bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modeling General and Specific Variance in Multifaceted Constructs: A Comparison of the Bifactor Model to Other Approaches
Authors: Chen Fang Fang , Hayes Adele , Carver Charles S. , Laurenceau Jean‐Philippe , Zhang Zugui 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThis article recommends an alternative method for testing multifaceted constructs. Researchers often have to choose between two problematic approaches for analyzing multifaceted constructs: the total score approach and the individual score approach. Both approaches can result in conceptual ambiguity. The proposed bifactor model assesses simultaneously the general construct shared by the facets and the specific facets, over and above the general construct. We illustrate the bifactor model by examining the construct of Extraversion as measured by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO‐PI‐R; Costa & McCrae, 1992), with two college samples (N = 383 and 378). The analysis reveals that the facets of the NEO‐PI‐R Extraversion correlate with criteria in opposite directions after partialling out the general construct. The direction of gender differences also varies by facets. Bifactor models combine the advantages but avoid the drawbacks of the 2 existing methods and can lead to greater conceptual clarity.
Robust production of virus‐like particles and monoclonal antibodies with geminiviral replicon vectors in lettuce
Authors: Lai Huafang , He Junyun , Engle Michael , Diamond Michael S. , Chen Qiang 
Published: September 2011

SummaryPharmaceutical protein production in plants has been greatly promoted by the development of viral‐based vectors and transient expression systems. Tobacco and related Nicotiana species are currently the most common host plants for the generation of plant‐made pharmaceutical proteins (PMPs). Downstream processing of target PMPs from these plants, however, is hindered by potential technical and regulatory difficulties owing to the presence of high levels of phenolics and toxic alkaloids. Here, we explored the use of lettuce, which grows quickly yet produces low levels of secondary metabolites and viral vector‐based transient expression systems to develop a robust PMP production platform. Our results showed that a geminiviral replicon system based on the bean yellow dwarf virus permits high‐level expression in lettuce of virus‐like particles (VLP) derived from the Norwalk virus capsid protein and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Ebola and West Nile viruses. These vaccine and therapeutic candidates can be readily purified from lettuce leaves with scalable processing methods while fully retaining functional activity. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated the feasibility of using commercially produced lettuce for high‐level PMP production. This allows our production system to have access to unlimited quantities of inexpensive plant material for large‐scale production. These results establish a new production platform for biological pharmaceutical agents that are effective, safe, low cost, and amenable to large‐scale manufacturing.
Taxing Sin Goods and Subsidizing Health Care*
Authors: Cremer Helmuth , De Donder Philippe , Maldonado Darío , Pestieau Pierre 
Published: September 2011

AbstractWe study the taxation of sin goods in a two‐period, three‐good model. Individuals can buy health care to compensate for the damages caused by their earlier sin‐good consumption. Individuals are myopic and underestimate the effect of the sinful consumption on health; in their second period, they may acknowledge their mistake or persist in their error. We characterize and compare the first‐best and the (linear) second‐best taxes in these different settings. In particular, we examine how the results are affected by the way sin‐good consumption and health care interact in health production technology.
Evaluation of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N): Factorial validity across samples
Authors: MOKSNES UNNI K. , ESPNES GEIR A. 
Published: September 2011

Moksnes, U. K. & Espnes, G. A. (2011). Evaluation of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N): Factorial validity across samples. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 601–608.In spite of the potential significance of stressors, the past decades have yielded only limited and incremental progress in the field of the development of valid and reliable stress inventories for adolescents. The Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N) was developed to address the domain of stressors specific to adolescent experience. The present study reports an evaluation of factorial validity, as well as the construct validity of the Norwegian version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ‐N) across two samples, with the use of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Gender and age differences on the ASQ‐N sub‐dimensions are also evaluated. The CFA supported a seven‐factor structure, where all sub‐dimensions showed adequate internal consistency. The sub‐dimensions were correlated positively with measures of depression and anxiety, and were correlated negatively with self‐esteem, supporting the construct validity of the ASQ‐N. Significant gender differences in self‐reported adolescent stress were found in five of the seven scales, where girls had higher mean scores than boys. The correlation between each stress scale and age was weak, with significant correlations found in four of the seven scales. It is suggested that the ASQ‐N is a measure of adolescent stress that is adequate for the research context, as well as for clinical investigation.
Consistent Cash Flow Valuation with Tax‐Deductible Debt: a Clarification
Authors: Dempsey Mike 
Published: September 2011

AbstractMassari et al. (2008) argue that the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) approach to discounting expected cash flows is generally inconsistent with the adjusted present value (APV) approach. We show that their argument results from, first, taking a WACC expression that assumes a fixed level of debt in perpetuity and applying it to a scenario where the debt level varies stochastically; and, second, discounting the tax savings from stochastic debt at the rate appropriate for fixed debt. Our paper draws attention to the fundamental proposition by which such errors are avoided when cross‐referencing valuation methods. The outcome is that the APV and WACC methods are shown to be algebraically consistent with each other.
Dexamethasone‐induced up‐regulation of the human norepinephrine transporter involves the glucocorticoid receptor and increased binding of C/EBP‐β to the proximal promoter of norepinephrine transporter
Authors: Zha Qinqin , Wang Yan , Fan Yan , Zhu Meng‐Yang 
Published: September 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 654–663.AbstractPreviously, we have found glucocorticoids up‐regulate norepinephrine (NE) transporter (NET) expression in vitro. However, the underlying transcriptional mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, the role of glucocorticoids on the transcriptional regulation of NET was investigated. Exposure of neuroblastoma SK‐N‐BE(2)M17 cells to dexamethasone (Dex) significantly increased NET mRNA and protein levels in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. This effect was attenuated by glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone, suggesting that up‐regulation of NET by Dex was mediated by the GR. In reporter gene assays, exposure of cells to Dex resulted in dose‐dependent increases of luciferase activity that were also prevented by mifepristone. Serial deletions of the NET promoter delineated Dex‐responsiveness to a −301 to −148 bp region containing a CCAAT/enhancer binding protein‐β (C/EBP‐β) response element. Co‐immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Dex treatment caused the interaction of the GR with C/EBP‐β. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that Dex exposure resulted in binding of both GR and C/EBP‐β to the NET promoter. Further experiments showed that mutation of the C/EBP‐β response element abrogated C/EBP‐β‐ and GR‐mediated transactivation of NET. These findings demonstrate that Dex‐induced increase in NET expression is mediated by the GR via a non‐conventional transcriptional mechanism involving interaction of C/EBP‐β with a C/EBP‐β response element.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis‐immunoglobulins selectively interact with neuromuscular junctions expressing P/Q‐type calcium channels
Authors: Gonzalez Laura E. , Kotler Mónica L. , Vattino Lucas G. , Conti Eugenia , Reisin Ricardo C. , Mulatz Kirk J. , Snutch Terrance P. , Uchitel Osvaldo D. 
Published: September 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 826–847.AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by a gradual loss of motoneurons. The majority of ALS cases are associated with a sporadic form whose etiology is unknown. Several pieces of evidence favor autoimmunity as a potential contributor to sporadic ALS pathology. To gain understanding concerning possible antigens interacting with IgGs from sporadic ALS patients (ALS–IgGs), we studied immunoreactivity against neuromuscular junction (NMJ), spinal cord and cerebellum of mice with and without the CaV2.1 pore‐forming subunit of the P/Q‐type voltage‐gated calcium (Ca2+) channel. ALS–IgGs showed a strong reactivity against NMJs of wild‐type diaphragms. ALS–IgGs also increased muscle miniature end‐plate potential frequency, suggesting a functional role for ALS–IgGs on synaptic signaling. In support, in mice lacking the CaV2.1 subunit ALS–IgGs showed significantly reduced NMJ immunoreactivity and did not alter spontaneous acetylcholine release. This difference in reactivity was absent when comparing N‐type Ca2+ channel wild‐type or null mice. These results are particularly relevant because motoneurons are known to be early pathogenic targets in ALS. Our findings add further evidence supporting autoimmunity as one of the possible mechanisms contributing to ALS pathology. They also suggest that serum autoantibodies in a subset of ALS patients would interact with NMJ proteins down‐regulated when P/Q‐type channels are absent.
Sonoran Desert Ecosystem transformation by a C4 grass without the grass/fire cycle
Authors: Olsson Aaryn D. , Betancourt Julio , McClaran Mitchel P. , Marsh Stuart E. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractAim  Biological invasions facilitate ecosystem transformation by altering the structure and function, diversity, dominance and disturbance regimes. A classic case is the grass–fire cycle in which grass invasion increases the frequency, scale and/or intensity of wildfires and promotes the continued invasion of invasive grasses. Despite wide acceptance of the grass–fire cycle, questions linger about the relative roles that interspecific plant competition and fire play in ecosystem transformations.Location  Sonoran Desert Arizona Upland of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA.Methods  We measured species cover, density and saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) size structure along gradients of Pennisetum ciliare invasion at 10 unburned/ungrazed P. ciliare patches. Regression models quantified differences in diversity, cover and density with respect to P. ciliare cover, and residence time and a Fisher’s exact test detected demographic changes in saguaro populations. Because P. ciliare may have initially invaded locations that were both more invasible and less diverse, we ran analyses with and without the plots in which initial infestations were located.Results  Richness and diversity decreased with P. ciliare cover as did cover and density of most dominant species. Richness and diversity declined with increasing time since invasion, suggesting an ongoing transformation. The proportion of old‐to‐young Carnegiea gigantea was significantly lower in plots with dominant P. ciliare cover.Main conclusions  Rich desert scrub (15–25 species per plot) was transformed into depauperate grassland (2–5 species per plot) within 20 years following P. ciliare invasion without changes to the fire regime. While the onset of a grass–fire cycle may drive ecosystem change in the later stages and larger scales of grass invasions of arid lands, competition by P. ciliare can drive small‐scale transformations earlier in the invasion. Linking competition‐induced transformation rates with spatially explicit models of spread may be necessary for predicting landscape‐level impacts on ecosystem processes in advance of a grass–fire cycle.
Naturalization of exotic plant species in north‐eastern North America: trends and detection capacity
Authors: Lavoie Claude , Saint‐Louis Annie , Guay Geneviève , Groeneveld Elisabeth , Villeneuve Paul 
Published: September 2011

AbstractAim  To reconstruct historical naturalization trends of exotic vascular plants in Quebec and Massachusetts, two regions that experienced fluctuations in their herbarium specimen collection efforts. We hypothesized that the observed trends are linked to the collection effort and that they differ according to the motive for plant introduction.Methods  A checklist of naturalized exotic plant taxa for Quebec, including oldest proof of naturalization and motive for introduction, was built from herbaria, journals, dissertations, theses, bulletins, websites and unpublished records. For Massachusetts, we used the checklist of Sorrie (2005; Rhodora, 107, 284–329). The collection effort was estimated from a pool of species with specimens from the five largest Quebec herbaria and from the Harvard University Herbarium.Results  Naturalization trends of exotic plants in Quebec are similar to those observed in Massachusetts. A large part of the plants naturalized in the 17th, 18th or 19th centuries, with very little naturalization during the last 30–90 years. In general, there is a significant statistical link between herbarium specimen collection effort and the discovery of new naturalized plant taxa. Very few utilitarian plants naturalized in either region during the 20th century. In Quebec, a high number of ornamental plants naturalized during the last 100 years.Main conclusions  The link between herbarium specimen collection effort and the discovery of new naturalized plants is real, although not as straightforward as it seems. Our analysis suggests that at least part of the decline in the number of new naturalized exotic plants observed in Quebec and Massachusetts during the last 30–90 years is a direct consequence of the low interest for traditional floristic studies. However, the possibility of a real decline cannot be ruled out. We nevertheless provide here one of the first pieces of evidence of the potential consequences of the decline of local plant collection for environmental management and especially for early detection systems of new invaders.
Recent behavioural and population genetic divergence of an invasive ant in a novel environment
Authors: Gruber Monica A. M. , Hoffmann Benjamin D. , Ritchie Peter A. , Lester Philip J. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractAim  Invasive species frequently exhibit high temporal and spatial variation in abundance. Although ecological aspects undoubtedly affect this variation, genetic factors may also play a part. The invasive unicolonial yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes exhibits considerable variation in abundance throughout its extensive distribution in Australia’s Northern Territory, where it was first detected in the 1980s. First, we aimed to determine whether A. gracilipes variation in abundance was associated with behavioural and genetic differentiation of the population and to determine whether one or more introductions occurred. Second, we investigated whether the A. gracilipes population was genetically and behaviourally heterogeneous to determine whether population divergence has occurred since introduction.Location  Tropical monsoonal savanna in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.Methods  Ant abundances were assessed at 13 sites throughout the study region. We used mitochondrial DNA sequences and microsatellite molecular markers to determine population genetic structure, which we correlated with abundance. Behavioural differentiation was assayed using aggression trials and analysed together with genetic data to investigate population divergence.Results  Although we found considerable variation in abundance, we found no association between population structure and differences in abundance. Our analyses suggest that A. gracilipes ants in Arnhem Land resulted from a single introduction. The population is not homogeneous, however, as aggression scores varied over both genetic and geographic distance. We also found a positive relationship between genetic and geographic distance.Main conclusions  The variation in abundance in the Arnhem Land population of A. gracilipes is clearly not owing to invasion by ants from different sources. The genetic and behavioural differentiation we observed is suggestive of incipient genetic and behavioural divergence, which may be expected over time when an invasive species enters in a new environment.
Nurse Staffing and Deficiencies in the Largest For‐Profit Nursing Home Chains and Chains Owned by Private Equity Companies
Authors: Harrington Charlene , Olney Brian , Carrillo Helen , Kang Taewoon 
Published: September 2011

ObjectiveTo compare staffing levels and deficiencies of the 10 largest U.S. for‐profit nursing home chains with five other ownership groups and chain staffing and deficiencies before and after purchase by four private equity (PE) companies.Data SourcesFacilities for the largest for‐profit chains were identified through Internet searches and company reports and matched with federal secondary data for 2003–2008 for each ownership group.Study DesignDescriptive statistics and generalized estimation equation panel regression models examined staffing and deficiencies by ownership groups in the 2003–2008 period, controlling for facility characteristics, resident acuity, and market factors with state fixed effects.Principal FindingsThe top 10 for‐profit chains had lower registered nurse and total nurse staffing hours than government facilities, controlling for other factors. The top 10 chains received 36 percent higher deficiencies and 41 percent higher serious deficiencies than government facilities. Other for‐profit facilities also had lower staffing and higher deficiencies than government facilities. The chains purchased by PE companies showed little change in staffing levels, but the number of deficiencies and serious deficiencies increased in some postpurchase years compared with the prepurchase period.ConclusionsThere is a need for greater study of large for‐profit chains as well as those chains purchased by PE companies.
Hepatobiliary transporter expression and post‐operative jaundice in patients undergoing partial hepatectomy
Authors: Bernhardt Gerwin A. , Zollner Gernot , Cerwenka Herwig , Kornprat Peter , Fickert Peter , Bacher Heinz , Werkgartner Georg , Müller Gabriele , Zatloukal Kurt , Mischinger Hans‐Jörg , Trauner Michael 
Published: September 2011

AbstractBackground and aimsPost‐operative hyperbilirubinaemia in patients undergoing liver resections is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Apart from different known factors responsible for the development of post‐operative jaundice, little is known about the role of hepatobiliary transport systems in the pathogenesis of post‐operative jaundice in humans after liver resection.MethodsTwo liver tissue samples were taken from 14 patients undergoing liver resection before and after Pringle manoeuvre. Patients were retrospectively divided into two groups according to post‐operative bilirubin serum levels. The two groups were analysed comparing the results of hepatobiliary transporter [Na‐taurocholate cotransporter (NTCP); multidrug resistance gene/phospholipid export pump(MDR3); bile salt export pump (BSEP); canalicular bile salt export pump (MRP2)], heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression as well as the results of routinely taken post‐operative liver chemistry tests.ResultsPatients with low post‐operative bilirubin had lower levels of NTCP, MDR3 and BSEP mRNA compared to those with high bilirubin after Pringle manoeuvre. HSP70 levels were significantly higher after ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) injury in both groups resulting in 4.5‐fold median increase. Baseline median mRNA expression of all four transporters prior to Pringle manoeuvre tended to be lower in the low bilirubin group whereas expression of HSP70 was higher in the low bilirubin group compared to the high bilirubin group.DiscussionHigher mRNA levels of HSP70 in the low bilirubin group could indicate a possible protective effect of high HSP70 levels against IR injury. Although the exact role of hepatobiliary transport systems in the development of post‐operative hyper bilirubinemia is not yet completely understood, this study provides new insights into the molecular aspects of post‐operative jaundice after liver surgery.
Should cirrhosis change our attitude towards treating non‐hepatic cancer?
Authors: Cabibbo Giuseppe , Palmeri Laura , Palmeri Sergio , Craxì Antonio 
Published: September 2011

AbstractCirrhosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and is the end stage of any chronic liver disease. Cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide, is a growing global health issue. There are limited data in the literature on the incidence, prevalence and management of non‐hepatic cancers (NHC) in cirrhotic patients. The aim of this brief review was to underline the main concerns, pitfalls and warnings regarding practice for these patients.Survival of patients with compensated cirrhosis is significantly longer than that of decompensated cirrhosis and patients with NHC and in Child‐Pugh class C should not be candidates for cytotoxic chemotherapy. It is important before starting cytotoxic chemotherapy to assess the aetiology and stage of liver disease and to screen these patients for portal hypertension and fluid retention. During cytotoxic chemotherapy, the effectiveness of cancer treatment, as well the appearance of early signs of hepatic decompensation, must be thoroughly monitored. Future phase 3 trial designs in oncology should include a share of patients with compensated cirrhosis to obtain specific information in this setting. Identification of tests able to measure the global degree of hepatic impairment caused by cirrhosis could help in the management of this particular clinical situation.