bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular determinants of transport stimulation of EAAT2 are located at interface between the trimerization and substrate transport domains
Authors: Mortensen Ole V. , Liberato José L. , Coutinho‐Netto Joaquim , dos Santos Wagner F. , Fontana Andréia C. K. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractExcitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) regulate glutamatergic signal transmission by clearing extracellular glutamate. Dysfunction of these transporters has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurological disorders. Previous studies have shown that venom from the spider Parawixia bistriata and a purified compound (Parawixin1) stimulate EAAT2 activity and protect retinal tissue from ischemic damage. In the present study, the EAAT2 subtype specificity of this compound was explored, employing chimeric proteins between EAAT2 and EAAT3 transporter subtypes and mutants to characterize the structural region targeted by the compound. This identified a critical residue (Histidine‐71 in EAAT2 and Serine‐45 in EAAT3) in transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) to be important for the selectivity between EAAT2 and EAAT3 and for the activity of the venom. Using the identified residue in TM2 as a structural anchor, several neighboring amino acids within TM5 and TM8 were identified to also be important for the activity of the venom. This structural domain of the transporter lies at the interface of the rigid trimerization domain and the central substrate‐binding transport domain. Our studies suggest that the mechanism of glutamate transport enhancement involves an interaction with the transporter that facilitates the movement of the transport domain.image
We identified a domain (purple star) in the glutamate transporter EAAT2 that is important for transport stimulation through a spider venom, and suggest a mechanism for enhanced transporter function through facilitated substrate translocation (arrow). Because the dysfunction of glutamate transporters is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, understanding the mechanisms of enhanced transport could have therapeutic implications.
3,4‐Methylenedioxypyrovalerone prevents while methylone enhances methamphetamine‐induced damage to dopamine nerve endings: β‐ketoamphetamine modulation of neurotoxicity by the dopamine transporter
Authors: Anneken John H. , Angoa‐Pérez Mariana , Kuhn Donald M. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractMethylone, 3,4‐methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), and mephedrone are psychoactive ingredients of ‘bath salts’ and their abuse represents a growing public health care concern. These drugs are cathinone derivatives and are classified chemically as β‐ketoamphetamines. Because of their close structural similarity to the amphetamines, methylone, MDPV, and mephedrone share most of their pharmacological, neurochemical, and behavioral properties. One point of divergence in their actions is the ability to cause damage to the CNS. Unlike methamphetamine, the β‐ketoamphetamines do not damage dopamine (DA) nerve endings. However, mephedrone has been shown to significantly accentuate methamphetamine neurotoxicity. Bath salt formulations contain numerous different psychoactive ingredients, and individuals who abuse bath salts also coabuse other illicit drugs. Therefore, we have evaluated the effects of methylone, MDPV, mephedrone, and methamphetamine on DA nerve endings. The β‐ketoamphetamines alone or in all possible two‐drug combinations do not result in damage to DA nerve endings but do cause hyperthermia. MDPV completely protects against the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine while methylone accentuates it. Neither MDPV nor methylone attenuates the hyperthermic effects of methamphetamine. The potent neuroprotective effects of MDPV extend to amphetamine‐, 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine‐, and MPTP‐induced neurotoxicity. These results indicate that β‐ketoamphetamine drugs that are non‐substrate blockers of the DA transporter (i.e., MDPV) protect against methamphetamine neurotoxicity, whereas those that are substrates for uptake by the DA transporter and which cause DA release (i.e., methylone, mephedrone) accentuate neurotoxicity.
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METH (a) enters DA nerve endings via the DAT, causes leakage of DA into the cytoplasm and then into the synapse via DAT‐mediated reverse transport. Methylone (METHY) and mephedrone (MEPH; b), like METH, are substrates for the DAT but release DA from cytoplasmic pools selectively. When METH is combined with METHY or MEPH (c), DA efflux and neurotoxicity are enhanced. MDPV (d), which is a non‐substrate blocker of the DAT, prevents METH uptake and efflux of DA. Therefore, bath salts that are substrates for the DAT and release DA (METHY, MEPH) accentuate METH neurotoxicity, whereas those that are non‐substrate blockers of the DAT (MDPV) are neuroprotective.
The effects of Tai‐Chi in conjunction with thera‐band resistance exercise on functional fitness and muscle strength among community‐based older people
Authors: Lin Shu‐Fen , Sung Huei‐Chuan , Li Tzai‐Li , Hsieh Tsung‐Cheng , Lan Hsiao‐Chin , Perng Shoa‐Jen , Smith Graeme D. 
Published: January 2015

Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Tai‐Chi in conjunction with thera‐band resistance exercise on functional fitness and muscle strength in community‐based older people.BackgroundTai‐Chi is known to improve functional fitness in older people. Tai‐Chi is usually performed with free hands without resistance training and usually focuses on training lower limbs. To date, no study has examined the use of Tai‐Chi in conjunction with thera‐band resistance exercise in this population.DesignCluster randomised trial design.MethodsOlder people at six senior day care centres in Taiwan were assigned to thera‐band resistance exercise or control group using a cluster randomisation. The thera‐band resistance exercise group (n = 48) received sixty minute thera‐band resistance exercise twice weekly for a period of 16 weeks. The control group (n = 47) underwent routine activities in the day care centre, receiving no Tai‐Chi or resistance exercise.ResultsAfter receiving the thera‐band resistance exercise, intervention participants displayed a significant increase in muscle strength of upper and lower extremities. Significant improvements were recorded on most measures of the Senior Fitness Test, with the exception of the chair‐stand and back‐scratch test.ConclusionThera‐band resistance exercise has the potential to improve functional fitness and muscle strength in community‐based older people.Relevance to clinical practiceThera‐band resistance exercise potentially offers a safe and appropriate form of physical activity that nursing staff can easily incorporate into the daily routine of older people in day care centres, potentially improving functional performance and muscle strength.
Navajo Morals and Myths, Ethics and Ethicists
Authors: Vecsey Christopher 
Published: January 2015

AbstractOver a century ago a Western observer recognized an effective morality among Navajo Indians in the American Southwest, yet could not locate its expression, except in mythology recounting contradictory behaviors. Through the 1900s scholars delineated contours of Navajo moral values, myths, and taxonomies upon which moral traditions were based, and situations in which Navajos have engaged in ethical decision‐making. Recently individual Navajos have manifested their role as ethical agents, not merely as recipients of moral lore. A contemporary Navajo storyteller, Sunny Dooley, enunciates narrative ethical judgments, grounded in traditional Navajo mythology and its religious milieu, as she addresses the present conditions of her people. Thus she probes the contradictions that are inherent to life. Her stories testify to the insoluble conflicts within the human condition, ultimate and immediate conundrums that must be faced, even though they surely will not be resolved.
Hospital, infants and feeding: The importance of audit
Authors: Williams Lesley Alison , Ware Robert S , Davies Peter SW 
Published: January 2015

AimInfant feeding can be the reason for presentation and/or admission to hospital. The aim of this study was to identify if infant feeding history was documented in charts of infants presenting and/or admitted to a paediatric hospital.MethodsA systematic random sample of hospital charts of infants who had presented to the emergency department between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012 was audited for presence of documentation of feeding.ResultsIn total, 465 charts were audited, representing 12.5% of infants who presented to the emergency department in the year. Frequency of documentation for feeding measures was as follows: feeding mode, 263 (57%); feeding type, 228 (49%); feeding frequency, 119 (26%); and with changes 89 (19%) since birth. Increasing infant age was significantly associated with less frequent recording of feeding mode, type, frequency and changes.ConclusionA comprehensive feeding history is not recorded on many occasions of infant presentation and/or admission to hospital. The recording of feeding mode, type, frequency and changes is needed in order to explore the existence, or otherwise, of a relationship between feeding and the reason for presentation and/or admission.
Quality of life prediction in children with joint hypermobility syndrome
Authors: Pacey Verity , Tofts Louise , Adams Roger D , Munns Craig F , Nicholson Leslie L 
Published: January 2015

AimsTo assess the child‐ and parent‐reported health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS), to compare these with other chronic paediatric conditions and to determine whether symptoms experienced by children with JHS can predict their HRQOL.MethodsEighty‐nine children with JHS and one of their parents completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scale, the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and the Pediatric Pain Questionnaire. Anthropometric measures and reported symptoms were recorded. Child‐reported HRQOL scores were compared with parent report, and both child‐ and parent‐reported HRQOL scores of children with JHS were compared with those of children with other chronic conditions. Stepwise multiple regression was undertaken to determine whether any combination of measures could predict HRQOL.ResultsParent‐ and child‐reported HRQOL scores were strongly correlated (r = 0.6–0.84, all P < 0.001); however, parents of children with JHS perceived lower overall HRQOL (mean difference = 4.44, P = 0.001), physical (mean difference = 7.11, P < 0.0001) and emotional functioning (mean difference = 5.24, P = 0.011) than their children. When considered together with previously reported HRQOL scores for children with other chronic conditions, parent and child scores were similarly strongly correlated (r = 0.93, P = 0.001). Multiple regression revealed that 75% of the variance in child‐reported HRQOL scores was accounted for by a child's level of pain and fatigue, and presence of stress incontinence symptoms (P < 0.0001).ConclusionChildren with JHS experience poor HRQOL and disabling fatigue, with parent scores providing a good proxy. Pain, fatigue and the presence of stress incontinence symptoms have the greatest impact on their HRQOL.
Linalool elicits vasorelaxation of mouse aortae through activation of guanylyl cyclase and K+ channels
Authors: Kang Purum , Seol Geun Hee 
Published: January 2015

Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular relaxing properties of monoterpene alcohol (-)-linalool (LIN), a principal component of several aromatic plants.

Methods
We assessed the effects of LIN on vascular contractility in mouse aortae and evaluated its underlying mechanisms of action.

Key findings
We found that LIN dose-dependently relaxed the vascular tonus of mouse thoracic aortae induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α, 3 μm). This effect, however, was reduced by pretreatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME (30 μm). Treatment with the inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase ODQ (2 μm) or the K+ channel blocker TEA (10 mM) partially blocked LIN-induced vasorelaxation. Moreover, addition of TEA after incubation of the rings with L-NAME and ODQ partially blocked LIN-induced vasorelaxation. Furthermore, LIN was able to partially antagonize CaCl2-induced contractions in high potassium (80 mM) Krebs' solution, whereas LIN did not affect Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores.

Conclusion
Our findings indicate that LIN may induce endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in mouse thoracic aortae by activating soluble guanylyl cyclase and K+ channels.
Role development of nurses for technology‐dependent children attending mainstream schools in Japan
Authors: Shimizu Fumie , Suzuki Machiko 
Published: January 2015

AbstractPurposeTo describe the role development of nurses caring for medical technology‐dependent children attending Japanese mainstream schools.Design and MethodsSemi‐structured interviews with 21 nurses caring for technology‐dependent children were conducted and analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach.ResultsNurses developed roles centered on maintaining technology‐dependent children's physical health to support children's learning with each other, through building relationships, learning how to interact with children, understanding the children and the school community, and realizing the meaning of supporting technology‐dependent children.Practice ImplicationsThese findings support nurses to build relationships of mutual trust with teachers and children, and learn on the job in mainstream schools.
Pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of amoxicillin in chicken infected with caecal coccidiosis
Authors: Kandeel M. 
Published: January 2015

Chicken infected with caecal coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) was used to evaluate the effect of coccidiosis on the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability of amoxicillin. The level of amoxicillin was estimated by high‐performance chromatography (HPLC) to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters and oral bioavailability. For i.v. injection of amoxicillin, Vd andCLwere 0.29 and 0.27 (mg/kg)/(μg/mL)/h, respectively. Compared with healthy chicken, intravenous injection of amoxicillin in the infected chicken showed higher distribution and elimination constants, delayed clearance and statistically significant higherAUCandMRT. Oral administration in healthy chicken was accompanied by rapid absorption and high bioavailability withTmax,CmaxandFabout 1.03 h, 3.26 μg/mL and 40.2, respectively. Furthermore, oral administration in the infected chicken produced higher mean absorption time, delayedTmax, lowerCmax, smallerAUCvalue and lower bioavailability (16.76). Based on these results, monitoring and adjustment of amoxicillin dosing could be practiced during the presence of coccidiosis. The measuredCmaxvalues suggest the administration of 1.3‐folds of the normal dose to maintain the normal maximal serum concentrations of amoxicillin in chicken infected with caecal coccidiosis.
The Politics of Comics: Popular Modernism, Abstraction, and Experimentation
Authors: Worden Daniel 
Published: January 2015

AbstractComics and graphic novels are now widely accepted to be legitimate aesthetic and literary texts, suitable for study in all manner of university classrooms and scholarly projects. Comics studies scholarship was often preoccupied with arguing for the aesthetic legitimacy and literary complexity of comics and graphic novels, and now that this debate is more or less over, comics studies scholarship has begun to consider not just why and how we should read comics but what comics might mean. The question of meaning is an inherently political question, as it asks us to think of comics in relation to our social world. This essay traces two ways that comics can be read politically: as part of popular modernism, and as a medium for experimentation with genre, narrative, and visual conventions.
Hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension: recent knowledge in pathogenesis and overview of clinical assessment
Authors: Raevens Sarah , Geerts Anja , Van Steenkiste Christophe , Verhelst Xavier , Van Vlierberghe Hans , Colle Isabelle 
Published: January 2015

AbstractHepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension are cardiopulmonary complications, which are not infrequently seen in patients with liver disease and/or portal hypertension. These entities are both clinically and pathophysiologically different: the hepatopulmonary syndrome is characterized by abnormal pulmonary vasodilation and right‐to‐left shunting resulting in gas exchange abnormalities, whereas portopulmonary hypertension is caused by pulmonary artery vasoconstriction leading to hemodynamic failure. As both hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension are associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality, and as these patients are commonly asymptomatic, all liver transplantation candidates should be actively screened for the presence of these two complications. The aim of is this review is to provide an overview on the hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension with primary focus on diagnosis and recent knowledge regarding pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.
The Cognitive Science of Bilingualism
Authors: Dong Yanping , Li Ping 
Published: January 2015

AbstractRecent research in cognitive effects of bilingualism has generated both excitement and controversy. The current paper provides an overview of this literature that has taken a componential approach toward cognitive effects of bilingualism, according to which bilingual advantages in executive functions are measured in terms of executive control (inhibiting, switching, updating) and monitoring. Findings to date indicate that the presence or absence of bilingual advantages may be influenced by a variety of learner and environmental factors, including the bilingual individual's age, age of acquisition, language proficiency, frequency of language use, and difficulty of the experimental task. The cognitive effects of bilingualism must be interpreted in light of the bilingual's lifelong linguistic experience, which results in adaptive changes in the mind and the brain. We suggest directions for future research in this domain.
Measurement Scales in Natural Language
Authors: Solt Stephanie 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe meaning of a wide variety of natural language expressions can be stated in terms of degrees on scales. This paper provides an overview of the contribution of scales to linguistic meaning. I discuss the ontology of scales, survey the role of scalarity within and across languages, and summarize recent research into the linguistically relevant features of scales, organizing these findings into a preliminary framework for a comprehensive model of scale structure. The relation between the scales underlying the interpretation of gradable expressions and those involved in the calculation of scalar implicatures – so‐called Horn scales – is also briefly discussed.
Nutritional condition of two coastal rocky fishes and the potential role of a marine protected area
Authors: Viladrich Núria , Rossi Sergio , López‐Sanz Angel , Orejas Covadonga 
Published: January 2015

AbstractKnowledge of the nutritional conditions of coastal commercial fish populations is key to understanding stock health status, and is essential when making reasonable exploitation and management plans. Here, we present the first results on the condition and feeding preferences of two coastal fish species, Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758). Using stable isotope and biochemical analyses, we tested the potential effects of a marine protected area (MPA) and the occurrence of a dramatic coastal storm on the condition and quality of nutrition. The results suggest that both condition (lipids) and nutrition quality (fatty acids, FAs) in P. erythrinus and D. sargus depend upon on food availability in the area in which they were captured. Pagellus erythrinus individuals inside the MPA stored higher quantities of lipids [46.73 ± 19.00 μg lipid·mg organic matter (OM)−1] than those outside the MPA (15.63 ± 5.30 μg lipid·mg OM−1) only before the storm. Diplodus sargus showed different FA signatures inside and outside the MPA before and after the storm. These results suggest that D. sargus increased their quality of nutrition inside (16.62 ± 3.17 μg FA·mg OM−1) versus outside (7.88 ± 2.36 μg FA·mg OM−1) the MPA, owing to increased food diversity and availability. Conversely, P. erythrinus did not show differences in nutritional quality inside (18.12 ± 1.13 μg FA·mg OM−1) or outside (18.81 ± 1.42 μg FA·mg OM−1) the MPA, possibly because of the increase in ingestion not affecting the studied parameters. In P. erythrinus, the FA concentration decreased after the storm, but in D. sargus, a change in lipid composition was observed. These results suggest that P. erythrinus appears to be more impacted by food quality (different saturated and unsaturated FAs) than D. sargus, owing to a more restrictive diet. We hypothesize that the observed differences between inside and outside the MPA are not only related to the degree of protection, but also to the feeding preferences and behaviour of both fishes.
Smart Artificial Firefly Colony Algorithm‐Based Support Vector Regression for Enhanced Forecasting in Civil Engineering
Authors: Chou Jui‐Sheng , Pham Anh‐Duc 
Published: January 2015

AbstractAdvanced data mining techniques are potential tools for solving civil engineering (CE) problems. This study proposes a novel smart artificial firefly colony algorithm‐based support vector regression (SAFCA‐SVR) system that integrates firefly algorithm (FA), chaotic maps, adaptive inertia weight, Lévy flight, and least squares support vector regression (LS‐SVR). First, adaptive approach and randomization methods are incorporated in FA to construct a novel and highly effective metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization. The enhanced FA is then used to optimize parameters in LS‐SVR model. The proposed system is validated by comparing its performance with those of empirical methods and previous works via cross‐validation algorithm and hypothesis test through the real‐world engineering cases. Specifically, high‐performance concrete, resilient modulus of subgrade soils, and building cooling load are used as case studies. The SAFCA‐SVR achieved 8.8%–91.3% better error rates than those of previous works. Analytical results confirm that using the proposed hybrid system significantly improves the accuracy in solving CE problems.
From microbiology to cancer biology: the Rid protein family prevents cellular damage caused by endogenously generated reactive nitrogen species
Authors: Downs Diana M. , Ernst Dustin C. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryThe Rid family of proteins is highly conserved and broadly distributed throughout the domains of life. Genetic and biochemical studies, primarily in Salmonella enterica, have defined a role for RidA in responding to endogenously generated reactive metabolites. The data show that 2‐aminoacrylate (2AA), a reactive enamine intermediate generated by some pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate‐dependent enzymes, accumulates in the absence of RidA. The accumulation of 2AA leads to covalent modification and inactivation of several enzymes involved in essential metabolic processes. This review describes the 2AA hydrolyzing activity of RidA and the effect of this biochemical activity on the metabolic network, which impacts organism fitness. The reported activity of RidA and the consequences encountered in vivo when RidA is absent have challenged fundamental assumptions in enzymology, biochemistry and cell metabolism regarding the fate of transiently generated reactive enamine intermediates. The current understanding of RidA in Salmonella and the broad distribution of Rid family proteins provide exciting opportunities for future studies to define metabolic roles of Rid family members from microbes to man.