bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of once weekly dual‐task training in older adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Plummer‐D'Amato Prudence , Cohen Zachary , Daee Nadia A , Lawson Sarah E , Lizotte Marissa R , Padilla Anna 
Published: February 2012

Aim:  To compare single‐task and dual‐task training on obstacle avoidance, gait speed and balance in healthy community‐dwelling older adults.Methods:  A total of 17 older adults (65–83 years) participated in a group circuit class, once weekly for 45 min for 4 weeks. The dual‐task group carried out cognitive activities simultaneously with gait and balance exercises. The single‐task training group carried out identical gait and balance activities without cognitive tasks. We assessed time to complete a 6‐m obstacle course under single‐task and three different dual‐task conditions (spontaneous speech, alphabet recitation and coin transfer), 25‐ft gait speed, Timed Up and Go, and the Activities‐specific Balance Confidence Scale.Results:  Both groups showed significant improvement in gait speed and Timed Up and Go. In addition, the proportion of participants who achieved gait speed >1.0 m/s increased in both groups. There were no within‐ or between‐subjects differences in obstacle course performance under single or dual‐task conditions after the intervention.Conclusion:  Once weekly group circuit training focusing on balance, gait and agility, with or without simultaneous cognitive tasks, resulted in significantly improved walking speed among older adults. Group‐format dual‐task training once per week did not improve walking time or dual‐task cost on an obstacle negotiation task. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.
Both conventional indices of cognitive function and frailty predict levels of care required in a long‐term care insurance program for memory clinic patients in Japan
Authors: Takechi Hajime , Sugihara Yuriko , Kokuryu Atsuko , Nishida Maiko , Yamada Hiroko , Arai Hidenori , Hamakawa Yoshiyuki 
Published: February 2012

Aim:  To delineate relationships among cognitive function, frailty and level of care required in the Japanese long‐term care insurance program (LTCIP) in outpatient memory clinic patients.Methods:  This was a cross‐sectional study carried out at an outpatient memory clinic. Participants were 201 cognitively impaired patients. Cognitive function was measured by the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). Frailty was measured by Timed Up & Go (TUG) and grip strength. Waist circumference, body mass index, living arrangement and level of care required in the LTCIP (rank 1 minor disability to rank 7 severe disability) were also assessed.Results:  Mean age, MMSE score, TUG score and grip strength were 78.8 ± 6.9 years, 19.6 ± 6.1, 14.6 ± 6.7 s and 16.9 ± 7.5 kg, respectively. A total of 70 patients (34.8%) had not applied for the certification, at least in part because of their younger age and existence of family caregivers. LTCIP rank was correlated both with MMSE score (β: −0.49, P = 0.001), grip strength (β: −0.27, P = 0.005) and living alone (β: −0.18, P = 0.03), but not with TUG score (β: 0.14, P = 0.105).Conclusion:  In outpatients of a memory clinic, care ranks, which define the upper limit of monthly benefit in the Japanese LTCIP, were influenced by age, cognitive function, frailty and living arrangements. Understanding the relationship among these parameters would be useful in predicting the needs of cognitively impaired patients and important when comparing the possible services provided by long‐term care systems for them worldwide. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.
Interactions of odorants with olfactory receptors and receptor neurons match the perceptual dynamics observed for woody and fruity odorant mixtures
Authors: Chaput M. A. , El Mountassir F. , Atanasova B. , Thomas‐Danguin T. , Le Bon A. M. , Perrut A. , Ferry B. , Duchamp‐Viret P. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe present study aimed to create a direct bridge between observations on peripheral and central responses to odorant mixtures and their components. Three experiments were performed using mixtures of fruity (isoamyl acetate; ISO) and woody (whiskey lactone; WL) odorants known to contribute to some of the major notes in Burgundy red wine. These experiments consisted of (i) calcium imaging of human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T) transfected with olfactory receptors (ORs); (ii) single‐unit electrophysiological recordings from olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and analyses of electro‐olfactogram (EOG) responses in the rat nose in vivo; and (iii) psychophysical measurements of the perceived intensity of the mixtures as rated by human subjects. The calcium imaging and electrophysiological results revealed that ISO and WL can act simultaneously on single ORs or ORNs and confirm that receptor responses to mixtures are not the result of a simple sum of the effects of the individual mixture compounds. The addition of WL to ISO principally suppressed the ORN activation induced by ISO alone and was found to enhance this activation in a subset of cases. In the human studies, the addition of high concentrations of WL to ISO decreased the perceived intensity of the ISO. In contrast, the addition of low concentrations of WL enhanced the perceived intensity of the fruity note (ISO) in this mixture, as it enhanced EOG responses in ORNs. Thus, both OR and ORN responses to ISO + WL mixtures faithfully reflected perceptual response changes, so the odour mixture information is set up after the peripheral stage of the olfactory system.
Early olfactory experience induces structural changes in the primary olfactory center of an insect brain
Authors: Arenas A. , Giurfa M. , Sandoz J. C. , Hourcade B. , Devaud J. M. , Farina W. M. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe antennal lobe (AL) is the first olfactory center of the insect brain and is constituted of different functional units, the glomeruli. In the AL, odors are coded as spatiotemporal patterns of glomerular activity. In honeybees, olfactory learning during early adulthood modifies neural activity in the AL on a long‐term scale and also enhances later memory retention. By means of behavioral experiments, we first verified that olfactory learning between the fifth and eighth day of adulthood induces better retention performances at a late adult stage than the same experience acquired before or after this period. We checked that the specificity of memory for the odorants used was improved. We then studied whether such early olfactory learning also induces long‐term structural changes in the AL consistent with the formation of long‐term olfactory memories. We also measured the volume of 15 identified glomeruli in the ALs of 17‐day‐old honeybees that either experienced an odor associated with sucrose solution between the fifth and eighth day of adulthood or were left untreated. We found that early olfactory experience induces glomerulus‐selective increases in volume that were specific to the learned odor. By comparing our volumetric measures with calcium‐imaging recordings from a previous study, performed in 17‐day‐old bees subjected to the same treatment and experimental conditions, we found that glomeruli that showed structural changes after early learning were those that exhibited a significant increase in neural activity. Our results make evident a correlation between structural and functional changes in the AL following early olfactory learning.
Inactivation of the central nucleus of the amygdala reduces the effect of punishment on cocaine self‐administration in rats
Authors: Xue YueQiang , Steketee Jeffery D. , Sun WenLin 
Published: February 2012

AbstractContinued cocaine use despite the negative consequences is a hallmark of cocaine addiction. One such consequence is punishment, which is often used by society to curb cocaine use. Unfortunately, we know little about the mechanism involved in regulation by punishment of cocaine use. The fact that cocaine addicts continue to use cocaine despite potentially severe punishment suggests that the mechanism may be impaired. Such impairment is expected to critically contribute to compulsive cocaine use. This study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeN) plays a critical role in such regulation. To this end, rats were trained to press a lever to self‐administer cocaine under a chained schedule: a response on one lever (cocaine‐seeking lever) led to access to the other lever (cocaine‐taking lever), on which a response was reinforced by cocaine and cues. Thereafter, responses on the seeking lever were punished by footshock with a probability of 0.5. Cocaine self‐administration (SA) was significantly suppressed by punishment in an intensity‐dependent manner. Interestingly, rats trained with daily 6‐h (extended access) but not 2‐h (limited access) sessions showed resistance to the lower intensity of punishment. Inactivation of the CeN induced a robust anti‐punishment effect in both groups. These data provided evidence that the CeN is a critical neural substrate involved in regulation by punishment of cocaine SA. Rats with a history of extended cocaine SA appeared to be less sensitive to punishment. The decreased sensitivity could result from the neuroplastic changes induced by extended cocaine SA in the CeN.
Double stapled haemorrhoidopexy for haemorrhoidal prolapse: indications, feasibility and safety
Authors: Stuto A. , Favero A. , Cerullo G. , Braini A. , Narisetty P. , Tosolini G. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAim  Selected patients with haemorrhoidal prolapse undergoing double stapled anopexy with the procedure for prolapse and haemorrhoids (PPH03) were studied.Method  Between March 2007 and March 2010, 235 patients referred with haemorrhoids were included in the study. Patients with obstructed defaecation were excluded. At surgery intraoperative evaluation for double stapled anopexy was carried out based on the criteria of prolapse occupying half or more of the anal circumference and redundant prolapsed tissue determined by the circular anal dilator. Patients fulfilling these criteria were submitted for double stapled anopexy with the PPH03 stapler. All clinical and operative data were recorded in a prospectively maintained database.Results  Among the 142 patients with haemorrhoidal prolapse having surgery 91 had a single and 51 a double stapled technique. The mean operative time was 34.8 min with no major or minor intraoperative complications. Recurrence at 48 months was 1.9% and the mean satisfaction score was 8.9.Conclusion  The double stapled PPH03 technique in selected cases was as safe and effective as a single stapling technique with a lower incidence of recurrence over a medium‐term follow‐up.
Orobothriurus (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) phylogeny, Andean biogeography, and the relative importance of genitalic and somatic characters
Authors: Mattoni Camilo I. , Ochoa José A. , Ojanguren Affilastro Andrés A. , Prendini Lorenzo 
Published: February 2012

Mattoni, C.I., Ochoa, J.A., Ojanguren Affilastro, A.A. & Prendini, L. (2012) Orobothriurus (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) phylogeny, Andean biogeography, and the relative importance of genitalic and somatic characters. —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 160–176.The genus Orobothriurus Maury, 1976 (Bothriuridae Simon, 1880) displays an Andean pattern of distribution, most of its species occurring at high altitudes (over 2000–2500 m to a maximum altitude record of 4910 m) from central Peru to Argentina. The recent discovery of several new species and the uncertain phylogenetic position of Orobothriurus lourencoi Ojanguren Affilastro, 2003, required a reanalysis of Orobothriurus phylogeny. Thirty bothriurid taxa, including all species of Orobothriurus and Pachakutej Ochoa, 2004, were scored for 65 morphological characters and analysed with parsimony under equal and implied weighting. The resulting topology justifies the establishment of a new genus, RumikiruOjanguren Affilastro et al., in press, for O. lourencoi and a closely related, new species, Rumikiru atacamaOjanguren Affilastro et al., in press. It also offers new insights about the phylogeny and biogeography of Orobothriurus and related genera. Characters from the male genitalia (i.e. hemispermatophore), comprising approximately 26% of the morphological matrix, were found to be less homoplastic than those from somatic morphology, contradicting suggestions that genitalia are uninformative or potentially misleading in phylogenetic studies.
Conversion rates of abstracts presented at the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting into full‐text journal articles
Authors: Yoon Peter D. , Chalasani Venu , Woo Henry H. 
Published: February 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?It is well known that the transition of a presented abstract in a scientific meeting to a journal article improves the quality of the meeting and prevents an abstract being incorporated into meta‐analyses or practice guidelines without proper appraisal.This is the first analysis of USANZ Annual Scientific Meeting abstracts’ conversion to full publication. With relatively low publication rates compared to other international meetings, this review identifies the need for mechanisms to encourage USANZ researchers to convert their abstracts into published articles.The numbers and characteristics of the abstracts presented at the Annual Scientific Meetings (ASM) of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) that are converted to peer‐reviewed publications have not previously been analysed and published. We undertook a review of all abstracts presented at the USANZ ASM from 2005 to 2009. A PubMed search was performed between 15 June and 15 July 2012, using a search algorithm to identify the full‐text publications of the presented abstracts. Correlation between abstract characteristics and publication rate was then examined to distinguish the predictors for publications. Of 614 abstracts that were presented at USANZ ASM between 2005 and 2009, 183 papers were published, giving a publication rate of 29.80%. The papers were predominantly published in urological journals and were more likely to be published if they were presented by an international author or were retrospective studies or if basic science research. The mean (SD) time to publication was 14.46 (13.89) months and the mean Impact Factor of journals where papers were published was 2.90. The overall publication rate was relatively low compared with other urological meetings held in America and Europe. USANZ has a challenge of encouraging higher‐quality research from the authors to further enhance its publication rate and consequently the calibre of the meeting itself.
Assessment tools of energy balance‐related behaviours used in European obesity prevention strategies: review of studies during preschool
Authors: Mouratidou T. , Mesana M. I. , Manios Y. , Koletzko B. , Chinapaw M. J. M. , De Bourdeaudhuij I. , Socha P. , Iotova V. , Moreno L. A. ,   ToyBox‐study group
Published: February 2012

SummaryValid and reliable measures of energy balance‐related behaviours are required when evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions aiming at prevention of childhood obesity. A structured descriptive review was performed to appraise food intake, physical activity and sedentary behaviour assessment tools used in obesity intervention strategies targeting mainly preschool children across Europe. In total, 25 papers are described, addressing energy balance‐related behaviours as study outcomes and targeting individuals or clusters of individuals at school‐ or home‐based environment. Parentally reported food records and 24‐h recalls were commonly used to assess food intake. Subjective levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour were commonly accessed via parentally reported questionnaires. Accelerometry was used to obtain objective measures of physical activity. Insufficient evidence of tool evaluation was provided. When feasible, food records and accelerometry are recommended as the most appropriate methods to assess food intake in young children. Sedentary behaviour could be assessed via questionnaires that include key indicators of sedentarism and are able to differentiate individual practices. The choice of methodology for the assessment of specific intervention effects should be equally balanced between required accuracy levels and feasibility, and be guided by the intervention targets.
A systematic approach for the development of a kindergarten‐based intervention for the prevention of obesity in preschool age children: the ToyBox‐study
Authors: Manios Y. , Grammatikaki E. , Androutsos O. , Chinapaw M. J. M. , Gibson E. L. , Buijs G. , Iotova V. , Socha P. , Annemans L. , Wildgruber A. , Mouratidou T. , Yngve A. , Duvinage K. , de Bourdeaudhuij I. ,   ToyBox‐study group
Published: February 2012

SummaryThe increasing childhood obesity epidemic calls for appropriate measures and effective policies to be applied early in life. Large‐scale socioecological frameworks providing a holistic multifactorial and cost‐effective approach necessary to support obesity prevention initiatives in this age are however currently missing. To address this missing link, ToyBox‐study aims to build and evaluate a cost‐effective kindergarten‐based, family‐involved intervention scheme to prevent obesity in early childhood, which could potentially be expanded on a pan‐European scale. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from 10 countries have joined forces and will work to realize this according to a systematic stepwise approach that combines the use of the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model and intervention mapping protocol. ToyBox‐study will conduct systematic and narrative reviews, secondary data analyses, focus group research and societal assessment to design, implement and evaluate outcome, impact, process and cost effectiveness of the intervention. This is the first time that such a holistic approach has been used on a pan‐European scale to promote healthy weight and healthy energy balance‐related behaviours for the prevention of early childhood obesity. The results of ToyBox‐study will be disseminated among key stakeholders including researchers, policy makers, practitioners and the general population.
Photostabilization of ascorbic acid with citric acid, tartaric acid and boric acid in cream formulations
Authors: Ahmad I. , Ali Sheraz M. , Ahmed S. , Shad Z. , Vaid F. H. M. 
Published: February 2012

SynopsisThis study involves the evaluation of the effect of certain stabilizers, that is, citric acid (CT), tartaric acid (TA) and boric acid (BA) on the degradation of ascorbic acid (AH2) in oil‐in‐water cream formulations exposed to the UV light and stored in the dark. The apparent first‐order rate constants (0.34–0.95 × 10−3 min−1 in light, 0.38–1.24 × 10−2 day−1 in dark) for the degradation reactions in the presence of the stabilizers have been determined. These rate constants have been used to derive the second‐order rate constants (0.26–1.45 × 10−2 M−1 min−1 in light, 3.75–8.50 × 10−3 M−1 day−1 in dark) for the interaction of AH2 and the individual stabilizers. These stabilizers are effective in causing the inhibition of the rate of degradation of AH2 both in the light and in the dark. The inhibitory effect of the stabilizers is in the order of CT > TA > BA. The rate of degradation of AH2 in the presence of these stabilizers in the light is about 120 times higher than that in the dark. This could be explained on the basis of the deactivation of AH2‐excited triplet state by CT and TA and by the inhibition of AH2 degradation through complex formation with BA. AH2 leads to the formation of dehydroascorbic acid (A) by chemical and photooxidation in cream formulations.
Spectrofluorescence of skin and hair
Authors: McMullen R. L. , Chen S. , Moore* D. J. 
Published: February 2012

SynopsisThere are numerous chromophores present throughout the strata of human skin, which present many challenges and opportunities to probe molecular events. Fluorescence spectroscopy is principally employed to identify important biochemical components of the skin including endogenous tryptophan, tyrosine, pepsin‐digestible collagen cross‐links, collagenase‐digestible collagen cross‐links, NADH, etc. Over the last 15 years, many advances in instrument technology have been introduced allowing for much faster data acquisition with spectrofluorometers. As a result, a series of spectrofluorescence emission scans can be generated for a range of excitation wavelengths, or vice versa (excitation scans for a range of emission wavelengths), quickly to generate excitation–emission matrices. In this work, we constructed an endogenous fingerprint of fluorescent compounds present in skin, hair and nail tissues by employing a range of excitation wavelengths from 270 to 450 nm with a resolution of 2 nm. As a result, we generated surface plots of fluorescence emission as a function of excitation and emission wavelengths. From these data, we identified the predominant fluorescent chromophores in each tissue. We examined several sources of skin including in vivo human and ex vivo pig, sheep, goat and cow skin. We also analysed various types of mature hair characterized by the degree of melanin content. These analyses provided us with a fundamental understanding of the effects of melanin distribution in hair fibres and aided with the identification of fluorophores present in hair.
European Union Meets South Korea: Bureaucratic Interests, Exporter Discrimination and the Negotiations of Trade Agreements*
Authors: ELSIG MANFRED , DUPONT CÉDRIC 
Published: February 2012

AbstractWho in the European Union drives the process of pursuing bilateral trade negotiations? In contrast to societal explanations, this article develops a novel argument as to how the European Commission manages the process and uses its position in strategic ways to pursue its interests. Rooted in principal–agent theory, the article discusses agent preferences and theorizes the conditions under which the agent sets specific focal points and interacts strategically with principals and third parties. The argument is discussed with case study evidence drawn from the first trade agreement concluded and ratified since the EU Commission announced its new strategy in 2006: the EU–South Korea trade agreement.
Cocaine decreases expression of neurogranin via alterations in thyroid receptor/retinoid X receptor signaling
Authors: Kovalevich Jane , Corley Gladys , Yen William , Kim Jae , Rawls Scott M. , Langford Dianne 
Published: February 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 302–313.AbstractMounting evidence suggests a potential link between cocaine abuse, disruptions in hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis signaling, and neuroplasticity, but molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Neurogranin (Ng) is a gene containing a thyroid hormone‐responsive element within its first intron that is involved in synaptic plasticity. Transcriptional activation requires heterodimerization of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) bound by their respective ligands, tri‐iodothryonine and 9‐cis‐retinoic acid (9‐cis‐RA), and subsequent binding of this complex to the thyroid hormone‐responsive element of the Ng gene. In this study, the effects of chronic cocaine abuse on Ng expression in euthyroid and hypothyroid mice were assessed. In cocaine‐treated mice, decreased Ng expression was observed in the absence of changes in levels of thyroid hormones or other hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid signaling factors. Therefore, we hypothesized that cocaine decreases Ng expression via alterations in 9‐cis‐RA availability and TR/RXR signaling. In support of this hypothesis, RXR‐γ was significantly decreased in brains of cocaine‐treated mice while CYP26A1, the main enzyme responsible for neuronal RA degradation, was significantly increased. Results from this study provide the first evidence for a direct effect of cocaine abuse on TR/RXR signaling, RA metabolism, and transcriptional regulation of Ng, a gene essential for adult neuroplasticity.