to explore whether these relationships depend on type of physical activity (PA).Methods:793 Australian rural-living women self-reported on duration of recreational PA; HRQoL via SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) and Physical Component Summary (PCS); and a life satisfaction scale. ANOVAs and ANCOVAs investigated differences in outcomes (MCS, PCS, and life satisfaction) between tertiles of exposure to recreational PA, and types of PA (club sport, gymnasium, walking), with adjustment for potential confounders.Results:A significant positive dose-response relationship was found between PCS and level of PA. Furthermore, this relationship depended on type of PA, with club-sport participants recording higher PCS than non-club-sport participants in all but the highest tertile of exposure. Life satisfaction and MCS were not significantly related to level of PA.Conclusion:Physical health was positively associated with level of recreational PA, with club sport participation contributing greater benefits at low to moderate exposures than participation in gymnasium or walking activities.
Daily Variations in Weather and the Relationship With Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in European 10- to 12-Year-Olds: The ENERGY-Project
Authors: Yildirim Mine , Schoeni Anna , Singh Amika S. , Altenburg Teatske M. , Brug Johannes , De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Kovacs Eva , Bringolf-Isler Bettina , Manios Yannis , Chinapaw Mai J.M. 
Published: February 2014

Background:The aim of the study was to examine the association of daily variations in rainfall and temperature with sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) in European children.Methods:Children were included from 5 countries (Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland) as part of the ENERGY-project. We used cross-sectional data from 722 children aged 10–12 years (47% boys). ST and PA were measured by accelerometers for 6 consecutive days, including weekend days. Weather data were collected from online national weather reports. Multilevel regression models were used for data analyses.Results:Maximum temperature was positively associated with light PA (β = 3.1 min/day; 95% CI = 2.4–3.8), moderate-to-vigorous PA (β = 0.6 min/day; 95% CI = 0.4–0.8), and average PA [β = 4.1 counts per minute (cpm); 95% CI = 1.6–6.5, quadratic relationship]. Rainfall was inversely and quadratically associated with light PA (β = –1.3 min/day; 95% CI = –1.9 to –0.6), moderate-to-vigorous PA (β = –0.6 min/day; 95% CI = –0.8 to –0.3), and average PA (β = –1.6 cpm; 95% CI = –2.2 to –0.9). Maximum temperature was not significantly associated with ST (β = –0.2 min/day; 95% CI = –1.0 to 0.6), while rainfall was positively associated with ST (β = 0.9 min/day; 95% CI = 0.6–1.3).Conclusion:The current study shows that temperature and rainfall are significantly associated with PA and ST in 10- to 12-year-old European children.
Effects of Metal Ions on Stability and Activity of Hyperthermophilic Pyrolysin and Further Stabilization of This Enzyme by Modification of a Ca
2+
-Binding Site
Authors: Zeng Jing , Gao Xiaowei , Dai Zheng , Tang Bing , Tang Xiao-Feng 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT

Pyrolysin is an extracellular subtilase produced by the marine hyperthermophilic archaeon
Pyrococcus furiosus
. This enzyme functions at high temperatures in seawater, but little is known about the effects of metal ions on the properties of pyrolysin. Here, we report that the supplementation of Na
+
, Ca
2+
, or Mg
2+
salts at concentrations similar to those in seawater destabilizes recombinant pyrolysin but leads to an increase in enzyme activity. The destabilizing effect of metal ions on pyrolysin appears to be related to the disturbance of surface electrostatic interactions of the enzyme. In addition, mutational analysis of two predicted high-affinity Ca
2+
-binding sites (Ca1 and Ca2) revealed that the binding of Ca
2+
is important for the stabilization of this enzyme. Interestingly, Asn substitutions at residues Asp818 and Asp820 of the Ca2 site, which is located in the C-terminal extension of pyrolysin, resulted in improvements in both enzyme thermostability and activity without affecting Ca
2+
-binding affinity. These effects were most likely due to the elimination of unfavorable electrostatic repulsion at the Ca2 site. Together, these results suggest that metal ions play important roles in modulating the stability and activity of pyrolysin.