bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diet supplementation with green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate prevents progression to glucose intolerance in db/db mice
Authors: Ortsäter Henrik , Grankvist Nina , Wolfram Swen , Kuehn Nicolas , Sjöholm Åke 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
Green tea was suggested as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetes more than 70 years ago, but the mechanisms behind its antidiabetic effect remains elusive. In this work, we address this issue by feeding a green tea extract (TEAVIGO™) with a high content of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or the thiazolidinedione PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone, as positive control, to db/db mice, an animal model for diabetes.

Methods
Young (7 week-old) db/db mice were randomized and assigned to receive diets supplemented with or without EGCG or rosiglitazone for 10 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, body weight and food intake was measured along the treatment. Glucose and insulin levels were determined during an oral glucose tolerance test after 10 weeks of treatment. Pancreata were sampled at the end of the study for blinded histomorphometric analysis. Islets were isolated and their mRNA expression analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR.

Results
The results show that, in db/db mice, EGCG improves glucose tolerance and increases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. EGCG supplementation reduces the number of pathologically changed islets of Langerhans, increases the number and the size of islets, and heightens pancreatic endocrine area. These effects occurred in parallel with a reduction in islet endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, possibly linked to the antioxidative capacity of EGCG.

Conclusions
This study shows that the green tea extract EGCG markedly preserves islet structure and enhances glucose tolerance in genetically diabetic mice. Dietary supplementation with EGCG could potentially contribute to nutritional strategies for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Elucidating the role of ferrous ion cocatalyst in enhancing dilute acid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass
Authors: Wei Hui , Donohoe Bryon S , Vinzant Todd B , Ciesielski Peter N , Wang Wei , Gedvilas Lynn M , Zeng Yining , Johnson David K , Ding Shi-You , Himmel Michael E , Tucker Melvin P 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackgroundRecently developed iron cocatalyst enhancement of dilute acid pretreatment of biomass is a promising approach for enhancing sugar release from recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass. However, very little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this enhancement. In the current study, our aim was to identify several essential factors that contribute to ferrous ion-enhanced efficiency during dilute acid pretreatment of biomass and to initiate the investigation of the mechanisms that result in this enhancement.ResultsDuring dilute acid and ferrous ion cocatalyst pretreatments, we observed concomitant increases in solubilized sugars in the hydrolysate and reducing sugars in the (insoluble) biomass residues. We also observed enhancements in sugar release during subsequent enzymatic saccharification of iron cocatalyst-pretreated biomass. Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy showed that major peaks representing the C-O-C and C-H bonds in cellulose are significantly attenuated by iron cocatalyst pretreatment. Imaging using Prussian blue staining indicated that Fe2+ions associate with both cellulose/xylan and lignin in untreated as well as dilute acid/Fe2+ion-pretreated corn stover samples. Analyses by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed structural details of biomass after dilute acid/Fe2+ion pretreatment, in which delamination and fibrillation of the cell wall were observed.ConclusionsBy using this multimodal approach, we have revealed that (1) acid-ferrous ion-assisted pretreatment increases solubilization and enzymatic digestion of both cellulose and xylan to monomers and (2) this pretreatment likely targets multiple chemistries in plant cell wall polymer networks, including those represented by the C-O-C and C-H bonds in cellulose.
An immunocompetent migrant presenting with neurosyphilis with an unusual unilateral papillitis: a case report
Authors: Turchetti Paolo , Pacella Fernanda , Pacella Elena , Mirisola Concetta , Uccella Ilaria 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Unilateral papillitis caused by Treponema pallidum was found in an immunocompetent homosexual patient with severe vision loss who had received previous antibiotics treatment. Syphilis-related ocular manifestation is more common in the early stages of the disease and it can be associated with a central nervous system localization. In this patient, neurosyphilis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Optical examination revealed unilateral papillitis in the left eye and no relative afferent pupillary defects. The patient underwent visual field examinations with conventional perimetry using the 30-2 program of the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, which indicated a blind spot enlargement in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography, visual evoked potentials (VEP), and fluorescein angiograms revealed inflammation of the optic nerve head with edematous and blurred margins. A reactive T. pallidum hemagglutination assay with low rapid plasma reagin (RPR) serum titer was performed; an HIV antibody test and MRI of the orbits and head with contrast gave negative results. Resolution of the ocular inflammation after intravenous penicillin treatment was obtained. The reported case illustrates the importance of early recognition of this treatable disease. The rise of syphilis, especially in urban areas, necessitates a high level of suspicion when dealing with patients with intraocular inflammation of unknown origin. Lues serology should be incorporated into routine laboratory diagnostics to aid in the detection of such cases. Considering the re-emergence of syphilis, screening of migrants from countries with high syphilis seroprevalences should be recommended.
First-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer With Sunitinib in Combination With Docetaxel Versus Docetaxel Alone: Results of a Prospective, Randomized Phase III Study
Authors: Bergh Jonas , Bondarenko Igor M. , Lichinitser Mikhail R. , Liljegren Annelie , Greil Richard , Voytko Nataliya L. , Makhson Anatoly N. , Cortes Javier , Lortholary Alain , Bischoff Joachim , Chan Arlene , Delaloge Suzette , Huang Xin , Kern Kenneth A. , Giorgetti Carla 
Published: February 2012

Purpose To investigate whether sunitinib plus docetaxel improves clinical outcomes for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu–negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) versus docetaxel alone. Patients and Methods In this phase III study, patients were randomly assigned to open-label combination therapy (sunitinib 37.5 mg/d, days 2 to 15 every 3 weeks; and docetaxel 75 mg/m2, day 1 every 3 weeks) or monotherapy (docetaxel 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary end point. Results Two hundred ninety-six patients were randomly assigned to combination therapy, and 297 patients were assigned to monotherapy. Median PFS times were 8.6 and 8.3 months with combination therapy and monotherapy, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.92; one-sided P = .265). The objective response rate (ORR) was significantly higher with the combination (55%) than with monotherapy (42%; one-sided P = .001). Duration of response was similar in both arms (7.5 months with the combination v 7.2 months with monotherapy). Median overall survival (OS) times were 24.8 and 25.5 months with combination therapy and monotherapy, respectively (one-sided P = .904). There were 107 deaths with the combination and 91 deaths with monotherapy. The frequency of common adverse events (AEs) was higher with the combination, as were treatment discontinuations caused by AEs. Conclusion The combination of sunitinib plus docetaxel improved ORR but did not prolong either PFS or OS compared with docetaxel alone when given to an unselected HER2/neu-negative cohort as first-line treatment for ABC. Sunitinib combination therapy may also have resulted in AEs that yield an unfavorable risk-benefit ratio. The sunitinib-docetaxel regimen evaluated in this study is not recommended for further use in ABC.
Identifying a novel functional domain within the p115 tethering factor required for Golgi ribbon assembly and membrane trafficking
Authors: Grabski Robert , Balklava Zita , Wyrozumska Paulina , Szul Tomasz , Brandon Elizabeth , Alvarez Cecilia , Holloway Zoe G. , Sztul Elizabeth 
Published: February 2012

The tethering factor p115 has been shown to facilitate Golgi biogenesis and membrane traffic in cells in culture. However, the role of p115 within an intact animal is largely unknown. Here, we document that RNAi-mediated depletion of p115 in C. elegans causes accumulation of the yolk protein (YP170) in body cavity and the retention of the yolk receptor RME-2 in the ER and the Golgi within oocytes.
Structure-function analyses of p115 have identified two homology (H1-2) regions within the N-terminal globular head and the coiled-coil 1 (CC1) domain as essential for p115 function. We identify a novel C-terminal domain of p115 as necessary for Golgi ribbon formation and cargo trafficking. We show that p115 mutants lacking the fourth CC domain (CC4) act in a dominant negative manner to disrupt Golgi and prevent cargo trafficking in cells containing endogenous p115. Furthermore, using RNAi-mediated "replacement" strategy we show that CC4 is necessary for Golgi ribbon formation and membrane trafficking in cells depleted of endogenous p115.
p115 has been shown to bind a subset of ER-Golgi SNAREs through CC1 and CC4 domains (Shorter et al., 2002). Our findings show that CC4 is required for p115 function and suggest that both the CC1 and the CC4 SNARE-binding motifs may participate in p115-mediated membrane tethering.
Consistency Judgments, Embeddedness, and Relationship Outcomes in Interorganizational Networks
Authors: Sa Vinhas Alberto , Heide Jan B. , Jap Sandy D. 
Published: February 2012

Past research has shown how outcomes in interorganizational relationships are influenced by the characteristics of the individual relationship in question. Focusing on relationships between suppliers and their organizational buyers, we augment this perspective by positing that relationship outcomes are also influenced by social comparison processes involving perceptions of a supplier's practices across comparable buyer relationships. Based on past research on embedded ties and institutional theory, we propose that the effect of these comparison processes depends on the nature of a buyer's existing interorganizational ties and on the norms that are brought to bear on the relationship in question. We test our propositions based on 788 observations of organizational buyers who have relationships with the same supplier. Our findings paint a complex, multilevel picture of the process by which relationship outcomes come about in interorganizational networks.This paper was accepted by Jesper Sørensen, organizations.
Streaks in Earnings Surprises and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns
Authors: Loh Roger K. , Warachka Mitch 
Published: February 2012

The gambler's fallacy [Rabin, M. 2002. Inference by believers in the law of small numbers. Quart. J. Econom. 117(3) 775–816] predicts that trends bias investor expectations. Consistent with this prediction, we find that investors underreact to streaks of consecutive earnings surprises with the same sign. When the most recent earnings surprise extends a streak, post-earnings-announcement drift is strong and significant. In contrast, the drift is negligible following the termination of a streak. Indeed, streaks explain about half of the post-earnings-announcement drift in our sample. Our results are robust to more general definitions of trends than streaks and a battery of control variables including the magnitude of earnings surprises and their autocorrelation. Overall, post-earnings-announcement drift has a significant time-series component that is consistent with the gambler's fallacy. This paper was accepted by Wei Xiong, finance.
Variation in Teen Driver Education by State Requirements and Sociodemographics
Authors: Curry Allison E. , García-España J. Felipe , Winston Flaura K. , Ginsburg Kenneth , Durbin Dennis R. 
Published: February 2012

OBJECTIVES:
There is renewed attention on national standardization of formal driver education (DE) instruction and momentum toward realigning DE with its original goal of producing safer teen drivers. However, teen DE participation rates and how they differ among sociodemographic groups and in states with and without DE requirements remain largely unknown. Thus, our objective was to estimate national teen participation rates in formal classroom and behind-the-wheel DE instruction in relevant demographic subgroups and also estimate subgroup-specific participation rates by presence of a state DE requirement.

METHODS:
Data were collected via the National Young Driver Survey, administered to a nationally representative sample of 5665 public school 9th- through 11th-graders in Spring 2006. Analyses were restricted to 1770 students with driver licenses. Survey data were weighted to reflect national prevalence estimates.

RESULTS:
Overall, 78.8% of students reported participating in formal DE. However, in states without DE requirements, more than 1 in 3 students had no formal DE before licensure, and more than half had no behind-the-wheel training. Hispanics, blacks, males, and students with lower academic achievement participated in DE at markedly lower levels than counterparts in states with requirements. Notably, 71% of Hispanic students in states with no requirement received a license without receiving formal DE.

CONCLUSIONS:
Considerable racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender disparities in DE participation may exist in states with no DE requirements. State DE requirements may be an effective strategy to reduce these disparities.
In situ Structural Study of Organic Semiconductor Thin Films
Authors: Hosokai Takuya , Watanabe Takeshi , Koganezawa Tomoyuki , Ackermann Jorg , Brisset Hugues , Videlot-Ackermann Christine , Yoshimoto Noriyuki 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTA new class of high-vacuum organic deposition chamber was developed to study the structure and growth of organic semiconductor thin films. Using the chamber in situ real-time 2-dimensional grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (2D-GIXD) was measured during thin film growth of distyryl-oligothiophenes derivatives (DS2T) on SiO2 surface. An evolution of 2D-GIXD pattern was clearly observed during the growth due to the crystallization of the molecular domains consisting of standing-up orientation. A theoretical simulation on the experimental 2D-GIXD map provided a potential use of this system to determine the unit cell parameters in thin films. Thickness dependence and influence of air exposure on the film structure were also studied.
Carrier Transport Dependence on Phosphorescent Materials in Polymer Based OLEDs
Authors: Motomura Genichi , Suzuki Mitsunori , Shimizu Takahisa , Fujikake Hideo 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTThe carrier transport properties in the emissive layer of phosphorescent polymer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were observed by time-of-flight (TOF) mobility measurements. The hole and electron mobilities in carrier transport polymer without iridium complexes were measured with high levels, 3 × 10-4 cm2/Vs (hole) and 1 × 10-3 cm2/Vs (electron), of non-dispersive transport. The hole and/or electron transport properties were degraded when the iridium complexes were included in the phosphorescent polymers. The complexes acted as a trap in the phosphorescent polymers when the energy levels of the iridium complexes were lower than that of the carrier transport polymer.
Effects of one-week versus one-day preoperative treatment with topical 1% prednisolone acetate in dogs undergoing phacoemulsification
Authors: McLean Nancy J. , Ward Daniel A. , Hendrix Diane V. H. , Vaughn Rachel K. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Objective—To compare the effects of 2 preoperative anti-inflammatory regimens on intraocular inflammation following phacoemulsification.
Design—Randomized controlled trial
Animals—21 dogs with immature cataracts.
Procedures—All dogs had cataract surgery via phacoemulsification, and most received prosthetic intraocular lenses. Dogs were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A dogs were treated topically with prednisolone acetate for 7 days prior to surgery, whereas prednisolone acetate treatment commenced the evening prior to surgery in group B dogs. Postoperative care was identical for both groups. Blood-aqueous barrier breakdown was quantified by use of anterior chamber fluorophotometry, with fluorescein entry into the anterior chamber measured 2 and 9 days after surgery compared with baseline scans obtained prior to surgery. Ophthalmic examinations were performed before surgery and 1 day, 9 days, 3 weeks, 7 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. A subjective inflammation score was established at each examination. Intraocular pressures were measured 4 and 8 hours after surgery and at each follow-up examination.
Results—There was no difference in the extent of blood-aqueous barrier disruption between the groups at 2 or 9 days after surgery. Subjective inflammation scores were also similar at most time points. Dogs in group A developed postoperative ocular hypertension at a higher frequency (60%) than did those in group B (18%).
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In dogs that underwent cataract surgery via phacoemulsification, a full week of topical prednisolone acetate treatment prior to surgery did not decrease postoperative inflammation, compared with commencement of topical prednisolone acetate treatment the evening prior to surgery, and was associated with a greater incidence of postoperative ocular hypertension.
Knowledge-Intensive Services in Slovakia from the Viewpoint of Innovation and Labour Productivity
Authors: Lattová Dorota 
Published: February 2012

Knowledge-Intensive Services in Slovakia from the Viewpoint of Innovation and Labour Productivity
The article deals with current issues of innovation and labour productivity in knowledge-intensive services in Slovakia compared to less knowledge-intensive services. The aim of the article is to identify innovation activity of enterprises in selected branches of service sector as one of the key factors affecting labour productivity which influences competitiveness of individual enterprises as well as competitiveness of the national economy as a whole.
Multisensory Environment and Sensory Deprivation in the Treatment of Reception Defects
Authors: Kosmály Peter 
Published: February 2012

Multisensory Environment and Sensory Deprivation in the Treatment of Reception Defects
This article deals with two types of alternative therapy and treatment methods. They are considered to be used in media education, in the treatment of reception defects, such as abuse, narcosis, neurosis, frustration, fetishism and superimposition. Purpose of this article is to summarize and discuss not only these media reality reception defects, but also to object them in two ways - multisensory environment within special pedagogic treatment, sensory deprivation within alternative psychiatric therapy (dark therapy, chamber and floating tanks, meditation, holotropic breathing, neuro-linguistic programming, etc.). Methodology in this study is to consider them as using media in the way of organic reception and therefore included in media anthropology, education and ethics. Within media reality a system reception feedback is needed, therefore the method "anything goes" for this use is explained. The aim of this article is to bind alternative media based methods with the research of reception of the media reality and the outstanding media anthropological issues: therapy, education, ethics, philosophy, etc. The scientific aim not only of this study, but also of author's whole work is to sustain the whole - media anthropological view - by using partial methods for media reality analysis and proving its relevance in disputing other theories being enclosed within media discourse. Also the ethics - code of dealing with technological extensions of human competence - the media - is a part of the organic reception. As the conclusion a need of such kind of research, education and treatment is objected and the examples of author's effort are explained. There is strongly recommended to create and use other media anthropology based equipment: Hitchhiker's Guide to Media Reality, A Chronicle of Abused media, blogs, a textbook, etc.
Glacier mass loss induced the rapid growth of Linggo Co on the central Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Lei Yanbin , Yao Tandong , Yi Chaolu , Wang Weicai , Sheng Yongwei , Li Junli , Joswiak Daniel 
Published: February 2012

AbstractRemote-sensing and GIS techniques in conjunction with field investigations show how glacier mass loss has led to the rapid growth of Linggo Co, a glacier-fed lake on the central Tibetan Plateau, which has expanded by 21.3% in area between 1974 and 2010, with a lake-level rise of ˜11.2m. The lake volume of Linggo Co increased at a rate of 0.02 × 106, 42.67 × 106 and 65.8 × I06m3a-1 during the periods 1974-92, 1992-99 and 1999-2010, respectively. Other nonglacier-fed lakes in the vicinity (i.e. Longwei Co, Amur Co and Darngo Co Ngion) shrank considerably from the early 1970s to 1992 and then expanded from 1992 to 2010. Despite being in the same climate region, Linggo Co and the non-glacier-fed lakes have differed in response to climate change. The glaciers in the catchment of Linggo Co retreated by 2.4% in area between 1974 and 2007, and their mean thickness decreased by 6.19 ± 1.91 m between 1974 and 2000, with an associated glacier meltwater runoff of (7.52 ± 2.32) × 108 m3. The results indicate that glacier mass loss had a significant impact on the growth of Linggo Co over the past 40 years.
Parallel finite-element implementation for higher-order ice-sheet models
Authors: Perego Mauro , Gunzburger Max , Burkardt John 
Published: February 2012

AbstractHigher-order models represent a computationally less expensive alternative to the Stokes model for ice-sheet modeling. In this work, we develop linear and quadratic finite-element methods, implemented on parallel architectures, for the three-dimensional first-order model of Dukowicz and others (2010) that is based on the Blatter-Pattyn model, and for the depth-integrated model of Schoof and Hindmarsh (2010). We then apply our computational models to three of the ISMIP-HOM benchmark test cases (Pattyn and others, 2008). We compare results obtained from our models with those obtained using a reliable Stokes computational model, showing that our first-order model implementation produces reliable and accurate solutions for almost all characteristic length scales of the test geometries considered. Good agreement with the reference Stokes solution is also obtained by our depth-integrated model implementation in fast-sliding regimes and for medium to large length scales. We also provide a comprehensive comparison between results obtained from our first-order model implementation and implementations developed by ISMIP-HOM participants; this study shows that our implementation is at least as good as the previous ones. Finally, a comparison between linear and quadratic finite- element approximations is carried out, showing, as expected, the better accuracy of the quadratic finite-element method.