bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age at menarche is associated with divergent alcohol use patterns in early adolescence and early adulthood
Authors: Richards Meghan A. , Oinonen Kirsten A. 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTA cross‐sectional retrospective design was employed to examine the relationship between age at menarche (AAM) and alcohol use patterns from middle childhood (age 7) to early adulthood in 265 University‐aged women. Earlier menarche was associated with: (a) earlier ages at first drink and first intoxication, (b) greater use between ages 9 and 14 (i.e., frequency, amount, vomiting), and (c) binge drinking between ages 11 and 14. In contrast, late menarche was associated with greater current use in the adult women (i.e., frequency, amount, hangovers). Early timing of first intoxication relative to menarche (FIRM) strongly predicted higher current drinking. These findings suggest: (a) a link between AAM and alcohol use as early as age 9, (b) opposite relationships between AAM and alcohol use during two distinct developmental periods separated by a period of use unassociated with AAM, and (c) that the impact of early FIRM on adult consumption deserves further study.
Low-, medium- and high-glycaemic index carbohydrates and risk of type 2 diabetes in men
Authors: Similä Minna E. , Valsta Liisa M. , Kontto Jukka P. , Albanes Demetrius , Virtamo Jarmo 
Published: November 2010

Findings on dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) as risk factors for type 2 diabetes have been controversial. We examined the associations of dietary GI and GL and the associations of substitution of lower-GI carbohydrates for higher-GI carbohydrates with diabetes risk in a cohort of Finnish men. The cohort consisted of 25 943 male smokers aged 50–69 years. Diet was assessed, at baseline, using a validated diet history questionnaire. During a 12-year follow-up, 1098 incident diabetes cases were identified from a national register. Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to estimate the risk of diabetes, and multivariate nutrient density models were used to examine the effects of substitution of different carbohydrates. Dietary GI and GL were not associated with diabetes risk; multivariate relative risk (RR) for highest v. lowest quintile for GI was 0·87 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·07) and for GL 0·88 (95 % CI 0·65, 1·17). Substitution of medium-GI carbohydrates for high-GI carbohydrates was inversely associated with diabetes risk (multivariate RR for highest v. lowest quintile 0·75, 95 % CI 0·59, 0·96), but substitution of low-GI carbohydrates for medium- or high-GI carbohydrates was not associated with the risk. In conclusion, dietary GI and GL were not associated with diabetes risk, and substitutions of lower-GI carbohydrates for higher-GI carbohydrates were not consistently associated with a lower diabetes risk. The associations of dietary GI and GL with diabetes risk should be interpreted by considering nutritional correlates, as foods may have different properties that affect risk.
From Pluralism to Liberalism: Rereading Isaiah Berlin
Authors: Myers Ella 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThe relationship between pluralism and liberalism has been at the center of recent considerations of Isaiah Berlin's thought. In particular, liberal theorists have asked whether the value pluralism Berlin endorses actually undermines his liberalism. A common interpretive approach resolves this problem by presenting Berlin's pluralism as “limited” rather than “radical,” and therefore capable of serving as a moral foundation authorizing liberalism. I challenge this re-construction of Berlin's work, arguing that such readings are premised on a conception of judgment Berlin does not share. While many of his readers believe that a judgment on behalf of liberalism requires the identification of a transcontextual ground, Berlin invites us to see human judgment as a meaningful practice that occurs in the absence of absolutes yet does not simply mirror local norms. Berlin's defense of liberalism models this kind of judgment—a judgment that is neither mandated, nor ruled out, by pluralism.
Culture, Free Movement, and Open Borders
Authors: Lenard Patti Tamara 
Published: November 2010

AbstractCommunitarians are derided for their commitment to closed borders. According to their critics, if we balance the claims of cultural preservation (deployed primarily by wealthy countries) against the claims of economic betterment (deployed primarily by the very poor), the correct moral ordering will prioritize the claims of economic betterment, and thus support claims for open borders over closed borders. Yet, this standard way of framing the debate ignores the deep connection between cultural claims and freedom of movement. In the near-exclusive focus on the relationship between cultural preservation and the alleged importance of closed borders, free movement advocates have lost sight of how frequently culture bolsters claims in favor of freedom of movement. I argue that cultural claims should not be ignored in discussions of free movement. To do so fails to give a full account of the reasons we have to favor free movement, oftentimes across borders.
Orientalism and Comparative Political Theory
Authors: Thomas Megan C. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractEighteenth- and nineteenth-century Orientalists such as Schlegel and Müller sought to broaden narrow European scholarly horizons by comparing ancient Indian ideas with those of classical Greece and Rome and modern Europe, and thus to transform the human sciences. These aims are similar to contemporary comparative political theory's concerns to remedy the Eurocentrism of the field of political theory and to identify valuable ideas in non-Western sources. These similarities suggest that we ought to revisit our understanding of Orientalism, reconsider how and when epistemological appropriation has political consequences, and recognize the limits of text-based approaches to political theory.
WHAT ARE CONSTITUTIONS, AND WHAT SHOULD (AND CAN) THEY DO?
Authors: Alexander Larry 
Published: November 2010

AbstractA constitution is, as Article VI of the United States Constitution declares, the fundamental law of the land, supreme as a legal matter over any other nonconstitutional law. But that almost banal statement raises a number of theoretically vexed issues. What is law? How is constitutional law to be distinguished from nonconstitutional law? How do morality and moral rights fit into the picture? And what are the implications of the answers to these questions for such questions as how and by whom should constitutions be interpreted? These are the issues that I shall address.Alexander proceeds as follows: In section I he takes up law's principal function of settling controversies over what we are morally obligated to do. In section II he then relate law's settlement function to the role of constitutional law. In particular, he discusses how constitutional law is distinguished from ordinary law, and he also discusses the role of constitutions in establishing basic governmental structures and enforcing certain moral rights. In section III he addresses the topic of constitutional interpretation, and in section IV the topic of judicial review. Finally, in section V, he discusses constitutional change, both change that occurs through a constitution's own rules for amendments and change that is the product of constitutional misinterpretations and revolutions.
THE ORIGINS OF AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IN NEW YORK, 1621–1777
Authors: Gerber Scott D. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractArticle III of the U.S. Constitution establishes an independent federal judiciary: federal courts constitute a separate branch of the national government, federal judges enjoy tenure during good behavior, and their salaries cannot be diminished while they hold office. The framers who drafted Article III in 1787 were not working from whole cloth. Rather, they were familiar with the preceding colonial and state practices, including those from New York. This essay provides a case study of New York's judicial history: the Dutch period, 1621-1664; the Ducal proprietary period, 1664-1685; the Royal period, 1685-1776; and the early state period. As will be seen, New York—among the most significant of the original thirteen states—was a state groping towards a new ideal of judicial independence: an ideal that became a reality a decade after its own constitution was enacted in 1777 and at a different level of government. Significantly, the uncertain status of New York's judiciary had profound consequences for the ultimate expression of judicial independence, judicial review.
Combined effects of cyclosporin and nifedipine on gingival overgrowth in rats is not age dependent
Authors: Spolidorio L. C. , Spolidorio D. M. , Benatti C. , Sampaio J. E. , Almeida O. P. 
Published: November 2010

Background:  Cyclosporin A and nifedipine cause gingival overgrowth in rat, and the combined use of these drugs increases the overgrowth severity.Objective:  The purpose of this study was to compare gingival overgrowth of rats of differents ages treated with cyclosporin A and nifedipine alone or given concurrently.Materials and methods:  Rats 15, 30, 60 and 90 d old were treated with 10 mg/kg body weight of cyclosporin A and/or 50 mg/kg body weight of nifedipine in the chow.Results:  Young rats showed evident gingival overgrowth with nifedipine, cyclosporin A, and cyclosporin A and nifedipine given concurrently. Adult rats did not show significant gingival alterations when treated with cyclosporin A and nifedipine alone. Nevertheless evident gingival overgrowth with alterations of the epithelium and connective tissue were observed when treated simultaneously with cyclosporin A and nifedipine.Conclusion:  These results suggest that the combined effects of cyclosporin A and nifedipine on gingival overgrowth in rat is not age dependent.
Alkaline phosphatase isozyme activity in serum from patients with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Gibert P. , Tramini P. , Sieso V. , Piva M. T. 
Published: November 2010

Background:  High alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) is shown in the periodontal ligament due to the constant renewal of this tissue or pathological circumstances. We have previously shown that the activity level of this enzyme could be reflected at the serum level.Objectives:  Because the local production of ALP in the periodontal ligament is often of the bone‐type enzyme, we studied the activity of this isozyme among the other isoforms in the serum of patients with chronic periodontitis in comparison with that of control subjects.Material and methods:  This study included 83 patients (59 with periodontal disease, 24 as control group) and we determined the total seric ALP activity and the percentage of the different isoforms (essentially bone, kidney and intestinal‐types) by Ektachem analyser and gel agarose electrophoresis respectively.Conclusions:  By comparisons between the two groups, our results showed a relationship between loss of attachment in periodontal disease and a drop in bone ALP activity in serum. Moreover, these results suggested a gender based difference as well, with lower activity more frequent in women than in men.
Receptor activator NF κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) protein expression in periodontitis
Authors: Crotti Tania , Smith Malcolm D. , Hirsch Robert , Soukoulis Steven , Weedon Helen , Capone Maria , Ahern Michael J. , Haynes David 
Published: November 2010

Objectives and background:  This study investigated the expression of key mediators that regulate differentiation of osteoclasts, receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL), and its natural inhibitor, osteoprotegerin (OPG), in periodontitis. We aimed to compare the levels of the RANKL and OPG in the granulomatous tissue adjacent to areas of alveolar bone loss from patients with periodontitis to that present in tissue from patients without periodontitis. In addition, we aimed to determine the types of cells expressing these factors in these tissues and to demonstrate the expression of the osteoclastic markers, RANK and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), in periodontitis.Materials and methods:  Frozen biopsy specimens were analysed using specific monoclonal antibodies and were evaluated by semiquantitative analysis and digital image analysis to compare levels of RANKL and OPG protein expression. Double labelling of frozen sections with antibodies to different cell lineage specific markers was used to determine the types of cells expressing these proteins. In situ hybridization was used to detect cells expressing RANK mRNA.Results:  Semiquantitative image analysis demonstrated that significantly higher levels of RANKL protein (P < 0.05) were expressed in the periodontitis tissue. Conversely, OPG protein was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the periodontitis tissues. RANKL protein was associated with lymphocytes and macrophages. OPG protein was associated with endothelial cells in both tissues. Many leukocytes expressing RANK mRNA and TRAP were observed in periodontitis tissues.Conclusion:  The change in the levels of these key regulators of osteoclast differentiation may play a major role in the bone loss seen in periodontitis.
Growth hormone regulates osteogenic marker mRNA expression in human periodontal fibroblasts and alveolar bone‐derived cells
Authors: Haase H. R. , Ivanovski S. , Waters M. J. , Bartold P. M. 
Published: November 2010

Background:  Growth hormone (GH) is a potent regulator of bone formation. The proposed mechanism of GH action is through the stimulation of osteogenic precursor cell proliferation and, following clonal expansion of these cells, promotion of differentiation along the osteogenic lineage.Objectives:  We tested this hypothesis by studying the effects of GH on primary cell populations of human periodontal ligament cells (PLC) and alveolar bone cells (ABC), which contain a spectrum of osteogenic precursors.Methods:  The cell populations were assessed for mineralization potential after long‐term culture in media containing β‐glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid, by the demonstration of mineral deposition by Von Kossa staining. The proliferative response of the cells to GH was determined over a 48‐h period using a crystal violet dye‐binding assay. The profile of the cells in terms of osteogenic marker expression was established using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin, osteocalcin, bone sialoprotein (BSP), as well as the bone morphogenetic proteins BMP‐2, BMP‐4 and BMP‐7.Results:  As expected, a variety of responses were observed ranging from no mineralization in the PLC populations to dense mineralized deposition observed in one GH‐treated ABC population. Over a 48‐h period GH was found to be non‐mitogenic for all cell populations. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) BSP mRNA expression correlated well with mineralizing potential of the cells. The change in the mRNA expression of the osteogenic markers was determined following GH treatment of the cells over a 48‐h period. GH caused an increase in ALP in most cell populations, and also in BMP expression in some cell populations. However a decrease in BSP, osteocalcin and osteopontin expression in the more highly differentiated cell populations was observed in response to GH.Conclusion:  The response of the cells indicates that while long‐term treatment with GH may promote mineralization, short‐term treatment does not promote proliferation of osteoblast precursors nor induce expression of late osteogenic markers.
Immunohistochemical analysis of Th1/Th2 cytokine profiles and androgen receptor expression in the pathogenesis of nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth
Authors: Huang W‐T. , Lu H‐K. , Chou H‐H. , Kuo Mark Y. P. 
Published: November 2010

Background:  Numerous studies have demonstrated that gingival overgrowth may be associated with androgen and cytokine expression in tissues.Objectives:  The aim of this study was to compare the expression of androgen receptor‐presenting cells (AR+ cells) and Th1/Th2 cytokine [Th1: interleukin (IL)‐2, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ); Th2: IL‐4, IL‐10, IL‐13] expression cells in tissue sections of patients with gingival overgrowth.Materials and methods:  Tissue samples were collected from patients with healthy periodontium (H group), adult periodontitis (P group), surgically extracted teeth (S group), and nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth (NIGO group). The clinical periodontal parameters of pocket depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque control record (PCR) were measured around selected sample teeth. Gingival biopsies were further processed by immunohistochemical staining method. The expressions of cells positive for AR, IL‐2, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐10, and IL‐13 were counted by predetermined semiquantitative methods.Results:  Our results indicated that AR, IL‐2, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐10, and IL‐13 were intensively expressed in the nuclei of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts of gingival connective tissue. Stronger expressions of AR, IL‐2, and IFN‐γ were found in the NIGO group. The AR+ cells/0.01 mm2 in gingival fibroblasts were significantly higher in the NIGO group (80.2 ± 10.7) than those of the periodontitis group (52.5 ± 11.8) and control group (37.4 ± 11.3) (P < 0.05). The cytokine expression of the NIGO group showed a trend towards Th1‐type expression (IL‐2; P = 0.0001). In the surgically extracted tooth group, a stronger expression of Th2‐type cytokine (IL‐4, Il‐10, IL‐13; P < 0.05) was found in inflammatory cells. In a comparison of the IL‐2/IL‐4‐labeled cell ratio of the four groups, a descending sequence was discovered as NIGO group (0.92 ± 0.97) > H group (0.81 ± 0.61) > P group (0.77 ± 0.82) > S group (0.58 ± 1.77).Conclusions:  Our data support the following: (i) taking nifedipine may elevate the expression of AR in susceptible oral tissue, e.g. gingiva; (ii) the cytokine profile of T‐cells in NIGO tissue indicates a trend preferentially towards Th1 activity; and (iii) elevation of AR expression cells and prominent Th1 cytokine‐labeled cells are two significant factors in the pathogenesis of NIGO.
Gingival crevicular fluid collagenase‐2 (MMP‐8) test stick for chair‐side monitoring of periodontitis
Authors: Mäntylä Päivi , Stenman Mathias , Kinane Denis F. , Tikanoja Sari , Luoto Hanne , Salo Tuula , Sorsa Timo 
Published: November 2010

Background: A rapid chair‐side test based on the immunological detection of elevated levels of collagenase‐2 (matrix metalloproteinase‐8, MMP‐8) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was developed to identify and monitor the course and treatment of adult periodontitis.Methods: MMP‐8 was determined in GCF from periodontitis (11 patients, 90 sites), gingivitis (10 patients, 58 sites) and healthy control (8 patients, 59 sites) sites (i) by a test stick incorporating monoclonal antibodies to two epitopes on MMP‐8 and (ii) by measuring MMP‐8 concentration by a quantitative immunofluorometric assay. Patients with adult periodontitis were treated by scaling and root planing (SRP) and received oral hygiene instructions. GCF MMP‐8 testing and clinical measurements were done before and after SRP.Results: MMP‐8 GCF levels and chair‐side test differentiated periodontitis from gingivitis and healthy control sites. MMP‐8 GCF levels > 1 mg/l and positive chair‐side test identified especially severe periodontitis sites. A positive and negative test stick result, the outcome of which was rapidly detectable in 5 mins, in GCF correlated well with MMP‐8 immunofluorometric assay analysis from the collected GCF samples and the severity of periodontitis. Scaling and root planing reduced the MMP‐8 levels in severe periodontitis sites with positive MMP‐8 test and gingival probing pocket depth (PD) > 5 mm before treatment. The test stick result and the quantitative assay were discrepant in only 18 of the 207 sites tested, thus agreement was very good (κ = 0.81). With a threshold of 1 mg/l MMP‐8 activity the chair‐side test provided a sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.96 (n = 207).Conclusion: The MMP‐8 test can be used to differentiate periodontitis from gingivitis and healthy sites as well as to monitor treatment of periodontitis. A reduction in GCF MMP‐8 levels and a change in test stick result provide a means to optimize patient control during maintenance of periodontal treatment.
Bone turnover markers in serum and periodontal microenvironments
Authors: Wilson A. N. , Schmid M. J. , Marx D. B. , Reinhardt R. A. 
Published: November 2010

Background:  Periodontitis is characterized by altered bone turnover, but local measurements are difficult.Objectives:  The objective of this study was to develop a method to measure multiple markers of bone turnover from single samples collected at various bone surfaces of the periodontium, and to test the ratios of these markers against more traditional serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples.Materials and methods:  Fourteen subjects with untreated periodontitis were recruited for sampling serum, GCF (from sites ≥ 5 mm probing depth that bled on probing) and washes of periodontal bone surfaces (adjacent interproximal, vestibular cortical and trabecular bone) with a novel irrigating device. All samples were analyzed for osteocalcin (OC, bone turnover marker; RIA), cross‐linked N‐telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx, bone resorption marker; ELISA) and albumin (Alb, serum protein; ELISA). Results were reported as ratios: OC/NTx to determine relative bone turnover, and OC/Alb or NTx/Alb to determine local OC or NTx production.Results:  The OC/NTx ratio was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in serum vs. GCF (OC undetectable), interproximal bone and cortical vestibular bone, but significantly lower than in trabecular vestibular bone. The OC/Alb ratio for serum was also statistically lower than for vestibular trabecular bone. The NTx/Alb ratio for serum was statistically lower than for GCF and all the bone wash test sites. The results indicated considerable local production of both OC and NTx.Conclusions:  This system demonstrated that multiple markers of bone turnover can be harvested by irrigation from periodontal bone microenvironments. Bone turnover profiles from periodontal bone surfaces and GCF differed from systemic bone turnover profiles (serum) and may be valuable in tracking site‐specific responses to disease or treatment.
The Molecular In Silico Dissection of Cancer using TCLASS and its Application in the Identification of the Tissue of Origin of *Cancers of Unknown Primary Site*
Authors: Ayoubi Torik 
Published: November 2010

AbstractTraditional cancer diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical and histo-pathological data. In many cases, however, the morphology of in particular metastatic cancer is not discriminative enough for correct diagnosis. In addition, the morphology of tumor cells do not provide information on aberrant molecular pathways that may be used to specifically target the tumor like the application of Herceptin to breast cancers with amplification in the ERBB2 gene. With the completion of the human genome project, molecular pathology has dramatically increased its arsenal of novel molecular biomarkers that can be used to determine the phenotype of tumors. Gene expression profiling using high-density microarray technology is an extremely powerful tool to comprehensively characterize the tumor phenotype. We have developed TCLASS® a multi-class tumor classifier that interprets gene expression microarray data and allows the identification of the primary site of Cancers of Unknown Promary site (CUP). The classifier is implemented as a web-based tool and is an extremely simple and straightforward approach for molecular characterization of tumor samples. We are currently looking for collaborations with clinicians with access to fresh frozen CUP samples to further validate the tool in a clinical context. Alternatively, CEL files of CUP samples analyzed with Affynetrix 133 Plus 2.0 arrays can also be directly analyzed using TCLASS.