bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Studies on absorption and metabolism of palatinose (isomaltulose) in rats
Authors: Tonouchi Hidekazu , Yamaji Taketo , Uchida Masayuki , Koganei Megumi , Sasayama Akina , Kaneko Tetsuo , Urita Yoshihisa , Okuno Masahiro , Suzuki Kouji , Kashimura Jun , Sasaki Hajime 
Published: September 2010

We evaluated the absorption and metabolism of palatinose in rats by the carbohydrate load test and the 13C- and H2-breath tests. We compared the results of these tests with those of sucrose, since sucrose is an isomer of palatinose and generally known to be degraded and absorbed from the small intestine. In the carbohydrate load test, blood glucose and plasma insulin levels after oral administration of palatinose rose more gradually and reached a maximum that was lower than that after sucrose administration. In the 13C-breath test, rats were orally administrated [1-13C]sucrose or [1-13C]palatinose and housed in a chamber. The expired air in the chamber was collected, and the level of 13CO2 in the expired air was measured at appropriate intervals for 360 min. The value of time taken to reach the maximum concentration for expired 13CO2 from [1-13Cglucose] ([1-13Cglc]) and [1-13Cfructose] ([1-13Cfru]) palatinose was significantly longer than that from [1-13Cglc] and [1-13Cfru]sucrose, respectively. The value of area under the curve (AUC) for [1-13Cglc]palatinose was larger than that for [1-13Cglc]sucrose, but AUC for [1-13Cfru] showed no difference between palatinose and sucrose. In the H2-breath test, the concentration of H2 in the expired air was measured for 420 min. H2 was hardly detected with both palatinose and sucrose and no significant difference was observed between the two groups. These results suggest that palatinose is utilised in vivo at a rate equal to that of sucrose.
Genoprotective effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) in human subjects: results of a controlled supplementation trial
Authors: Han K. C. , Wong W. C. , Benzie Iris F. F. 
Published: September 2010

Green tea is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants and has widely reported but largely unsubstantiated health benefits. In the present study, genoprotective effects of two types of green tea were studied both in an in vitro and in a human supplementation trial. For the in vitro study, human lymphocytes were pre-incubated in tea (0·005–0·1 %, w/v), washed and subjected to oxidant challenge induced by H2O2. In a placebo-controlled, cross-over supplementation study, eighteen healthy volunteers took 2 × 150 ml/d of 1 % (w/v) green tea (‘Longjing’ green tea or ‘screw-shaped’ green tea) or water (control) for 4 weeks (n 6). Subjects took all the three treatments in a random order, with 6 weeks' washout between each treatment. Fasting blood and urine were collected before and after each treatment. The comet assay was used to measure the resistance of lymphocytic DNA to H2O2-induced challenge. Basal oxidation-induced DNA damage was measured using the formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg) enzyme-assisted comet assay. Urine 7,8-dihydro-2-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG, mol/mmol creatinine), a biomarker of whole-body oxidative stress, was measured by liquid chromatography with tandem MS. In vitro testing results of tea-treated cells showed increased (P < 0·05) resistance of DNA to the challenge. In the supplementation trial, a significant (P < 0·05) increase in resistance was also observed. Furthermore, the FPg comet data showed >20 % decrease in DNA damage with tea supplementation: mean and standard deviation changes in %DNA in comet tail in the Fpg-assisted comet assay were: − 5·96 (sd 3·83) % after Longjing tea; − 6·22 (sd 3·34) % after screw-shaped tea; +0·91 (sd 5·79) % after water (P < 0·05). No significant changes in urine 8-oxodG were seen. The results indicate that green tea has significant genoprotective effects and provide evidence for green tea as a ‘functional food’.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND OBESITY IN EGYPTIAN WOMEN
Authors: YOUNT KATHRYN M. , LI LI 
Published: September 2010

SummaryDomestic violence and obesity are global public health problems. This study explores associations of domestic violence and obesity in 5015 ever-married, non-pregnant women aged 15–49 years who took part in the 2005 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). Women's mean body mass index (BMI) was 30.4 kg/m2, and 48% were obese. Thirty-seven per cent reported any prior psychological, physical or sexual domestic violence. Compared with their counterparts, the adjusted odds of being obese were marginally higher among women who reported any prior sexual (aOR=1.31), physical or sexual (aOR=1.18), or psychological, physical or sexual (aOR=1.17) domestic violence. Women who experienced severe or repeated domestic violence – as measured by reported exposure to three or more acts of physical (aOR=1.25), psychological or physical (aOR=1.18), physical or sexual (aOR=1.36), and psychological, physical or sexual (aOR=1.26) domestic violence – had higher adjusted odds of being obese. Marginally significant adjusted dose–response relationships remained between obesity and the number of specific acts of: (1) physical or sexual violence and (2) psychological, physical or sexual domestic violence. Obesity among women in poorer settings like Egypt may partly have its roots in gender subordination, as manifested in women's exposure to multiple acts of domestic violence.
The eggs and hatchlings of the octopusRobsonella fontaniana(Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)
Authors: Ortiz Nicolás , Ré María Edith 
Published: September 2010

Very little is known about the life history ofRobsonella fontaniana. In particular, there are no descriptions of the early life stages that enable correct identification of samples taken from the wild. In this work, eggs and hatchlings are described from egg clutches obtained in the field with brooding females and incubated until hatching. Individual eggs exhibited marked differences in stages of embryonic development within egg clutches or even within a single egg string. For one clutch collected at early stages of embryonic development, embryogenesis took 91 days at 11.5 °C and for a second clutch at intermediate developmental stages it took 68 days at 11 °C and 39 days at 14 °C. For the later clutch the hatching period lasts 25 days at 14 °C. The eggs and paralarvae were small, with an egg length of 3.9–5.2 mm, a dorsal mantle length of 2–3 mm and a total paralarvae length of 3.4–6.0 mm. Chromatophore shape and distribution presented a very distinctive pattern. Characteristics of the eggs, egg strings and paralarvae make it possible to distinguish the early stagesof R. fontanianafrom those of other octopodid species found off the Atlantic coast of Patagonia.
Positive symptoms and white matter microstructure in never-medicated first episode schizophrenia
Authors: Cheung V. , Chiu C. P. Y. , Law C. W. , Cheung C. , Hui C. L. M. , Chan K. K. S. , Sham P. C. , Deng M. Y. , Tai K. S. , Khong P.-L. , McAlonan G. M. , Chua S.-E. , Chen E. 
Published: September 2010

BackgroundWe investigated cerebral structural connectivity and its relationship to symptoms in never-medicated individuals with first-onset schizophrenia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).MethodWe recruited subjects with first episode DSM-IV schizophrenia who had never been exposed to antipsychotic medication (n=34) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n=32). All subjects received DTI and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. Patients' symptoms were assessed on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate brain regions where fractional anisotropy (FA) values significantly correlated with symptom scores.ResultsIn patients with first-episode schizophrenia, positive symptoms correlated positively with FA scores in white matter associated with the right frontal lobe, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, right middle cingulate gyrus, and left cuneus. Importantly, FA in each of these regions was lower in patients than controls, but patients with more positive symptoms had FA values closer to controls. We found no significant correlations between FA and negative symptoms.ConclusionsThe newly-diagnosed, neuroleptic-naive patients had lower FA scores in the brain compared with controls. There was positive correlation between FA scores and positive symptoms scores in frontotemporal tracts, including left fronto-occipital fasciculus and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. This implies that white matter dysintegrity is already present in the pre-treatment phase and that FA is likely to decrease after clinical treatment or symptom remission.
The use of well controls: an unhealthy practice in psychiatric research
Authors: Schwartz S. , Susser E. 
Published: September 2010

BackgroundStudies comparing cases with controls to uncover the causes of psychiatric disorders are common in biological research. The validity of these studies depends upon adherence to the methodological principles underlying the case-control design. However, these principles are often violated. One common practice that violates these principles is the use of well controls. In this paper we describe the bias that it can cause and discuss why the use of well controls leads to invalidity in case-control studies.MethodUsing hypothetical numerical examples we illustrate the consequences of using well controls.ResultsThe results illustrate that the use of well controls can cause substantial bias. In no instance does the use of well controls improve validity.ConclusionsWe conclude that the use of well controls is an unhealthy practice in psychiatric research.
Relationship between cognitive functioning and 6-month clinical and functional outcome in patients with first manic episode bipolar I disorder
Authors: Torres I. J. , DeFreitas C. M. , DeFreitas V. G. , Bond D. J. , Kunz M. , Honer W. G. , Lam R. W. , Yatham L. N. 
Published: September 2010

BackgroundAlthough cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder have been associated with diminished functional outcome, this relationship has been studied primarily through cross-sectional designs, and has not been studied in patients early in the course of illness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of cognitive functioning on longitudinal 6-month functional and clinical outcome in recently diagnosed clinically stable patients with bipolar disorder.MethodA total of 53 recently diagnosed patients with DSM-IV bipolar disorder type I were assessed within 3 months of their first manic episode using a neuropsychological battery measuring verbal/pre-morbid intellectual functioning, learning/memory, spatial/non-verbal reasoning, attention/processing speed and executive function. Functional outcome was assessed at baseline and 6 months using the Multidimensional Scale of Independent Functioning (MSIF) and DSM-IV Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Clinical outcome was assessed with symptom ratings and by monitoring onset of new mood episodes.ResultsMemory, particularly verbal learning/memory, was robustly associated with 6-month functional outcome on the MSIF, even after partialling out the influence of mood symptoms and substance abuse co-morbidity. Depression ratings at 6 months, but not cognitive variables, were associated with 6-month GAF scores. Cognitive functioning was not associated with 6-month clinical outcome.ConclusionsMemory was associated with 6-month longitudinal functional but not clinical outcome in recently diagnosed patients with bipolar disorder. These data further support the distinction between clinical and functional outcome, and emphasize the need for identification of, and development of treatments for, cognitive impairments early in the course of bipolar disorder.
Theoreticians' obligation of transparency: when parsimony, reflexivity, transparency and reciprocity meet
Authors: ISH-SHALOM PIKI 
Published: September 2010

AbstractOne way to describe the role of the social sciences (international relations included) is by relating to its function of rendering the social world transparent. This is a major conception of moral significance. The social world is a world of moral subjects. To render this world of moral subjects transparent involves exposing the inner states of the human mind. Moreover, according to the moral principle of reciprocity, those who make others transparent should be also transparent themselves. Furthermore, as facts do not order themselves objectively into parsimonious theory, the social scientist requires an extra-theoretical mechanism to classify and filter out data on the way to constructing theory. This extra-mechanism comprises the scientist'sa prioriassumptions of normative, ontological, and epistemological types:a prioriassumptions that constitute the inner states of the theoretician's mind and necessarily precede theory. It is argued here that according to the moral and social principle of reciprocity, theoreticians have an individual and communal moral obligation to ensure that theory and theorising are transparent; an obligation attainable and preceded by strong individual and communal reflexivity. The extra-theoretical mechanism, and especially the ideological inclinations and normative convictions of theoreticians that allows parsimonious theory to be constructed from unbounded social complexity, should be made visible to the public.
Violence and humanitarian action in urban areas: new challenges, new approaches
Authors: Harroff-Tavel Marion 
Published: September 2010

AbstractA number of states are faced with the challenge of ensuring the harmonious development of rapidly expanding cities and of offering a growing population public services worthy of the name in the fields of security, health, and education. That challenge is even more difficult and more pressing because violence may erupt (hunger riots, clashes between territorial gangs or ethnic communities, acts of xenophobic violence directed against migrants, and so on) – violence that does not generally escalate to the point of becoming an armed conflict but that is murderous nevertheless.On the basis of the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of its partners, as well as reports by academic specialists, this article describes the vulnerability of the poorest and of migrants in urban areas. It presents the difficulties with which humanitarian organizations, which are often accustomed to working in rural areas, have to contend. Lastly, it describes innovative responses, from which much can be learned: income-generating micro-projects, aid in the form of cash or vouchers, urban agriculture, and the establishment of violence-prevention or health-promotion programmes to protect those affected by armed violence in disadvantaged areas.
Dental Wax Impressions of Plant Tissues for Viewing with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Authors: Beermann Anke , Hülskamp Martin 
Published: September 2010

INTRODUCTIONScanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a valuable method for examining surface structures. Taking wax impressions of plant structures, such as leaves, is a nondestructive procedure that makes it possible to view changes in surface structures over time, such as during development. This protocol describes a method for making dental wax impressions of plant tissues.
Simple Copy Number Determination with Reference Query Pyrosequencing (RQPS)
Authors: Liu Zhenyi , Schneider Daniel L. , Kornfeld Kerry , Kopan Raphael 
Published: September 2010

INTRODUCTIONThe accurate measurement of the copy number (CN) for an allele is often desired. We have developed a simple pyrosequencing-based method, reference query pyrosequencing (RQPS), to determine the CN of any allele in any genome by taking advantage of the fact that pyrosequencing can accurately measure the molar ratio of DNA fragments in a mixture that differ by a single nucleotide. The method involves the preparation of an RQPS probe, which contains two linked DNA fragments that match a reference allele with a known CN and a query allele with an unknown CN. In each fragment, a single nucleotide variation (SNV) is engineered to differentiate it from its genomic counterparts when the probe is mixed with genomic DNA. The ratios of the two pairs of fragments (probe reference vs. genomic reference and probe query vs. genomic query) in the mixture reflect the ratio between the probe and the genomic DNA in a CN-dependent manner. Pyrosequencing can be used to quantify these ratios and thus determine the CN of the query allele. This method could be used to measure the CN of any transgene, differentiate homozygotes from heterozygotes, detect the copy number variation (CNV) of endogenous genes, and screen embryonic stem (ES) cells targeted with bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors that are not compatible with standard screening methods.
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization of Bacterial Cell Suspensions
Authors: Parsley Larissa C. , Newman Molli M. , Liles Mark R. 
Published: September 2010

INTRODUCTIONThe use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to identify and enumerate specific bacteria within a mixed culture or environmental sample has become a powerful tool in combining microscopy with molecular phylogenetic discrimination. However, processing a large number of samples in parallel can be difficult because the bacterial cells are typically fixed and hybridized on microscope slides rather than processed in solution. In addition, Gram-positive cells and certain environmental samples present a unique challenge to achievement of adequate cell fixation and uniform hybridization for optimal FISH analysis. Here, we describe a protocol for FISH in solution that can be performed entirely in suspension, in a microcentrifuge tube format, prior to microscopy. This protocol can be applied to both Gram-positive and -negative cells, as well as complex microbial assemblages. The method employs a rapid technique for performing multiple hybridizations simultaneously, which may be used to qualitatively assess the presence of specific phylogenetic groups in bacterial cultures or environmental samples, and/or directly quantify fluorescence by fluorometry or flow cytometry.
The Autophagic Degradation of Chloroplasts via Rubisco-Containing Bodies Is Specifically Linked to Leaf Carbon Status But Not Nitrogen Status in Arabidopsis
Authors: Izumi Masanori , Wada Shinya , Makino Amane , Ishida Hiroyuki 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Autophagy is an intracellular process facilitating the vacuolar degradation of cytoplasmic components and is important for nutrient recycling during starvation. We previously demonstrated that chloroplasts can be partially mobilized to the vacuole by autophagy via spherical bodies named Rubisco-containing bodies (RCBs). Although chloroplasts contain approximately 80% of total leaf nitrogen and represent a major carbon and nitrogen source for new growth, the relationship between leaf nutrient status and RCB production remains unclear. We examined the effects of nutrient factors on the appearance of RCBs in leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing stroma-targeted fluorescent proteins. In excised leaves, the appearance of RCBs was suppressed by the presence of metabolic sugars, which were added externally or were produced during photosynthesis in the light. The light-mediated suppression was relieved by the inhibition of photosynthesis. During a diurnal cycle, RCB production was suppressed in leaves excised at the end of the day with high starch content. Starchless mutants phosphoglucomutase and ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase1 produced a large number of RCBs, while starch-excess mutants starch-excess1 and maltose-excess1 produced fewer RCBs. In nitrogen-limited plants, as leaf carbohydrates were accumulated, RCB production was suppressed. We propose that there exists a close relationship between the degradation of chloroplast proteins via RCBs and leaf carbon but not nitrogen status in autophagy. We also found that the appearance of non-RCB-type autophagic bodies was not suppressed in the light and somewhat responded to nitrogen in excised leaves, unlike RCBs. These results imply that the degradation of chloroplast proteins via RCBs is specifically controlled in autophagy.
MYB75 Functions in Regulation of Secondary Cell Wall Formation in the Arabidopsis Inflorescence Stem
Authors: Bhargava Apurva , Mansfield Shawn D. , Hall Hardy C. , Douglas Carl J. , Ellis Brian E. 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Deposition of lignified secondary cell walls in plants involves a major commitment of carbon skeletons in both the form of polysaccharides and phenylpropanoid constituents. This process is spatially and temporally regulated by transcription factors, including a number of MYB family transcription factors. MYB75, also called PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT1, is a known regulator of the anthocyanin branch of the phenylpropanoid pathway in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), but how this regulation might impact other aspects of carbon metabolism is unclear. We established that a loss-of-function mutation in MYB75 (myb75-1) results in increased cell wall thickness in xylary and interfascicular fibers within the inflorescence stem. The total lignin content and S/G ratio of the lignin monomers were also affected. Transcript profiles from the myb75-1 inflorescence stem revealed marked up-regulation in the expression of a suite of genes associated with lignin biosynthesis and cellulose deposition, as well as cell wall modifying proteins and genes involved in photosynthesis and carbon assimilation. These patterns suggest that MYB75 acts as a repressor of the lignin branch of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Since MYB75 physically interacts with another secondary cell wall regulator, the KNOX transcription factor KNAT7, these regulatory proteins may form functional complexes that contribute to the regulation of secondary cell wall deposition in the Arabidopsis inflorescence stem and that integrate the metabolic flux through the lignin, flavonoid, and polysaccharide pathways.
An International Bioinformatics Infrastructure to Underpin the Arabidopsis Community
Authors:   International Arabidopsis Informatics Consortium
Published: September 2010

Abstract
The future bioinformatics needs of the Arabidopsis community as well as those of other scientific communities that depend on Arabidopsis resources were discussed at a pair of recent meetings held by the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee and the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee. There are extensive tools and resources for information storage, curation, and retrieval of Arabidopsis data that have been developed over recent years primarily through the activities of The Arabidopsis Information Resource, the Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre, and the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center, among others. However, the rapid expansion in many data types, the international basis of the Arabidopsis community, and changing priorities of the funding agencies all suggest the need for changes in the way informatics infrastructure is developed and maintained. We propose that there is a need for a single core resource that is integrated into a larger international consortium of investigators. We envision this to consist of a distributed system of data, tools, and resources, accessed via a single information portal and funded by a variety of sources, under shared international management of an International Arabidopsis Informatics Consortium (IAIC). This article outlines the proposal for the development, management, operations, and continued funding for the IAIC.