bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The quorum‐sensing molecule E,E‐farnesol—its variable secretion and its impact on the growth and metabolism of Candida species
Authors: Weber K. , Schulz B. , Ruhnke M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractDiseases caused by Candida species are an increasing problem. Candida species are associated with high overall mortality, due to a variety of virulence factors such as the yeast‐to‐hyphal switch and proteolytic enzymes. The phenomenon of microbial communication known as quorum sensing also seems to play an important role. The main characteristics of the quorum‐sensing molecule E,E‐farnesol are well known for C. albicans. The present study focused on two questions. One of them concerned the secretion of E,E‐farnesol by C. albicans and involved a close examination of the effect of the medium (serum) and the origin of the isolates used. The second one dealt with the activity of E,E‐farnesol in non‐C. albicans species, such as C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, e.g. its impact on biofilm formation and growth. Under serum conditions, C. albicans produced up to 58% more E,E‐farnesol at 37 °C than at 30 °C. The growth of all isolates was reduced and delayed by the administration of E,E‐farnesol. Of all Candida species, C. tropicalis isolates were most strongly affected by the addition of E,E‐farnesol. Biofilm formation on polystyrene was affected by E,E‐farnesol treatment in all non‐C. albicans species and C. albicans. E,E‐farnesol exerts its main effect by altering the metabolic activity and growth inhibition of treated Candida species. The results obtained indicate that the presence of E,E‐farnesol in the environment not only regulates the morphology of the Candida species but also affects its fitness. In this regard, the secretion of E,E‐farnesol might provide an advantage for members of the microbial community. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adverse life events and mental health in middle adolescence
Authors: Flouri Eirini , Kallis Constantinos 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThis study’s aim was to search for the appropriate functional form of the effect of proximal cumulative contextual risk (PCCR), measured with number of adverse life events experienced in the last 6 months, on adolescent psychopathology and prosocial behavior, measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The study sample was 171 year ten (aged 14–15) adolescents from predominantly socio‐economically disadvantaged families in the UK. Adjustment was made for parental education, and for child’s age, gender, and academic achievement, which was measured with results in Standard Attainment Tests in English, mathematics and science taken in the previous year. PCCR predicted total difficulties, emotional symptoms, conduct problems and hyperactivity. The relationship between PCCR and total difficulties and emotional symptoms was non‐quadratic; the PCCR/externalizing problems relationship was quadratic. The findings highlight the importance of considering both outcome specificity and non‐linear patterns of associations when modelling cumulative contextual risk effects on adolescent psychopathology.
Comparison of brain N-acetylaspartate levels and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels between patients with first-episode schizophrenia psychosis and healthy controls
Authors: Goto N. , Yoshimura R. , Kakeda S. , Moriya J. , Hayashi K. , Ikenouchi-Sugita A. , Umene-Nakano W. , Hori H. , Ueda N. , Korogi Y. , Nakamura J. 
Published: May 2010

Abstract:Background:N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with first-episode schizophrenia psychosis and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were investigated. In addition, plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were compared between the two groups.Method:Eighteen patients (nine males, nine females; age range: 13–52 years) were enrolled in the study, and 18 volunteers (nine males, nine females; age range: 15–49 years) with no current or past psychiatric history were also studied by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) as sex- and age-matched controls.Results:Levels of NAA/Cr in the left basal ganglia (p = 0.0065) and parieto-occipital lobe (p = 0.00498), but not in the frontal lobe, were significantly lower in patients with first-episode schizophrenia psychosis than in control subjects. No difference was observed between the serum BDNF levels of patients with first-episode schizophrenia psychosis and control subjects. In regard to the plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites, plasma MHPG, but not HVA, was significantly lower in the patients with first-episode psychosis than in control subjects. In addition, a significantly positive correlation was observed between the levels of NAA/Cr of the left basal ganglia and plasma MHPG in all subjects.Conclusions:These results suggest that brain NAA levels in the left basal ganglia and plasma MHPG levels were significantly reduced at the first episode of schizophrenia psychosis, indicating that neurodegeneration via noradrenergic neurons might be associated with the initial progression of the disease.
An examination of Alzheimer's disease case definitions using Medicare claims and survey data
Authors: Lin Pei‐Jung , Kaufer Daniel I. , Maciejewski Matthew L. , Ganguly Rahul , Paul John E. , Biddle Andrea K. 
Published: May 2010

BackgroundThe prevalence and expenditure estimates of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from studies using one data source to define cases vary widely. The objectives of this study were to assess agreement between AD case definitions classified with Medicare claims and survey data and to provide insight into causes of widely varied expenditure estimates.MethodsData were obtained from the 1999–2004 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey linked with Medicare claims (n = 57,669). Individuals with AD were identified by survey, diagnosis, use of an AD prescription medicine, or some combination thereof. We also explored how much health care and drug expenditures vary by AD case definition.ResultsThe prevalence of AD differed significantly by case definition. Using survey report alone yielded more cases (n = 1,994 or 3.46%) than diagnosis codes alone (n = 1,589 or 2.76%) or Alzheimer's medication use alone (n = 1,160 or 2.01%). Agreement between case definitions was low, with kappa coefficients ranging from 0.37 to 0.40. Per capita health expenditures ranged from $16,547 to $24,937, and drug expenditures ranged from $2,303 to $3,519, depending on how AD was defined.ConclusionsDifferent information sources yield widely varied prevalence and expenditure estimates. Although claims data provided a more objective means for identifying AD cases, survey report identified more cases, and pharmacy data also are an important source for case ascertainment. Using any single source will underestimate the prevalence and associated cost of AD. The wide range of AD cases identified by using different data sources demands caution interpreting cost‐of‐illness studies using single data sources.
Ergodic properties of semi-hyperbolic functions with polynomial Schwarzian derivative
Authors: Mayer Volker , Urbański Mariusz 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe ergodic theory and geometry of the Julia set of meromorphic functions on the complex plane with polynomial Schwarzian derivative are investigated under the condition that the function is semi-hyperbolic, i.e. the asymptotic values of the Fatou set are in attracting components and the asymptotic values in the Julia set are boundedly non-recurrent. We first show the existence, uniqueness, conservativity and ergodicity of a conformal measure m with minimal exponent h; furthermore, we show weak metrical exactness of this measure. Then we prove the existence of a σ-finite invariant measure μ absolutely continuous with respect to m. Our main result states that μ is finite if and only if the order ρ of the function f satisfies the condition h > 3ρ/(ρ+1). When finite, this measure is shown to be metrically exact. We also establish a version of Bowen's Formula, showing that the exponent h equals the Hausdorff dimension of the Julia set of f.
Towards a combinatorial representation theory for the rational Cherednik algebra of type G(r, p, n)
Authors: Griffeth Stephen 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThis paper aims to lay the foundations for a combinatorial study, via orthogonal functions and intertwining operators, of category $\mathcal{O}$ for the rational Cherednik algebra of type G(r, p, n). As a first application, a self-contained and elementary proof of the analogue for the groups G(r, p, n), with r > 1, of Gordon's Theorem (previously Haiman's Conjecture) on the diagonal co-invariant ring is given. No restriction is imposed on p; the result for p ≠ r has been proved by Vale using a technique analogous to Gordon's. Because of the combinatorial application to Haiman's Conjecture, the paper is logically self-contained except for standard facts about complex reflection groups. The main results should be accessible to mathematicians working in algebraic combinatorics who are unfamiliar with the impressive range of ideas used in Gordon's proof of his theorem.
Square-free values of quadratic polynomials
Authors: Friedlander J. B. , Iwaniec H. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWe consider the quadratic polynomial m2 + D and study the asymptotic formula for the number of integers m, 1≤ m ≤ M, for which the values of the polynomial are square-free. We are interested in particular in the question of how small we can take m in relation to D and still have the asymptotic hold.
Sturm-Liouville problems for the p-Laplacian on a half-line
Authors: Binding Paul , Browne Patrick J. , Karabash Illya M. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe nonlinear eigenvalue problemfor 0 ≤ x < ∞, fixed p ∈ (1, ∞), and with y′(0)/y(0) specified is studied under various conditions on the coefficients s and q, leading to either oscillatory or non-oscillatory situations.
Hegemonic overreach vs. imperial overstretch
Authors: FLORIG DENNIS 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe concept of hegemonic overreach proposes a revision of Kennedy's notion of imperial overstretch that puts more emphasis on policy choices of hegemonic states. Previous long-cycle theories of hegemonic breakdown have focused on the contradiction between the hegemon's growing military-political commitments and its slipping economic capability relative to rising challenger states. Another key contradiction in US foreign policy is between the imperatives of hegemony and the ideology of messianic mission developed long before the US stepped up to its current global role. Hegemonic overreach, driven by this sense of messianic mission, is a major cause of failure in US foreign policy.
Increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease in haematological and solid-organ malignancies
Authors: WONG A. , MARRIE T. J. , GARG S. , KELLNER J. D. , TYRRELL G. J. ,   the SPAT Group
Published: April 2010

SUMMARYLarge-scale population-based studies have reported a significant increase in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in those with underlying haematological or solid-organ malignancy, but limited condition-specific data are available on rates of IPD in the adult population. A retrospective chart review of all patients with IPD (identified prospectively) in the province of Alberta, Canada (population ~3·3 million) was conducted from 2000 to 2004 to study the epidemiology of IPD. Rates of IPD in patients with various haematological and solid-organ malignancies were determined by obtaining the number of these patients at risk from the provincial cancer registry. Compared to the attack rate of IPD in the adult population aged ⩾18 years (11·0 cases/100 000 per year, 95% CI 10·44–11·65), there were significantly increased rates of IPD in those with lung cancer (143·6 cases/100 000 per year, OR 13·4, 95% CI 9·3–19·4, P<0·001) and multiple myeloma (673·9 cases/100 000 per year, OR 62·8, 95% CI 39·6–99·8, P<0·001). More modestly increased rates of IPD were found in those with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. There was an increased prevalence of serotype 6A in those with these underlying malignancies, but no other serotypes predominated. Fifty-three percent (48/83) of cases were caused by serotypes in the investigational 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), and 57/83 (69%) of the cases were caused by serotypes in the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23). The incidence of IPD in adults with certain haematological and solid-organ malignancies is significantly greater than the overall adult population. Such patients should be routinely given pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine; this population could also be targeted for an expanded valency conjugate vaccine.
1949 and 1999: Making the Geneva Conventions relevant after the Cold
War
Authors: Forsythe David 
Published: April 2010

Résumé
Après un bref survol de l'évolution du droit international humanitaire
et, en parallèle, du droit international des droits de l'homme depuis 1945,
l'auteur pose la question de savoir comment le CICR, en sa qualité de
gardien des Conventions de Genève, comprend aujourd'hui sa tâche. Le texte
publié par le CICR sous le titre « Projet Avenir: les défis, la mission et
les orientations stratégiques » (RICR, no 829, mars 1998, p. 134) lui sert
de point de départ pour son analyse. Produit d'un long processus de
réflexion, ce texte examine les défis posés par les conflits d'aujourd'hui
et tente de définir les lignes de conduite pour l'organisation. L'auteur
approuve en bonne partie les conclusions auxquelles arrive l'étude,
conclusions qui ne s'écarte guère de la ligne suivie jusqu'à ce jour.
Toutefois, le «projet Avenir» ne donne que peu d'indications sur la
stratégie que le CICR entend suivre pour accomplir son mandat découlant des
Conventions de Genève
Proton-transfer and hydrogen-bond interactions determine fluorescence quantum yield and photochemical efficiency of bacteriophytochrome
Authors: Toh K. C. , Stojković Emina A. , van Stokkum Ivo H. M. , Moffat Keith , Kennis John T. M. 
Published: May 2010

Phytochromes are red-light photoreceptor proteins that regulate a variety of responses and cellular processes in plants, bacteria, and fungi. The phytochrome light activation mechanism involves isomerization around the C15═C16 double bond of an open-chain tetrapyrrole chromophore, resulting in a flip of its D-ring. In an important new development, bacteriophytochrome (Bph) has been engineered for use as a fluorescent marker in mammalian tissues. Here we report that an unusual Bph, RpBphP3 from
Rhodopseudomonas palustris
, denoted P3, is fluorescent. This Bph modulates synthesis of light-harvesting complex in combination with a second Bph exhibiting classical photochemistry, RpBphP2, denoted P2. We identify the factors that determine the fluorescence and isomerization quantum yields through the application of ultrafast spectroscopy to wild-type and mutants of P2 and P3. The excited-state lifetime of the biliverdin chromophore in P3 was significantly longer at 330–500 ps than in P2 and other classical phytochromes and accompanied by a significantly reduced isomerization quantum yield. H/D exchange reduces the rate of decay from the excited state of biliverdin by a factor of 1.4 and increases the isomerization quantum yield. Comparison of the properties of the P2 and P3 variants shows that the quantum yields of fluorescence and isomerization are determined by excited-state deprotonation of biliverdin at the pyrrole rings, in competition with hydrogen-bond rupture between the D-ring and the apoprotein. This work provides a basis for structure-based conversion of Bph into an efficient near-IR fluorescent marker.
Protein dynamics investigated by inherent structure analysis
Authors: Rao Francesco , Karplus Martin 
Published: May 2010

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide essential information about the thermodynamics and dynamics of proteins. To construct the free-energy surface from equilibrium trajectories, it is necessary to group the individual snapshots in a meaningful way. The inherent structures (IS) are shown to provide an appropriate discretization of the trajectory and to avoid problems that can arise in clustering algorithms that have been employed previously. The IS-based approach is illustrated with a 30-ns room temperature “native” state MD simulation of a 10-residue peptide in a β-hairpin conformation. The transitions between the IS are used to construct a configuration space network from which a one-dimensional free-energy profile is obtained with the mincut method. The results demonstrate that the IS approach is useful and that even for this simple system, there exists a nontrivial organization of the native state into several valleys separated by barriers as high as 3 kcal/mol. Further, by introducing a coarse-grained network, it is demonstrated that there are multiple pathways connecting the valleys. This scenario is hidden when the snapshots of the trajectory are used directly with rmsd clustering to compute the free-energy profile. Application of the IS approach to the native state of the PDZ2 signaling domain indicates its utility for the study of biologically relevant systems.
Facilitating Recycling: Reverse—Distribution Channel Design for Participation and Support
Authors: Thøgersen John 
Published: April 2010

While social change research designed to promote recycling has increased rapidly in recent years, empirical documentation of the importance and effectiveness of distribution channel management for enhancing public support and participation is lacking. In this paper, it is argued mat the design of reverse distribution channels for recyclables influences support and participation through at least three distinct mechanisms: • it influences attitudes and behavior by affecting the perceived costs of recycling; • it influences behavior by affecting the opportunities for acting on recycling intentions, and; • it has the potential for improving attitudes (through dissonance reduction, attribution, and adjusting faulty cost expectations) through inducing trial. The importance of channel design characteristics through these three mechanisms is illustrated by the results from a continuing research program aimed at boosting the recycling of household waste in Denmark.
Marketing Enlightened Self-Interest: A Model of Individual and Community-Oriented Motivations
Authors: Tyson Ben , Coulter Robin 
Published: April 2010

What motivates people to act in the community's interest when self-interest is an insufficient motivation? In response, this paper proposes a model for predicting behavioral intentions that incorporates an individual's perceived threats to one's self and to one's community, perceived individual and community benefits/consequences of engaging in behaviors that will facilitate desired outcomes, and self-efficacy. We test the model in three contexts related to environmental conservation and find substantial support for our model. Findings have implications for social marketing of environmental behaviors and may prove relevant when considering behavior supportive of other community-oriented issues such as public health, education, and transportation.
An Introduction to Some Philosophies Relevant to the Ethical Management of Public Health and Social Issues
Authors: Rothschild Michael L. 
Published: April 2010

Most societies attempt to manage at least some of the behaviors of at least some of their citizens. To accomplish this, they have at hand the tool sets of education, marketing and law. This presentation. presents a theoretic base for the consideration of ethical behavior management. To that end, it considers a number of well-reasoned moral and political philosophy literatures, and what they might contribute to social marketing. Utilitarianism calls for the greatest good for the greatest number and suggests that the ends justify the means. Liberalism calls for a focus on individual rights and personal freedoms. Contextualism raises issues about these other philosophies by asking questions about: their meaning in a specific time and place; here, ethicality is judged in the framework of the customs of the culture.
Benefits, Barriers and Enablers of University—Community Research Collaboration: Input from Health and Social Service Agencies
Authors: Sullivan Myrtis , Balch George , Cramer Lina , Willis Marilyn , Chavez Noel 
Published: April 2010

Increasingly, it has become clear to social marketers and others that partnerships among organizations are needed to accomplish behavior change and achieve social objectives. While many still take an organization- centered approach, there has been a marked increase in the number of community-based collaborative research endeavors connecting academics and community agencies in mutual investigation of salient problems. Currently, much of the literature on these efforts is reported by academicians and reflects their perspectives or perceptions of agency viewpoints. More input is needed from the agency perspective to ensure a more balanced understanding of the significant role community partners play in the development and implementation of research that leads to improved health status of communities and other social objectives. To this end, focus groups were conducted to give community-based agencies the opportunity to share their insights and give their perspective regarding the benefits and barriers to effective collaboration. Representatives of agencies from the Chicago area with experience in collaborative research participated, and results were reviewed and corroborated by additional community agencies. The most common benefits sought by agencies were evaluation and needs assessment. Participants cite the failure of researchers and agencies to take the time to understand and try to meet each other's needs as the main barrier to effective collaborative efforts.
The Genomedata format for storing large-scale functional genomics data
Authors: Hoffman Michael M. , Buske Orion J. , Noble William Stafford 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
Summary: We present a format for efficient storage of multiple tracks of numeric data anchored to a genome. The format allows fast random access to hundreds of gigabytes of data, while retaining a small disk space footprint. We have also developed utilities to load data into this format. We show that retrieving data from this format is more than 2900 times faster than a naive approach using wiggle files.
Availability and Implementation: Reference implementation in Python and C components available at http://noble.gs.washington.edu/proj/genomedata/ under the GNU General Public License.
Contact: william-noble@uw.edu