bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Activating the Countryside: Rural Power, the Power of the Rural and the Making of Rural Politics
Authors: Bell Michael M. , Lloyd Sarah E. , Vatovec Christine 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAgainst the current moment of rural doubt, we argue that the material, symbolic and relational practices of the rural continue to be articulate aspects of our politics. We term the material practices ‘rural power’ and the symbolic practices ‘the power of the rural’. The relational practices we term ‘rural constituencies’ when relations are bounded materially and ‘constituencies of the rural’ when they are bounded symbolically. We apply this framework to a critique of contemporary theory, especially mobilities research, which, we argue, typically speaks with a passive rural voice. We argue for recognising the active rural voice in the mobilisation and stabilisation of the rural.
Screening for ‘window‐period’ acute HIV infection among pregnant women in rural South Africa
Authors: Kharsany ABM , Hancock N , Frohlich JA , Humphries HR , Abdool Karim SS , Abdool Karim Q 
Published: May 2010

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the HIV‐1 RNA pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) strategy to screen pregnant women in the ‘window period’ of acute HIV infection (AHI) in rural South Africa.MethodsIn 2007 and 2008, 750 consecutive pregnant women on their first antenatal care visit to a primary health care clinic were tested anonymously for HIV infection. HIV‐1 RNA pooled NAAT was performed on HIV antibody‐negative samples. All positive pools were tested individually and positive samples were classified as incident cases to calculate HIV incidence.ResultsThe overall HIV prevalence was 37.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 34.3–41.3]. Of the 467 HIV antibody‐negative samples, four (0.9%) were HIV‐1 RNA‐positive. The mean viral load in the four samples was 386 260 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL (range 64 200–1 228 130). The HIV incidence was 11.2% per year (95% CI 0.3–22.1) and all women with AHI were ≤21 years of age.ConclusionsIdentifying AHI in pregnancy is important for health interventions to reduce perinatal and heterosexual transmission of HIV, and to estimate HIV incidence for epidemiological surveillance.
Evaluating the effect of spastin splice mutations by quantitative allele‐specific expression assay
Authors: Klimpe S. , Zibat A. , Zechner U. , Wellek B. , Shoukier M. , Sauter S. M. , Pantakani D. V. K. , Mannan A. U. 
Published: May 2010

Background:  Mutations in the SPG4/SPAST gene are the most common cause for hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). The splice‐site mutations make a significant contribution to HSP and account for 17.4% of all types of mutations and 30.8% of point mutations in the SPAST gene. However, only few studies with limited molecular approach were conducted to investigate and decipher the role of SPAST splice‐site mutations in HSP.Methods:  A reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis and quantitative allele‐specific expression assay were performed.Results:  We have characterized the consequence of two novel splice‐site mutations (c.1493 + 1G>A and c.1414−1G>A) in the SPAST gene in two different families with pure HSP. The RT‐PCR analysis revealed that both spastin mutations are indeed splice‐site mutations and cause skipping of exon 12. Furthermore, RT‐PCR data suggested that these splice‐site mutations may cause leaky splicing. By means of a quantitative allele‐specific expression assay, we could confirm that both splice‐site mutations cause leaky splicing, as the relative expression of the exon 12‐skipped transcript was reduced (21.1 ± 3.6 compared to expected 50%).Conclusions:  Our finding supports a “threshold‐effect‐model” for functional spastin in HSP. A higher level (78.8 ± 3.9%) of functional spastin than the expected ratio of 50% owing to leaky splicing might cause late age at onset of HSP. Remarkably, we could show that a quantitative allele‐specific expression assay is a simple and effective tool to evaluate the role of most types of spastin splice‐site mutations in HSP.
A novel missense mutation in GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH1) gene causes dopa‐responsive dystonia in Chinese Han population
Authors: Hu F.‐Y. , Xu Y.‐M. , Yu L.‐H. , Ma M.‐Y. , He X.‐H. , Zhou D. 
Published: May 2010

Background:  Dopa‐responsive dystonia has been shown to be caused by a number of different mutations in the GCH1 gene. Up to now, only several genetic studies of Chinese patients with Dopa‐responsive dystonia (DRD) have been reported.Methods:  We performed a genetic analysis by amplifying the entire coding region of GCH1 gene and direct sequencing in four DRD families from mainland China.Results:  A novel missense mutation, Gly155Ser, has been identified in a sporadic case from a consanguineous marriage family. Furthermore, two known mutations, Met137Arg and Gly203Arg, have also been detected in the other families.Conclusions:  A novel missense mutation in the GCH1 gene can be associated with DRD. Our findings further expanded the mutational spectrum of GCH1 gene associated with DRD.
Dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and risk of Parkinson’s disease: a case–control study in Japan
Authors: Miyake Y. , Fukushima W. , Tanaka K. , Sasaki S. , Kiyohara C. , Tsuboi Y. , Yamada T. , Oeda T. , Miki T. , Kawamura N. , Sakae N. , Fukuyama H. , Hirota Y. , Nagai M. ,   Fukuoka Kinki Parkinson’s Disease Study Group
Published: May 2010

Background:  Antioxidant vitamins are expected to protect cells from oxidative damage by neutralizing the effects of reactive oxygen species. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the associations between antioxidant vitamin intake and Parkinson’s disease (PD) is limited and inconsistent. We investigated the relationship between dietary intake of selected antioxidant vitamins, vegetables and fruit and the risk of PD in Japan using data from a multicenter hospital‐based case–control study.Methods:  Included were 249 patients within 6 years of onset of PD. Controls were 368 inpatients and outpatients without a neurodegenerative disease. Information on dietary factors was collected using a validated self‐administered diet history questionnaire. Adjustment was made for sex, age, region of residence, pack‐years of smoking, years of education, body mass index, dietary intake of cholesterol, alcohol, total dairy products, and coffee and the dietary glycemic index.Results:  Higher consumption of vitamin E and β‐carotene was significantly associated with a reduced risk of PD after adjustment for confounders under study: the adjusted odds ratio in the highest quartile was 0.45 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25–0.79, P for trend = 0.009) for vitamin E and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.33–0.97, P for trend = 0.03) for β‐carotene. Stratified by sex, such inverse associations were significant only in women. No material relationships were shown between intake of vitamin C, α‐carotene, cryptoxanthin, green and yellow vegetables, other vegetables, or fruit and the risk of PD.Conclusions:  Higher intake of vitamin E and β‐carotene may be associated with a decreased risk of PD.
Balm for The Soul: Immigrant Religion and Emotional Well‐Being
Authors: Connor Phillip 
Published: May 2010

AbstractImmigrants can face insurmountable odds in their acculturation to the new society, and subsequently suffer from poor emotional/mental health. Using immigrant data from the United States, Australia, and Western Europe, this paper tests the relationship between immigrant religious involvement and emotional well‐being. Results demonstrate that regular religious participation is associated with better emotional/mental health outcomes. Conversely, non‐religious group involvement (i.e., ethnic associations, leisure groups, work groups) do not have as equally a positive association with emotional well‐being. This pattern is consistent across all countries examined in this study, suggesting that religion has a unique relationship with immigrant emotional well‐being regardless of national context. Therefore, it is posited that in easing the emotional/mental adjustment of immigrants, religion is not an artifact of context or of a particular religious group, but a generality of immigrant adaptation. Policy implications for the study’s findings are discussed.Yet to him, in his troubled state, Christianity brought also the miracle of redemption. Poor thing that he was, his soul was yet a matter of consequence. For him the whole drama of salvation had been enacted: God had come to earth, had suffered as a man to make for all men a place in a life everlasting. Through that sacrifice had been created a community of all those who had faith, a kind of solidarity that would redress all grievances and right all wrongs, if not now, then in the far more important aftermath to life. (Handlin, 1973 [1951]:93)
Kosten und Nutzen der Ausbildung an Tertiärbildungsinstitutionen im Vergleich
Authors: Riphahn Regina T. , Eschelbach Martina , Heineck Guido , Müller Steffen 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWe compare German institutions of tertiary education (universities and polytechnics) with respect to the cost of and the returns to their educational degrees. Based on cost data from two different sources we find that on average the expenditures of universities are lower than those of polytechnics when we consider expenditures per potential enrollee and per student enrolled during the regular education period. We apply data from the German Socio-economic Panel (2001-2007) to estimate the private returns to tertiary education and find higher returns to university than polytechnic training. These results are robust to a variety of alternative procedures.
Wie wirken die automatischen Stabilisatoren in der Wirtschaftskrise? Deutschland im Vergleich zu anderen EU-Staaten und den USA
Authors: Dolls Mathias , Fuest Clemens , Peichl Andreas 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper analyzes the effectiveness of the tax and transfer systems in the European Union and the US to act as an automatic stabilizer in the current economic crisis. We consider two scenarios: a proportional income shock and a shock on employment which increases the rate of unemployment. We find that automatic stabilizers absorb 38 percent of a proportional income shock in the EU, compared to 32 percent in the US. In the case of an unemployment shock 48 percent of the shock is absorbed in the EU, compared to 34 percent in the US. Under the assumption that only credit constrained households adjust current spending on consumption goods to current disposable income, the cushioning of disposable income leads to a demand stabilization of 26 to 35 percent in the EU and 19 percent in the US. There is large heterogeneity within the EU. Automatic stabilizers in Eastern and Southern Europe are much lower than in Central and Northern European countries. With respect to income stabilization, Germany is above the European average for both scenarios. Demand stabilization in Germany is weaker because the number of liquidity constrained households is below the EU average.
Fiskalpolitik als antizyklisches Instrument? Eine Betrachtung der Schweiz
Authors: Schaltegger Christoph A. , Weder Martin 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper examines the stabilizing effects of Swiss fiscal policy. First, we find that the federation adopted a countercyclical fiscal policy in approximately 60% of all periods observed. During recessions, fiscal policy was always countercyclical and therefore helped to stabilize the economy. In case of the cantons, fiscal policy was countercyclical in 55% of all recessions. In recent years, there has been a trend for both the federation and the cantons toward stronger stabilization. Second, the two stabilizing instruments of fiscal policy, automatic stabilizers and discretionary fiscal policy are compared with each other. Over the last 50 years, automatic stabilizers have been expanded continuously, particularly on the federal level. We find that the impulse of automatic stabilizers is about twice as large as the one of discretionary fiscal policy. Third, macroeconomic effects of Switzerland’s fiscal policy during recessions are examined. Automatic stabilizers have been particularly effective in the cantons whereas the effects of discretionary fiscal policy on economic growth have tended to be weaker.
Breite Bemessungsgrundlage und niedriger Proportionaltarif als alternative Erbschaftsteuerreform – Eine empirische Analyse
Authors: Houben Henriette , Maiterth Ralf 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis submission deals with an alternative to the German Inheritance Tax Reform Act 2009 in form of an inheritance tax with a broad tax base and low tax rates. In contrast to the new German Estate Tax Act we analyse an inheritance tax reform proposal that provides no tax relief for particular asset categories but contains low proportional tax rates. Our empirical analysis shows that abolishing of tax exemptions and market valuation of assets lead to a remarkable broadening of the inheritance tax base and enables substantial tax rate cuts.
Using phylogenetics to detect pollinator‐mediated floral evolution
Authors: Smith Stacey DeWitt 
Published: May 2010

SummaryThe development of comparative phylogenetic methods has provided a powerful toolkit for addressing adaptive hypotheses, and researchers have begun to apply these methods to test the role of pollinators in floral evolution and diversification. One approach is to reconstruct the history of both floral traits and pollination systems to determine if floral trait change is spurred by shifts in pollinators. Looking across multiple shifts, it is also possible to test for significant correlations between floral evolution and pollinators using parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian methods for discrete characters or using statistical comparative methods for continuous characters. Evolutionary shifts in pollinators and floral traits may cause changes in diversification rates, and new methods are available for simultaneously studying character evolution and diversification rates. Relatively few studies have yet used formal comparative methods to elucidate how pollinators affect floral evolution across the phylogeny, and fruitful directions for future applications are discussed.
Activation of Akt/FoxO signaling pathway contributes to induction of neuroprotection against transient global cerebral ischemia by hypoxic pre‐conditioning in adult rats
Authors: Zhan Lixuan , Wang Tao , Li Wen , Xu Zao C. , Sun Weiwen , Xu En 
Published: May 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 897–908.AbstractIt is well established that pre‐conditioning protects neuronal injury against ischemia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ischemic tolerance are not completely understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of Akt/forkhead transcription factor, class O (FoxO) pathway in hypoxic pre‐conditioning (HPC) using a newly developed HPC to transient global cerebral ischemia (tGCI) model in adult rats. HPC for 30–120 min significantly reduced cell death in the CA1 subregion after 10 min of tGCI. HPC was effective only when applied 1–4 days before ischemia. The maximum protection was observed with 30 min of hypoxia and 1 day interval between hypoxia and ischemia. The phosphorylated Akt and FoxOs measured by western blot and immunohistochemistry were significantly increased after hypoxia‐ischemia except for a transient decrease in the HPC group. Lateral ventricular infusion of LY294002 before HPC blocked the increase in phosphorylated Akt and FoxOs and increased neuronal damage in HPC animals. These results suggest that pre‐exposure to hypoxia induces protection against tGCI in adult rats. Activation of Akt results in the inactivation of FoxOs which may mediate ischemic tolerance after HPC.
Interrelation of dopamine transporter oligomerization and surface presence as studied with mutant transporter proteins and amphetamine
Authors: Li Yan , Cheng Shu‐Yuan , Chen Nianhang , Reith Maarten E. A. 
Published: May 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)114, 873–885.AbstractOur previous work suggested a role for oligomerization in regulating dopamine transporter (DAT) internalization, withd‐amphetamine dissociating DAT oligomers and monomers being endocytosed. This model was put to detailed testing in the present work with the use of DAT constructs differentially tagged with Myc or Flag, reversal of tags in co‐immunoprecipitation and cross‐linking assays, and application of antibodies against different tags in biotinylation experiments. Upon pairing wild‐type (WT) DAT with W84L mutant, effects ofd‐amphetamine on oligomerization (decrease) but not surface DAT are observed. Internalization of W84L monomers appears to be slow as inferred from the inability ofd‐amphetamine to reduce surface Myc upon co‐expressing Flag‐WT with Myc‐W84L but not Myc‐WT with Flag‐W84L, and from the sluggish Myc‐W84L endocytosis rate (both with or withoutd‐amphetamine). Results obtained for D313N, D345N, or D436N mutants can all be accommodated by a model in whichd‐amphetamine is unable to dissociate mutant protomers from oligomers (tetramers or higher‐order assemblies) that contain them; this interpretation is confirmed in experiments with both tag reversal in co‐expression and antibody reversal in western blotting. Upon co‐transfecting Myc‐ and Flag‐tagged constructs, resulting tetramers can be calculated to be composed of different species (MycMycMycMyc, MycMycMycFlag, MycMycFlagFlag, MycFlagFlagFlag, and FlagFlagFlagFlag), but it is shown that outcomes predicted by models based on MycMycFlagFlag oligomers are not changed in a major way by the occurrence of the additional species.
Carboxypeptidase E cytoplasmic tail mediates localization of synaptic vesicles to the pre‐active zone in hypothalamic pre‐synaptic terminals
Authors: Lou Hong , Park Joshua J. , Cawley Niamh X. , Sarcon Annahita , Sun Lei , Adams Tiffany , Peng Loh Yoke 
Published: May 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 114, 886–896.AbstractHow synaptic vesicles (SVs) are localized to the pre‐active zone (5–200 nm beneath the active zone) in the nerve terminal, which may represent the slow response SV pool, is not fully understood. Electron microscopy revealed the number of SVs located in the pre‐active zone, was significantly decreased in hypothalamic neurons of carboxypeptidase E knockout (CPE‐KO) mice compared with wild‐type mice. Additionally, we found K+‐stimulated glutamate secretion from hypothalamic embryonic neurons was impaired in CPE‐KO mice. Biochemical studies indicate that SVs from the hypothalamus of wild‐type mice and synaptic‐like microvesicles from PC12 cells contain a transmembrane form of CPE, with a cytoplasmic tail (CPEC10), maybe involved in synaptic function. Yeast two‐hybrid and pull‐down experiments showed that the CPE cytoplasmic tail interacted with γ‐adducin, which binds actin enriched at the nerve terminal. Total internal reflective fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy using PC12 cells as a model showed that expression of GFP‐CPEC15 reduced the steady‐state level of synaptophysin‐mRFP containing synaptic‐like microvesicles accumulated in the area within 200 nm from the sub‐plasma membrane (TIRF zone). Our findings identify the CPE cytoplasmic tail, as a new mediator for the localization of SVs in the actin‐rich pre‐active zone in hypothalamic neurons and the TIRF zone of PC12 cells.
Changes in taxonomy and species distributions and their influence on estimates of faunal homogenization and differentiation in freshwater fishes
Authors: Taylor Eric B. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAim  To assess how changing taxonomy and distribution data affect estimates of faunal homogenization and differentiation as agents of global change in freshwater fishes.Location  Provinces and territories of Canada.Methods  Species presence–absence data were collated in 2000 and 2005 from regional and national lists, and faunal homogenization and differentiation were calculated using Jaccard’s faunal similarity index. Differences between time periods and areas were summarized using principal coordinate analysis. Differences in faunal assemblages between native and total faunas were assessed via Whittaker’s (1960) beta diversity (βw) index and tests of differences in multivariate dispersion of fish species compositions.Results  Among aquatic ecoregions in one province (British Columbia) there were four taxonomic changes and 18 distributional changes between the 2000 and 2005 databases. Pairwise Jaccard’s faunal similarity index between the eight aquatic ecoregions declined by an average of 4.8% from 35.9% in native faunas to 31.1% in total faunas (introductions – extinctions/extirpations) indicating overall faunal differentiation. Average pairwise similarity declined by 0.9% between 2000 and 2005. Across thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, there were five taxonomic changes and 61 distributional changes between the 2000 and 2005 databases. Generally, faunal homogenization increased; pairwise Jaccard’s increased by an average of 1.8% from 27.1% in native faunas to 28.9% in total faunas or an average of 0.6% per comparison.Main conclusions  Despite changing taxonomy and fish distribution information, comparative analysis of 2000 and 2005 databases consistently show overall faunal differentiation at the smallest (provincial) spatial scale and homogenization at the largest scale (across Canada) and that these trends continued between time periods. Homogenization and differentiation followed expectations from conceptual models based on the relative prevalence of species invasions and extinctions within communities. General conclusions of the onset and extent of homogenization and differentiation were relatively insensitive to our changing understanding of taxonomy and distribution.
Pilot analysis of cytokines levels in stored granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor–mobilized peripheral blood stem cell concentrates
Authors: Woods Iyonna , Tawab‐Amiri Abdul , Byrne Karen , Sabatino Marianna , Stroncek David F. 
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND: The transfusion of peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) concentrates is sometimes associated with febrile transfusion reactions. PBSC concentrates contain large numbers of white blood cells, and during storage the levels of soluble cytokines that could cause transfusion reactions may increase.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Aliquots of granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor (CSF)–mobilized PBSC concentrates from nine healthy subjects were stored in bags at 2 to 8°C for 48 hours. The levels of 19 growth factors and biologic response modifiers were measured in the plasma of PBSC concentrates at 0, 24, and 48 hours of storage using a nested enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The same 19 factor levels were also measured in blood plasma from six healthy subjects.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the PBSC and plasma levels of soluble interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, which can cause febrile reactions. The levels of TGF‐β1, matrix metalloproteinase‐8, CCL5/(reduced on activation normal T expressed and secreted), and platelet (PLT)‐derived growth factor‐AB were significantly greater in PBSCs than in plasma and the level of CCL2/MCP‐1 was significantly less in PBSCs. Duration of PBSC storage had no effect on the levels of these five factors. There was a trend for reduced levels of IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐7, IL‐8, IL‐12p70, IL‐15, interferon‐γ, CD40L, and granulocyte‐macrophage–CSF and increased levels of TNF‐α and IL‐10 levels in PBSC concentrates, but the differences were not significant.CONCLUSIONS: There was no increase in stored PBSC concentrates of cytokines that have been associated with febrile transfusion reactions; however, the levels of other factors that were likely released by PLTs and granulocytes during the collection process were elevated.