bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Market Incentives in Environmental Policy
Authors: Olmstead Sheila M. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis article surveys the framework that economics brings to environmental policy and, in particular, the use of market incentives in relation to conventional approaches to regulating environmental quality. The article is organized as follows. Section 2 defines market failure more precisely in the context of environmental problems. Section 3 considers what economic theory has to say about solutions to market failure in the environmental realm. Section 4 compares and contrasts market-based environmental policies with more traditional, prescriptive approaches. Section 5 offers a closer focus on market-based policy instruments themselves; it compares and contrasts the two most common approaches, taxes and tradable permits. Section 6 summarizes the experience with selected market-based environmental policies in practice. Conclusions and possible areas for future research are offered in Section 7.
Flexible Approaches to Environmental Regulation
Authors: Bennear Lori S. , Coglianese Cary 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis article examines what we know about flexible approaches to environmental regulation. It begins by defining more precisely what we mean by flexible regulation, placing the concept within a general framework of regulation. Adhering to this framework, it shows the role that flexible regulation can play in environmental protection and assesses what we know about flexible regulation's impacts on business behavior and environmental quality.
Deliberative Manoeuvres in the Digital Darkness: E-Democracy Policy in the UK
Authors: Moss Giles , Coleman Stephen 
Published: February 2013

Research Highlights and Abstract This article Critically reviews e-democracy policy thinking in the UK. Surveys and evaluates e-democracy activity in key areas, including online forums, open government and data, e-petitioning, and more recent ‘crowdsourcing’ initiatives. Defends the on-going importance of a more deliberative approach to e-democracy policy and practice. This paper evaluates the UK Government's e-democracy policy and considers what lesson should be learned for future policy and practice. Despite some isolated examples of success, we argue that policy experimentation in the area has been disappointing overall, especially when compared with the ambitious rhetoric that has surrounded it, and has failed to culminate in a coherent strategy for using the Internet to support democratic citizenship. Our analysis emphasizes the on-going importance of online deliberation in achieving inclusive, informed, and negotiated policy formation and political decision-making. In the absence of inclusive sites and practices of public deliberation, the democratic value of non-deliberative experiments with petitioning and crowdsourcing and recent government efforts to open up public information and data for citizen auditing and evaluation is likely to remain limited.
Can Anchoring and Loss Aversion Explain the Predictability of Housing Prices?
Authors: Leung Tin Cheuk , Tsang Kwok Ping 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe offer an explanation of why changes in house price are predictable. We consider a housing market with loss‐averse sellers and anchoring buyers in a dynamic setting. We show that when both cognitive biases are present, changes in house prices are predicted by price dispersion and trade volume. Using a sample of housing transactions in Hong Kong from 1992 to 2006, we find that price dispersion and transaction volume are, indeed, powerful predictors of housing return. For both in and out of sample, the two variables predict as well as conventional predictors such as the real interest rate and real stock return.
Evaluation of the potassium channel activator levcromakalim (BRL38227) on the lipid profile, electrolytes and blood glucose levels of streptozotocin‐diabetic rats (评估钾通道激活剂左克罗卡林（BRL38227）对链脲霉素‐糖尿病大鼠血脂谱、电解质以及血糖水平的影响)
Authors: Owolabi Omonkhelin J. , Omogbai Eric K.I. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBackgroundLevcromakalim is a vasorelaxant used in the management of hypertension in diabetes mellitus. Thus, the effects of levcromakalim were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)‐diabetic rats.MethodsDiabetes was induced in Wistar albino rats with a single injection of STZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.) following chronic (4 weeks) treatment with levcromakalim (75 μg/kg per day). Rats were then divided into the following groups (n = 5 in each group): (i) a normal saline (2 mL/kg)‐treated group; (ii) a 5 mg/kg glibenclamide‐treated group; (iii) 350 mg/kg metformin‐treated group; and (iv) 5, 10, 20 and 40 IU/kg insulin‐treated groups. Rats were transferred to metabolic cages and the lipid profile, plasma and urine electrolytes and blood glucose levels were determined 24 h after drug administration.ResultsLevcromakalim treatment significantly reduced total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats (all P < 0.05 compared with untreated diabetic rats). In addition, levcromakalim reduced plasma sodium, bicarbonate, and chloride levels, but increased urinary bicarbonate and chloride levels, in diabetic rats (all P < 0.05 compared with untreated diabetic rats). Levcromakalim significantly inhibited the effects of glibenclamide, metformin, and low‐dose (20 IU/kg) insulin treatment in diabetic rats (all P < 0.05). Only 40 IU/kg insulin produced significant reductions in hyperglycemia in levcromakalim‐treated diabetic rats.ConclusionLevcromakalim induced resistance to glibenclamide, metformin, and low‐dose insulin treatment in diabetic rats, leading to persistent hyperglycemia. However, reductions in LDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels following chronic levcromokalim treatment may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic rats.
Employment outcomes in people with bipolar disorder: a systematic review
Authors: Marwaha S. , Durrani A. , Singh S. 
Published: February 2013

ObjectiveEmployment outcome in bipolar disorder is an under investigated, but important area. The aim of this study was to identify the long‐term employment outcomes of people with bipolar disorder.MethodA systematic review using the Medline, PsychInfo and Web of Science databases.ResultsOf 1962 abstracts retrieved, 151 full text papers were read. Data were extracted from 25 papers representing a sample of 4892 people with bipolar disorder and a mean length of follow‐up of 4.9 years. Seventeen studies had follow‐up periods of up to 4 years and eight follow‐up of 5–15 years. Most studies with samples of people with established bipolar disorder suggest approximately 40–60% of people are in employment. Studies using work functioning measures mirrored this result. Bipolar disorder appears to lead to workplace underperformance and 40–50% of people may suffer a slide in their occupational status over time. Employment levels in early bipolar disorder were higher than in more established illness.ConclusionBipolar disorder damages employment outcome in the longer term, but up to 60% of people may be in employment. Whilst further studies are necessary, the current evidence provides support for extending the early intervention paradigm to bipolar disorder.
Fact or artefact: an item response theory analysis of median split based repressor classification
Authors: Gebhardt Claudia , Rose Norman , Mitte Kristin 
Published: February 2013

ObjectiveMany studies have investigated the phenomenon of repression. Repressors are defined as individuals who deny or avoid the experience of negative affect. A common method for the identification of repressors is a median split approach using questionnaires that measure anxiety and social desirability. The present study aimed to evaluate this most frequently used procedure using a psychometric model.DesignWe applied item response theory using model assumptions comparable with those of the median split approach to detect repressors and examine the appropriateness of the median split procedure.MethodsA mixed sample of 655 students and members of the general public completed the two scales usually used to identify repressors, namely the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Marlowe‐Crowne Social Desirability Scale.ResultsEmploying item response theory mixture‐model analyses, we were unable to replicate the median split solution on a latent level.ConclusionsOur results did not support the identification of repressors via dichotomization of the two scales. The median split approach does not appear to detect repressors satisfactorily. The implications of the results for the conceptualization and assessment of repressors are discussed.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject? Repression is a construct describing the suppression, denial or failure to exhibit negative emotions, and has been associated with many health outcomes. In much of the literature, two self‐report scales are used to identify repressors, one measuring manifest anxiety and the other measuring social desirability. Median splits on these scales identify people low in manifest anxiety and high in self‐reported social desirability as repressors.What does this study add? Using item‐response theory we examined whether median splits are an appropriate method to identify repressors. We found that the latent classes did not show the characteristic pattern suggested by the median split approach and concluded that the psychometric model did not support the classification of individuals via median splits. Our findings have implications for future work using the repression construct and median splits to identify repressors.
Effect of miR‐122 and its target gene cationic amino acid transporter 1 on colorectal liver metastasis
Authors: Iino Ichirota , Kikuchi Hirotoshi , Miyazaki Shinichiro , Hiramatsu Yoshihiro , Ohta Manabu , Kamiya Kinji , Kusama Yukiko , Baba Satoshi , Setou Mitsutoshi , Konno Hiroyuki 
Published: February 2013

Control of liver metastasis is an important issue in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). MicroRNAs have been shown to be involved in the development of many cancers, but little is known about their role in the process of colorectal liver metastasis. We compared miRNA expression between primary colorectal tumors and liver metastasis to identify those involved in the process of metastasis. Cancer cells were isolated from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded primary CRC samples and their corresponding metastatic liver tumors in six patients using laser capture microdissection, and miRNA expression was analyzed using TaqMan miRNA arrays. The most abundant miRNA in liver metastasis compared with primary tumors was miR‐122. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression levels of cationic amino acid transporter 1 (CAT1), a negative target gene of miR‐122, were lower in liver metastases than primary tumors (P < 0.001). Expression levels of CAT1 in 132 primary tumors were negatively correlated with the existence of synchronous liver metastasis (P = 0.0333) and tumor stage (P < 0.0001). In an analysis of 121 colon cancer patients without synchronous liver metastasis, patients with CAT1‐low colon cancer had significantly shorter liver metastasis‐free survival (P = 0.0258) but not overall survival or disease‐free survival. Overexpression of miR‐122 and concomitant suppression of CAT1 in the primary tumor appears to play important roles in the development of colorectal liver metastasis. Expression of CAT1 in the primary CRC has the potential to be a novel biomarker to predict the risk of postoperative liver metastasis of CRC patients.
Full Wave Modelling of Light Propagation and Reflection
Authors: Musbach A. , Meyer G. W. , Reitich F. , Oh S. H. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe propagation and reflection of electromagnetic waves in a three‐dimensional environment is simulated, and realistic images are produced using the resulting light distributions and reflectance functions. A finite difference time domain method is employed to advance the electric and magnetic fields in a scene. Surfaces containing wavelength scaled structures are created, the interaction of the electromagnetic waves with these nano‐structured materials is calculated, and the sub‐surface interference and diffraction effects are modelled. The result is a reflectance function with wavelength composition and spatial distribution properties that could not have been predicted using classic computer graphic ray tracing approaches. The techniques are employed to reproduce demonstrations of simple interference and diffraction effects, and to create computer‐generated pictures of a Morpho butterfly.
Uncovering historical signature of mitochondrialDNAhidden in the nuclear genome: the biogeography ofSchistocercarevisited
Authors: Song Hojun , Moulton Matthew J. , Hiatt Kevin D. , Whiting Michael F. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractInadvertent coamplification of nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts) is a serious problem in mitochondrial systematics, but numts can also be a valuable source of information because they represent ancient forms of mtDNA. We present a conceptual framework of numt accumulation, which states that in a given species there can be two types of numts, synaponumts and autaponumts, resulting from integration occurring respectively before and after a speciation event. In a given clade, a species that diverged early can only have its own autaponumts as well as synaponumts that were already present in the genome of the last common ancestor. A species that diverged more recently may, however, have many different synaponumts integrated at each different divergence as well as its own autaponumts. Therefore it is possible to decipher the evolutionary history of a species based on the phylogenetic distribution of numts in a simultaneous analysis of numts and extant mtDNA. In this study, we test this idea empirically in the context of addressing a controversial question regarding the biogeography of the grasshopper genusSchistocercaStål (Orthoptera: Acrididae), based on numts of the cytochromecoxidase subunit I (COI) gene. We find that our empirical data can be explained adequately by our conceptual framework, and that the phylogenetic distribution ofCOInumts reveals intricate evolutionary histories about past speciation events that are otherwise difficult to detect using conventional markers. Our study strongly favours the Old World origin of the desert locust,Schistocerca gregariaand the New WorldSchistocercaspecies are descendants from an ancestralgregaria‐like species that colonized the New World via westward transatlantic flight. However, the phylogenetic distribution ofS. gregarianumts raises a distinct possibility that there might have been multiple founding events from Africa to America to give rise to the present‐day diversity of the genus. This is a case study for a creative use of numts as molecular fossils, and we demonstrate that numts provide an interesting and powerful phylogenetic signal, much more than what extant mtDNAor nuclear gene sequences might be able to provide.
Cystatin C and albuminuria as predictors of long‐term allograft outcomes in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Rodrigo Emilio , Ruiz Juan C. , Fernández‐Fresnedo Gema , Fernández Maria D. , Piñera Celestino , Palomar Rosa , Monfá Elena , Gómez‐Alamillo Carlos , Arias Manuel 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAlthough cystatin C (Cys) and albuminuria (Alb) are predictors of end‐stage renal disease in the general population, there are limited data about the performance of these markers alone or combined with respect to the prediction of the kidney transplant outcome. We assessed the ability of one‐yr creatinine (Cr), MDRD equation, Cys, Hoek equation, Alb, the logarithm of albuminuria (LogAlb), and two products of these variables for predicting death‐censored graft loss (DCGL) in 127 kidney transplant recipients. Mean follow‐up time was 5.6 ± 1.7 yr. During this time, 18 patients developed DCGL. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for DCGL ranged from 71.1% to 85.4%, with Cys*LogAlb being the best predictor. Cys‐based variables and variables combining LogAlb and renal function estimates have better discrimination ability than Cr‐based variables alone. After multivariate analysis, quartiles of all one‐yr variables (except of Cr and MDRD) were independent predictors for DCGL. Predictors combining Alb and a Cr‐ or Cys‐based estimate of renal function performed better than those markers alone to predict DCGL. Cys‐based predictors performed better than Cr‐based predictors. Using a double‐marker in kidney transplantation, it is possible to identify the highest risk group in which to prioritize specialty care.
The relevance of the association between inflammation and atrial fibrillation
Authors: Alegret Josep M. , Aragonès Gerard , Elosua Roberto , Beltrán‐Debón Raúl , Hernández‐Aguilera Anna , Romero‐Menor César , Camps Jordi , Joven Jorge 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe relevance of the association between inflammation and atrial fibrillation (AF) is not firmly established. The clinical importance is considerable because inflammation is usually not targeted as a treatment option, minimizing a probable benefit.Materials and methodsWe have used a case–control study with a Mendelian randomization rationale to assess whether proposed risk factors that have a genetic component and are readily detected in circulating blood are causally related to AF. The studied variables were C‐reactive protein (CRP) and a representative of the chemokine system, the monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (CCL2).ResultsPlasma CRP and CCL2 concentrations were significantly higher in AF patients than in the unaffected population. However, when segregated between paroxysmal and permanent, the difference for CRP was only observed in patients with a permanent condition. Plasma CCL2 was raised in both subgroups. Confounding factors were carefully considered, and multivariable analyses revealed that circulating CCL2 was significant and CRP was negligible to explain the presence of AF. The duration of the episode also bore a significant predictive value. Odd ratios for AF as a function of genotype did not differ from 1·0 for any of the individual CRP and CCL2 polymorphisms, or any combinations.ConclusionsElevated plasma CRP concentration per se does not increase atrial fibrillation risk. Values obtained for CCL2 suggest that inflammation is probably a consequence of AF. Our data also suggest that the effect of the duration of the episode should be further studied in the assessment of the actual role of inflammation.
Sound‐specific plasticity in the primary auditory cortex as induced by the cholinergic pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus
Authors: Luo Feng , Yan Jun 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBrain cholinergic modulation is essential for learning‐induced plasticity of the auditory cortex. The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) is an important cholinergic nucleus in the brainstem, and appears to be involved in learning and subcortical plasticity. This study confirms the involvement of the PPTg in the plasticity of the auditory cortex in mice. We show here that electrical stimulation of the PPTg paired with a tone induced drastic changes in the frequency tunings of auditory cortical neurons. Importantly, the changes in frequency tuning were highly specific to the frequency of the paired tone; the best frequency of auditory cortical neurons shifted towards the frequency of the paired tone. We further demonstrated that such frequency‐specific plasticity was largely eliminated by either thalamic or cortical application of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist atropine. Our finding suggests that the PPTg significantly contributes to auditory cortical plasticity via the auditory thalamus and cholinergic basal forebrain.
Evolutionary rescue in populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens across an antibiotic gradient
Authors: Ramsayer Johan , Kaltz Oliver , Hochberg Michael E. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractEnvironmental change represents a major threat to species persistence. When change is rapid, a population's only means of persisting may be to evolve resistance. Understanding such ‘evolutionary rescues’ is important for conservation in the face of global change, but also in the agricultural and medical sciences, where the objective is rather population control or eradication. Theory predicts that evolutionary rescue is fostered by large populations and genetic variation, but this has yet to be tested. We replicated hundreds of populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 submitted to a range of doses of the antibiotic streptomycin. Consistent with theory, population size, and initial genetic diversity influenced population persistence and the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Although all treated populations suffered initial declines, those experiencing the smallest decreases were most likely to be evolutionarily rescued. Our results contribute to our understanding of how evolution may or may not save populations and species from extinction.
Neutralizing the anticoagulant activity of ultra‐low‐molecular‐weight heparins using N‐acetylglucosamine 6‐sulfatase
Authors: Zhou Xianxuan , Li Lingyun , Linhardt Robert J. , Liu Jian 
Published: February 2013

Heparin has been the most commonly used anticoagulant drug for nearly a century. The drug heparin is generally categorized into three forms according to its molecular weight: unfractionated (UF, average molecular weight 13 000), low molecular weight (average molecular weight 5000) and ultra‐low‐molecular‐weight heparin (ULMWH, average molecular weight 2000). An overdose of heparin may lead to very dangerous bleeding in patients. Protamine sulfate may be administered as an antidote to reverse heparin's anticoagulant effect. However, there is no effective antidote for ULMWH. In the current study, we examine the use of human N‐acetylglucosamine 6‐sulfatase (NG6S), expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, as a reversal agent for ULMWH. NG6S removes a single 6‐O‐sulfo group at the non‐reducing end of the ULMWH Arixtra® (fondaparinux), effectively removing its ability to bind to antithrombin and preventing its inhibition of coagulation factor Xa. These results pave the way to developing human NG6S as an antidote for neutralizing the anticoagulant activity of ULMWHs.
Dissimilatory sulphate reduction in hypersaline coastal pans: an integrated microbiological and geochemical study
Authors: Roychoudhury A. N. , Cowan D. , Porter D. , Valverde A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractHere, we report on the spatial and temporal variation in sulphate‐reducing bacterial community structure and activity in three hypersaline coastal pans. Community structure was determined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Cluster analysis of DGGE patterns indicated that similar microbial populations were generally found in individual pans but varied from one pan to the other. Sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) were quantified by competitive polymerase chain reaction based on the amplification of the dsrAB genes. Cell numbers and in situ sulphate reduction activities varied between seasons and pans but in general showed low variation in depth. Sulphate reduction activity was not correlated with microbial population size indicating that community composition is relevant for specific microbial processes. Principal component analysis coupled with correlation analyses suggested that salinity, sulphate concentration, C/N ratio and pH were the most important factors in explaining variations in SRB community composition. Most sequences derived from DGGE amplicons belonged to members of the Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfohalobiaceae families.