bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are there symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds in aging men?
Authors: Lackner Jakob E. , Rücklinger Ernst , Schatzl Georg , Lunglmayr Gerhard , Kratzik Christian W. 
Published: January 2011

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort)Level of Evidence 2bWhat’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?Late onset hypogonadism is a syndrome combining low testosterone levels and clinical symptoms. But specific testosterone levels as well as clinical symptoms (e.g. sexual dysfunction) are poorly defined and still under debate.This study explores the association between testosterone levels and clinical symptoms with regard to co‐morbidities such as obesity, smoking and age. A main focus in this study is to investigate the influence of age on late onset hypogonadism, as many symptoms, which are correlated to low testosterone, might reflect just a normal process of aging. Finally the results show that only few symptoms (mainly psychosomatic symptoms) are associated with low testosterone and all other symptoms are significantly associated with age.OBJECTIVE• To study the association between specific clinical symptoms (e.g. low libido and erectile dysfunction) and testosterone levels and age in order to define symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds.MATERIALS AND METHODS• Serum samples for testosterone determination were obtained from 675 healthy men.• Participants underwent urological examination and completed the Aging Males Symptoms scale, the Beck Depression Index and the International Index of Erectile Function. Overall scores and those from individual questions from the questionnaires were evaluated.• Testosterone levels in men with symptoms were compared with those in men without symptoms.• The risks of clinical symptoms were evaluated using univariate, multiple multinomial regression analyses and Bonferroni correction.RESULTS• Significant associations between testosterone levels and a number of androgen deficiency symptoms were seen at testosterone levels of 13.5–14.4 nmol/L, but multiple logistic regression analysis revealed confounding effects with age.• Symptoms such as loss of libido, lack of vigour and sexual dysfunction were associated with age rather than with testosterone.• Erectile dysfunction was reported at testosterone levels between 14.65 nmol/L and 14.8 nmol/L, but was again significantly associated with age rather than testosterone levels.• The severity of symptoms significantly increased with decreasing testosterone levels using univariate analysis, but only the relationship with psychological symptoms remained significant after Bonferroni correction.CONCLUSION• In aging males, androgen deficiency symptoms were reported at normal levels of testosterone, but age was an important confounder. Symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds could not be defined.
Natural Resource Dependence and Economic Performance in the 1970–2000 Period
Authors: Mavrotas George , Murshed Syed Mansoob , Torres Sebastian 
Published: January 2011

AbstractWe look at the type of natural resource dependence and growth in developing countries. Certain natural resources called point‐source, such as oil and minerals, exhibit concentrated and capturable revenue patterns, while revenue flows from resources such as agriculture are more diffused. Developing countries that export the former type of products are regarded prone to growth failure due to institutional failure. We present an explicit model of growth collapse with micro‐foundations in rent‐seeking contests with increasing returns. Our econometric analysis is among the few in this literature with a panel data dimension. Point‐source‐type natural resource dependence does retard institutional development in both governance and democracy, which hampers growth. The resource curse, however, is more general and not simply confined to mineral exporters.
Destined to Receive: The Impact of Remittances on Household Decisions in Armenia
Authors: Grigorian David A. , Melkonyan Tigran A. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThe paper uses data from Armenia to test the implications of remittance flows on behavior of receiving households. We find that remittance‐receiving households work fewer hours and spend less on the education of their children. While saving more, these households are not leveraging their savings to borrow from the banking system to expand their business activities. This evidence suggests that the benefits of remittances might be overstated and emphasizes the importance of measuring their impact in a general‐ rather than a partial‐equilibrium context.
International Trade and Volume Patterns under Quasilinear Preferences
Authors: Dinopoulos Elias , Fujiwara Kenji , Shimomura Koji 
Published: January 2011

AbstractWe formally analyze the pattern and volume of trade by embedding quasilinear preferences in the standard perfectly competitive, two‐factor, two‐good, two‐country trade model. Quasilinear preferences deliver a natural partition of the two goods into a luxury and a necessity, and preserve the validity of the Heckscher–Ohlin and Heckscher–Ohlin–Vanek theorems. In addition, the predicted factor content of trade under quasilinear preferences is smaller (larger) than the predicted factor content of trade under homothetic preferences if and only if the luxury good is capital (labor) intensive. This result offers a novel explanation for the “missing‐trade” mystery.
Closing the Technology Gap?
Authors: Castellacci Fulvio 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThis paper focuses on the dimensions shaping the dynamics of technology. We present a model where the knowledge stock of a country grows over time as a function of three main factors: innovation intensity, technological infrastructures, and human capital. The latter two variables determine the absorptive capacity of a country as well as its innovative ability. We then carry out an empirical analysis that investigates the dynamics of technology in a large sample of economies in the last two‐decade period, and studies its relationships with income per capita growth. The results indicate that the cross‐country distributions of technological infrastructures and human capital have experienced a process of convergence, whereas the innovative intensity is characterized by increasing polarization between rich and poor economies. Thus, while the conditions for catching up have generally improved, the increasing innovation gap represents a major factor behind the observed differences in income per capita.
Towards a Phenomenology of Civil War: Hobbes Meets Benjamin in Beirut
Authors: DE CAUTER LIEVEN 
Published: January 2011

AbstractBased on interviews with Beirut intellectuals and architects, this essay endeavours to trace the contours for a phenomenology or anthropology of civil war. Thomas Hobbes serves as a guide, with his idea of civil war representing a relapse into the ‘state of nature’; as absence of sovereignty resulting in a ‘war of everybody against everybody’. The effects of ever‐latent civil war in Beirut are far‐reaching: the fragmentation of urban space and the disappearance of public space, the loss of memory and the fragmentation of time, even the reification of language. In the collective imagination and in the arts, Beirut appears as a ghost town, a spectral city with a spectral civility. What we discover is a city, its inhabitants, its social behaviour, but also its art and literature, in the grip of post‐traumatic stress syndrome. From all this, we take home two things: first, any city can (at least in principle) relapse into a similar state of nature — Beirut can become a paradigm of latent civil war; and second, the traumatic modernity of Beirut mirrors the traumatic artistic expressions of modernism — the shock of modernity is also always a modernity of shock.Résumé Ce texte, basé sur des interviews d'intellectuels et d'architectes beyrouthins, tente de délimiter une phénoménologie ou une anthropologie de la guerre civile. Thomas Hobbes en est le guide, avec l'idée de la guerre civile comme rechute dans «l'Etat de Nature», comme absence de souveraineté conduisant à la «guerre de tous contre tous». Les effets de la guerre civile, toujours latente à Beyrouth, sont très vastes: la fragmentation de l'espace urbain et la disparition de l'espace public, la perte de la mémoire et la fragmentation du temps, jusqu'à la réification du langage. Dans l'imagination collective et dans l'art, Beyrouth apparaît comme une ville fantôme, une cité spectrale avec une citoyenneté spectrale. Nous découvrons une ville, sa société, son art et sa littérature en proie à un syndrome de stress post‐traumatique. Tout cela nous conduit à deux conclusions: d'abord, toute ville peut, au moins en principe, retomber dans un tel Etat de Nature; Beyrouth peut devenir le paradigme d'une guerre civile latente. Ensuite: la modernité traumatisante de Beyrouth reflète les expressions artistiques traumatiques du modernisme; le choc de la modernité est aussi un modernisme du choc.
Increased blood oxidative stress in experimental menopause rat model: the effects of vitamin A low‐dose supplementation upon antioxidant status in bilateral ovariectomized rats
Authors: Behr Guilherme Antônio , Schnorr Carlos Eduardo , Moreira José Cláudio Fonseca 
Published: January 2011

AbstractMenopause has been reported to be associated with increased oxidative stress and metabolic disorders among women worldwide. Disarrangements in the redox state similar to those observed in women during the decline of ovarian hormonal activity can be obtained experimentally through rat bilateral ovariectomy. The search for alternative treatments to improve life quality in postmenopausal woman is really important. The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical and oxidative stress parameters that distinguish sham‐operated female rats from Wistar rats bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX). Additionally, we have also investigated the effects of retinol palmitate (a vitamin A supplement) low‐dose supplementation (500 or 1500 IU/kg/day, during 30 days) upon blood and plasma antioxidant status in OVX rats. Ovariectomy caused an increase in body weight gain, pronounced uterine atrophy, decreased plasma triglycerides and increased total cholesterol levels, and reduced acid uric content. Moreover, we found increased blood peroxidase activities (catalase and glutathione peroxidase), decreased plasma non‐enzymatic antioxidant defenses total reactive antioxidant potential and total antioxidant reactivity, decreased protein and non‐protein SH levels, accompanied by increased protein oxidative damage (carbonyl). In addition, vitamin A low‐dose supplementation was capable to ameliorate antioxidant status in OVX rats, restoring both enzymatic and non‐enzymatic defenses, promoting reduction in plasma SH content, and decreasing protein oxidative damage levels. This is the first work in the literature showing that vitamin A at low dose may be beneficial in the treatment of menopause symptoms. Further studies will be made to better understand the effects of vitamin A supplementation in menopause rat model.
Lesion border detection in dermoscopy images using dynamic programming
Authors: Abbas Qaisar , Celebi M. Emre , Fondón García Irene , Rashid Muhammad 
Published: January 2011

Background/purpose: Automated border detection is an important and challenging task in the computerized analysis of dermoscopy images. However, dermoscopic images often contain artifacts such as illumination, dermoscopic gel, and outline (hair, skin lines, ruler markings, and blood vessels). As a result, there is a need for robust methods to remove artifacts and detect lesion borders in dermoscopy images.Methods: This automated method consists of three main steps: (1) preprocessing, (2) edge candidate point detection, and (3) tumor outline delineation. First, algorithms to reduce artifacts were used. Second, a least‐squares method (LSM) was performed to acquire edge points. Third, dynamic programming (DP) technique was used to find the optimal boundary of the lesion. Statistical measures based on dermatologist‐drawn borders were utilized as ground‐truth to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.Results: The method is tested on a total of 240 dermoscopic images: 30 benign melanocytic, 50 malignant melanomas, 50 basal cell carcinomas, 20 Merkel cell carcinomas, 60 seborrheic keratosis, and 30 atypical naevi. We obtained mean border detection error of 8.6%, 5.04%, 9.0%, 7.02%, 2.01%, and 3.24%, respectively.Conclusions: The results demonstrate that border detection combined with artifact removal increases sensitivity and specificity for segmentation of lesions in dermoscopy images.
Evaluation of photoaging in facial skin by multiphoton laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Sugata Keiichi , Osanai Osamu , Sano Tomohiko , Takema Yoshinori 
Published: January 2011

Background/purpose: It has been reported that autofluorescence (AF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) generated in the upper dermis are related with skin photoaging. In this study, we assessed the photoaging of facial skin exposed to daily sunlight using in vivo multiphoton laser microscopy to measure AF and SHG.Methods: The intensities of AF and SHG in the upper dermis of cheek skin of 56 healthy volunteers aged 20–69 years were measured using a commercially available multiphoton laser microscope (DermaInspect®). Correlations between the photo‐signals and volunteer age were calculated.Results: The intensity of SHG and the SHG‐to‐AF aging index of dermis (SAAID) correlated significantly with age (r=−0.48, −0.67, respectively).Conclusion: Our results suggest that SHG and the SAAID index are useful indicators of facial skin aging in vivo.
Counselling of a couple faced with a prenatal diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome
Authors: Girardin Céline M , Van Vliet Guy 
Published: January 2011

AbstractWhen a prenatal diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is made, a couple is faced with an unfamiliar and unexpected diagnosis. The aim of this article is to give clues to prenatal counselling in this situation. The information provided to couples facing a prenatal diagnosis of KS should ideally be based on longitudinal studies of unselected individuals, including those diagnosed prenatally. Indeed, there are several reasons to think that the phenotype of individuals diagnosed prenatally is globally less severe than in those diagnosed postnatally.Based on these studies, the evidence to be explained to couples to help them make an informed decision about the pregnancy is the following: except for rather tall height, generally normal appearance throughout life; increased risk of learning disabilities; spontaneous puberty, reduced testicular size, usual need for testosterone supplementation from adolescence onward; increased risk of gynecomastia; sexual orientation similar to the general male population; infertility, but with the possibility of having biological offspring with assisted reproductive techniques.In this article, we review the evidence about the phenotype of KS according to the circumstances of diagnosis and its use in counselling couples faced with a prenatal diagnosis of this common condition.Conclusion:  Cohort studies including individuals with KS diagnosed prenatally are still lacking.
Safety Evaluations on Ethanolic Extract of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) in Mice
Authors: Thounaojam Menaka C. , Jadeja Ravirajsinh N. , Sankhari Jayanta M. , Devkar Ranjitsinh V. , Ramachandran A.V. 
Published: January 2011

Abstract:  The present study has carried out safety evaluations on an ethanolic extract of red cabbage (RC) leaves in terms of acute and subchronic oral toxicity tests as per Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines in Swiss albino mice. Single‐dose administration of RC extract (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 5000 mg/kg body weight) to Swiss albino mice did not manifest toxicity or any significant adverse behavioral alterations. Chronic administration of RC extract (1000, 2000, and 3000 mg/kg body weight) for 28 d also did not register any significant alterations in fluid intake, organ weights, plasma lipid profile, plasma creatine kinase‐MB, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, creatinine, electrolytes, and calcium levels, and the total blood count showed a nonsignificant change. However, significant reduction in body‐weight gain, food intake, red blood cell count, and hemoglobin content along with higher alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, and urea levels was observed in mice treated with 3000 mg/kg body weight for 28 d. Since there was no mortality up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight, 50% lethal dose (LD50) could not be determined, and hence, it can be assumed that, LD50 of RC extract is >5000 mg/kg. No observable adverse effect level dose of the RC extract was found to be 2000 mg/kg body weight. Hence, consumption of RC extract for various medicinal purposes is safe.Practical Application:  RC is a popularly consumed foodstuff that has been ubiquitously reported to exert medicinal properties. It is mandatory to understand the highest permissible consumption limit of any food supplement to avoid toxicity. This study establishes the safe dose of RC. These results can be of relevance for the scientific fraternity as well as laymen who consume this vegetable or its phytochemical preparation.
Growth Inhibition of Foodborne Pathogens by Kimchi Prepared with Bacteriocin‐Producing Starter Culture
Authors: Chang Ji Yoon , Chang Hae Choon 
Published: January 2011

Abstract:  Kimchi (starter kimchi) was prepared with Leuconostoc citreum GJ7, a bacteriocin producer, with the objective of preventing growth and/or survival of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus. Numbers of the pathogens inoculated to 5.41 to 5.63 log CFU/mL into the filtrate of freshly made starter kimchi remained stable for the first 12 h of incubation at 10 °C. Reductions of 2.69, 2.88, and 3.42 log CFU/mL were observed 48 h after inoculation with E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhi, and S. aureus, respectively. Use of the bacteriocin‐producing starter culture for kimchi fermentation significantly reduced the numbers of pathogens in the filtrate. Reductions of 3.85, 4.45, and 5.19 log CFU/mL were observed 48 h after inoculation for E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhi, and S. aureus, respectively. Presumably, the antimicrobial activity came from the ingredients of kimchi such as sulfur‐containing compounds, low pH (approximately pH 4.5) produced by the conversion of sugars into organic acids and the bacteriocins potentially produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as kimchicin GJ7. Together, these data suggest that addition of a starter culture capable of producing bacteriocins could serve as a strategy to protect the fermented product from delivering pathogens upon consumption and that the kimchi filtrate itself may be used as a food preservative.Practical Application:  The adaptation of the starter fermentation into kimchi induced a faster die off of the pathogens as compared to natural fermentation. The in situ bateriocin‐production by Leuc. citreum GJ7 in kimchi would act with antimicrobial kimchi ingredients in a synergistic manner to protect the fermented product from delivering pathogens upon consumption.
Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activity of 8 Varieties of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Sprouts and Mature Taproots
Authors: Hanlon Paul R. , Barnes David M. 
Published: January 2011

Abstract:  Radishes (Raphanus sativus L.) are members of the cruciferous vegetable family that contain many classes of biologically active phytochemicals. This study determined the phytochemical composition of the sprouts and mature taproots of 8 radish varieties. Radish sprouts contained significantly greater concentrations of glucosinolates (3.8‐fold) and isothiocyanates (8.2‐fold) than the mature radish taproot and also contained significantly greater concentrations of phenolics (on average 6.9‐fold). The anthocyanin concentrations of the mature radish taproot were significantly greater than in the sprouts of red, pink, and purple varieties. The primary anthocyanidins present in the red and pink radish varieties were pelargonidin and delphinidin, while the primary anthocyanidin in the purple radish variety was cyanidin. Radish sprouts were between 9‐ and 59‐fold more potent than the corresponding mature taproot at activating the antioxidant response element (ARE) in a stably transfected hepatoma cell line. The ARE activity of the radish sprouts and mature taproots was significantly correlated with the total isothiocyanate concentration of the radishes.Practical Application:  Understanding the influence variety and developmental stage has on the biological activity of cruciferous vegetables provides important information for further studies examining the in vivo effects of radish treatment and foundation for providing recommendations to reduce the risk of chronic disease through dietary intervention.
Interference of Vaccination against Bluetongue Virus Serotypes 1 and 8 with Serological Diagnosis of Small-Ruminant Lentivirus Infection
Authors: Valas Stephen , Le Ven Alain , Croise Benoit , Maquigneau Maud , Perrin Cécile 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTThe effects of the recent vaccinations against bluetongue virus serotype 1 (BTV-1) and BTV-8 in Europe on the reliability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) currently used for diagnosis of small-ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection were examined. Primary vaccination against BTV-8 in goats induced an increase in reactivity that did not exceed 3 months in a whole-virus indirect ELISA and a competitive ELISA based on the gp135 glycoprotein. Subsequent BTV-1/8 vaccination extended the time scale of false-positive reactivity for up to 6 months. These results are of relevance for SRLV-monitoring programs.
Early Immune Markers Associated withMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisInfection in a Neonatal Calf Model
Authors: Stabel J. R. , Robbe-Austerman S. 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to observe early markers of cell-mediated immunity in naïve calves infected withMycobacterium aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisand how expression of these markers evolved over the 12-month period of infection. Groups for experimental infection included control (noninfected), oral (infected orally withM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisstrain K-10), oral/DXM (pretreatment with dexamethasone before oral inoculation), intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation, and oral/M (oral inoculation with mucosal scrapings from a cow with clinical disease) groups. One of the earliest markers to emerge was antigen-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Only i.p. inoculated calves had detectable antigen-specific IFN-γ responses at 7 days, with responses of the other infection groups becoming detectable at 90 and 120 days. All infection groups maintained robust IFN-γ responses for the remainder of the study. At 1 month, calves in the oral and oral/M groups had higher antigen-stimulated interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels than calves in the other treatment groups, but IL-10 secretion declined by 12 months for all calves. T-cell activation markers such as CD25, CD26, CD45RO, and CD5 were significantly upregulated in infected calves compared to noninfected controls. Oral inoculation of calves resulted in significantly increased antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation at 9 and 12 months, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) secretion at 6 and 12 months. These results demonstrate that infection of naïve calves withM. aviumsubsp.paratuberculosisinvoked early immunologic responses characterized by robust antigen-specific IFN-γ responses and induction of CD25 and CD45RO expression on T-cell subsets. These were followed by antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation, iNOS secretion, and expression of CD26 and CD5brightmarkers in the latter part of the 12-month study.