bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adiponectin elevation by telmisartan ameliorates ischaemic myocardium in zucker diabetic fatty rats with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Rinaldi B. , Di Filippo C. , Capuano A. , Donniacuo M. , Sodano L. , Ferraraccio F. , Rossi F. , D'Amico M. 
Published: November 2011

Aim: This study investigated whether telmisartan, a selective angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist and gamma peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR‐γ) partial agonist, reduces myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome.Methods: Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats were treated for 3 weeks with telmisartan at doses of 2, 7 and 12 mg/kg/day. After treatment, rats were subjected to a 25‐min occlusion of the left descending coronary artery followed by 2‐h reperfusion (I/R).Results: Telmisartan reduced the extension of the infarct size in a dose‐dependent fashion and decreased the levels of plasma troponin I, a specific marker of myocardial damage. Telmisartan also caused a dose‐dependent increase in adiponectin both in plasma and cardiac tissue of infarcted ZDF rats. These levels were minimally increased (p < 0.05 vs. vehicle) by telmisartan 7 mg/kg/day and reached the maximum values with the highest dose of 12 mg/kg/day (p < 0.01 vs. vehicle). In contrast, within the infarcted tissue telmisartan decreased the expression of markers of inflammation such as the transcription factor NF‐κB, the toll‐like receptors TLR2 and TLR4 as well as TNF‐α cytokine. Nitrosative stress was maximal in vehicle‐treated infarcted hearts as evidenced by increased expression of iNOS, which was almost abolished after treatement with telmisartan.Conclusions: Treatment of ZDF rats for 3 weeks with telmisartan, a dual angiotensin II receptor antagonist and partial PPAR‐γ receptor agonist, resulted in a significant reduction of myocardial damage induced by I/R and was assocciated with increased adiponectin and a decrease in inflammatory markers.
Development of Big Five Domains and Facets in Adulthood: Mean‐Level Age Trends and Broadly Versus Narrowly Acting Mechanisms
Authors: Soto Christopher J. , John Oliver P. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractData from a cross‐sectional sample (N = 601 men and women) and a longitudinal sample (N = 125 women) were used to test hypotheses about the development of Big Five domains and facets from early adulthood through middle age. Analyses of mean‐level age trends indicated that overall Agreeableness and Conscientiousness increased with age and that several facets showed distinctive trends that replicated across the samples. Cross‐sectional analyses of trait intercorrelations and covariances indicated that interrelations between the Big Five domains, and between their more specific facets, were quite similar at older versus younger ages. Finally, longitudinal analyses of individual‐level changes indicated that (a) different people's personalities changed in markedly different ways; (b) these changes were predominantly independent, rather than correlated, across Big Five domains; and (c) the pattern of change correlations between Big Five facets could be explained by the facets’ interrelations at the first assessment time. Taken together, these results suggest that a complete understanding of personality development requires consideration of facet‐level traits and that adult personality development is predominantly influenced by narrowly acting mechanisms that each affect a single Big Five domain, or a small cluster of related facets, rather than by broadly acting mechanisms that simultaneously affect previously independent traits.
Toward a Tripartite Model of Intrinsic Motivation
Authors: Carbonneau Noémie , Vallerand Robert J. , Lafrenière Marc‐André K. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractIntrinsic motivation (IM) refers to engaging in an activity for the pleasure inherent in the activity. The present article presents a tripartite model of IM consisting of IM to know (i.e., engaging in an activity to experience pleasure while learning and trying to understand something new), IM toward accomplishment (i.e., engaging in an activity for the pleasure experienced when attempting task mastery), and IM to experience stimulation (i.e., engaging in an activity for feelings of sensory pleasure). The tripartite model of IM posits that each type of IM can result from task, situational, and personality determinants and can lead to specific types of cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes. The purpose of this research was to test some predictions derived from this model. Across 4 studies (Study 1: N = 331; Study 2: N = 113; Study 3: N = 58; Study 4: N = 135), the 3 types of IM as well as potential determinants and consequences were assessed. Results revealed that experiencing one type of IM over the others depends in part on people's personality styles. Also, each type of IM was found to predict specific outcomes (i.e., affective states and behavioral choices). The implications of the tripartite model of IM for motivation research are discussed.
Reconciling MacCormick: Constitutional Pluralism and the Unity of Practical Reason
Authors: WALKER NEIL 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThis article begins by assessing the ways in which the life and work of Neil MacCormick exemplified a dual commitment to the local and particular—especially through his advocacy of nationalism—and to the international and the universal. It then concentrates on one of the key tensions in his work which reflected that duality, namely the tension between his longstanding endorsement of constitutional pluralism—and so of the separate integrity of different “local” constitutional orders—and his belief in some kind of unity, and so community, residing in the moral and rational properties of all law. The article continues by considering a number of ways in which this tension may be resolved. It concludes, with particular reference to MacCormick's late work on ethics, that the answer may be found through the idea of a general unity of practical reason which undergirds the various special orders of practical reason by which particular legal systems are distinguished.
Who is Afraid of Radical Pluralism? Legal Order and Political Stability in the Postnational Space*
Authors: KRISCH NICO 
Published: November 2011

AbstractConstitutional pluralism has become a principal model for understanding the legal and political structure of the European Union. Yet its variants are highly diverse, ranging from moderate “institutional” forms, closer to constitutionalist thinking, to “radical” ones which renounce a common framework to connect the different layers of law at play. Neil MacCormick, whose work was key for the rise of constitutional pluralism, shifted his approach from radical to institutional pluralism over time. This paper reconstructs the reasons for this shift—mainly concerns about political stability that also underlie many others' skepticism vis‐à‐vis radical pluralist ideas. It then seeks to show why such concerns are likely overdrawn. In the fluid, contested space of postnational politics, a common, overarching frame is problematic as it might inflame, rather than tame, tensions. Leaving fundamental issues open along radical pluralist lines may help to work around points of highly charged contestation and provide opportunities for resistance from less powerful actors.
Legislative Intent inLaw's Empire*
Authors: EKINS RICHARD 
Published: November 2011

AbstractThis article considers Dworkin's influential argument against legislative intent in chapter 9 ofLaw's Empire. The argument proves much less than is often assumed for it fails to address the possibility that the institution of the legislature may form and act on intentions. Indeed, analysis of Dworkin's argument lends support to that possibility. Dworkin aims to refute legislative intent in order to elucidate his own theory of statutory interpretation. That theory fails to explain plausibly legislative action. Dworkin's argument does not refute legislative intent but instead suggests there is reason to think that the legislature is capable of intentional action.
Modelling and Predicting Temporal Frequency of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cases in Countries with Endemic Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Authors: Choi Young Ku , Johnson Wesley O. , Jones Geoff , Perez Andres , Thurmond Mark C. 
Published: November 2011

SummaryFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects a variety of cloven-hoofed animals. It spreads rapidly and results in considerable economic loss for agriculture in regions where the disease occurs. The main objective of this study is to develop statistical models that will reasonably predict temporal FMD case counts in endemic regions or countries, and which will also perform well under sporadic epidemic phases that increase FMD counts beyond background endemic circumstances. We used FMD data from Iran to develop correlated data models for predicting the number of FMD cases at future times and to assess the statistical importance of risk factors for increased frequency of FMD. Model selection and validation are accomplished by using the deviance information criterion and the mean absolute prediction error.
A Versatile Method for Confirmatory Evaluation of the Effects of a Covariate in Multiple Models
Authors: Pipper Christian Bressen , Ritz Christian , Bisgaard Hans 
Published: October 2011

SummaryModern epidemiology often requires testing of the effect of a covariate on multiple end points from the same study. However, popular state of the art methods for multiple testing require the tests to be evaluated within the framework of a single model unifying all end points. This severely limits their use in applications where there are different types of end point, e.g. binary, continuous or time to event. We use an asymptotic representation of parameter estimates to combine multiple models without additional constraints. This result enables the use of established tools for multiple testing to provide a fine-tuned control of the overall type I error in a wide range of epidemiological experiments where in reality no other useful alternative exists. The methodology proposed is applied to a multiple-end-point study of the effect of neonatal bacterial colonization on development of childhood asthma.
Group Testing in Heterogeneous Populations by Using Halving Algorithms
Authors: Black Michael S. , Bilder Christopher R. , Tebbs Joshua M. 
Published: October 2011

SummaryGroup (pooled) testing is often used to reduce the total number of tests that are needed to screen a large number of individuals for an infectious disease or some other binary characteristic. Traditionally, research in group testing has assumed that each individual is independent with the same risk of positivity. More recently, there has been a growing set of literature generalizing previous work in group testing to include heterogeneous populations so that each individual has a different risk of positivity. We investigate the effect of acknowledging population heterogeneity on a commonly used group testing procedure which is known as ‘halving’. For this procedure, positive groups are successively split into two equal-sized halves until all groups test negatively or until individual testing occurs. We show that heterogeneity does not affect the mean number of tests when individuals are randomly assigned to subgroups. However, when individuals are assigned to subgroups on the basis of their risk probabilities, we show that our proposed procedures reduce the number of tests by taking advantage of the heterogeneity. This is illustrated by using chlamydia and gonorrhoea screening data from the state of Nebraska.
Early‐stage cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease and the influence of dopamine replacement therapy
Authors: Miah I. P. , Olde Dubbelink K. T. , Stoffers D. , Deijen J. B. , Berendse H. W. 
Published: October 2011

Background and purpose:  The aim of this study was to establish the cognitive profile of newly diagnosed untreated (de novo) patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and more advanced, treated patients, and to determine the effects of dopamine (DA) replacement therapy.Methods:  A cohort of 23 de novo patients, 55 mild to moderately advanced, medicated PD patients and 21 healthy controls participated. Cognitive tests included the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders and a battery of neuropsychological tests taken from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and the Vienna Test System.Results:  De novo patients with PD were more impaired in working memory strategy use than healthy controls and treated patients with PD. Furthermore, the generation of random motor behaviour was more impaired in both de novo and treated PD patients than in healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed that in treated patients with PD, ascending doses of dopaminergic medication were associated with poorer performance on a pattern recognition task.Conclusion:  Selective impairments in strategy use and the generation of random motor behaviour are a very early feature of PD and might be of predictive value in further frontal cognitive deterioration. Furthermore, DA replacement therapy seems to improve frontal lobe function (strategy use) and worsen temporal lobe function (visual memory).
Long‐pulsed Nd : YAG laser: does it give clinical benefit on the treatment of resistant telangiectasia?
Authors: Lee J.H. , Na S.Y. , Choi M. , Park H.S. , Cho S. 
Published: November 2011

AbstractBackground  Long‐pulsed Nd : YAG laser has been used in treating larger and deep‐seated leg veins.Objective  This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of long‐pulsed Nd : YAG laser to treat alae nasae and nasal tip telangiectasia.Methods  Twelve patients were evaluated in a prospective IRB approved study. They had a history of previous unsatisfactory treatments with pulsed dye laser and/or intense pulsed light for their telangiectases on alae nasae and tip (4–12 times, average 5.8 times). All patients underwent a single treatment session using long‐pulsed Nd : YAG laser. Photographic images were taken. At 12‐week follow‐up, two independent physicians evaluated the percentage of vessels cleared, and patients were asked to rate their satisfaction with the procedure.Results  Five men and seven women were enrolled (aged 43 ± 5.8 years). Total clearance of vessels was 78.3%. The number of vessels in diameter of 0.1 mm was reduced by 61.1% and that of vessels in diameter of 0.2–0.3 mm decreased by 92.2% on the average at 12‐week follow‐up. Eleven of 12 patients were very satisfied with the clinical results. One patient rated as ‘satisfied’ due to hyperpigmentation after the treatment, which improved at 12‐week follow‐up.Conclusion  Long‐pulsed Nd : YAG laser can be considered as another effective and safe treatment modality for stubborn telangeictasia even on face, if applied cautiously.
Interpersonal Sources of Conflict in Young People with and without Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities at Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood
Authors: Larkin P. , Jahoda A. , MacMahon K. , Pert C. 
Published: November 2011

Background  Interpersonal conflict is a source of stress and contributes to poor mental health in people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. Understanding the contexts in which conflict typically occurs can better equip services to help people with such difficulties. However, existing studies into the contexts of conflict have included participants with wide‐ranging ages and may not reflect the experiences of young adults in particular.Materials and Methods  Twenty‐six young adults (16–20 years) with intellectual disabilities and 20 non‐disabled young adults completed a semi‐structured interview about a recent experience of interpersonal conflict. Participants were asked to describe their beliefs and feelings about the event and their subsequent response.Results  Participants with intellectual disabilities were more likely to encounter conflict with strangers or peers outside their friendship group and to describe incidents of aggression than non‐disabled participants. They were also more likely to characterize the other person globally as ‘bad’ and to perceive the other’s actions as being personally directed at them. Young women with intellectual disabilities were less likely to describe responding aggressively to incidents.Conclusions  Findings suggest that young adults with intellectual disabilities are often the target of overt aggression from those outside their inner social sphere, while their non‐disabled peers are more likely to experience conflict with people close to them. Young adults with intellectual disabilities may also be more likely to feel victimized by interpersonal conflict. Implications of these findings and limitations of the study are discussed.
Relationship of brines in the Kinnarot Basin, Jordan‐Dead Sea Rift Valley
Authors: MÖLLER P. , SIEBERT C. , GEYER S. , INBAR N. , ROSENTHAL E. , FLEXER A. , ZILBERBRAND M. 
Published: October 2011

AbstractElement ratios and water stable isotopes reveal the presence of only two independent deep brines in the Kinnarot Basin, Israel: the evaporite dissolution brine of Zemah‐1 and the inferred Ha’on mother brine (HMB) with low and high Br/Cl ratios, respectively. HMB is considered to be a representative of the Late Pliocene evaporated Sedom Sea. The freshwater‐diluted evaporation brine emerges as Ha’on brine on the eastern shore of Lake Tiberias and is also identified in the pore water of lake sediments. HMB is converted into Tiberias mother brine (TMB) by dolomitization of limestones and alteration of abundant volcanic rocks occurring along the western side of the lake. The Ha’on and Tiberias brines, both characterized by high δD and δ18O values, are similar in Na/Cl and Br/Cl ratios but are dissimilar in Br/K ratios because these brines were subjected to different degrees of interactions with rocks and sediments. Excepting the brine from KIN 8, all brines from the Tabigha area including the nearby off‐shore Barbutim brine are related to the TMB. The brine KIN 8 and all brines from the Fuliya and Hammat Gader areas are related to the HMB. The brine encountered in wildcat borehole Zemah‐1 is generated by halite‐anhydrite/gypsum dissolution and is independent from the HMB system.
Inhibition of NADPH oxidase promotes alternative and anti‐inflammatory microglial activation during neuroinflammation
Authors: Choi Sang‐Ho , Aid Saba , Kim Hyung‐Wook , Jackson Sharon H. , Bosetti Francesca 
Published: November 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 292–301.AbstractLike macrophages, microglia are functionally polarized into different phenotypic activation states, referred as classical and alternative. The balance of the two phenotypes may be critical to ensure proper brain homeostasis, and may be altered in brain pathological states, such as Alzheimer’s disease. We investigated the role of NADPH oxidase in microglial activation state using p47phox and gp91phox‐deficient mice as well as apocynin, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor during neuroinflammation induced by an intracerebroventricular injection of LPS or Aβ1–42. We showed that NADPH oxidase plays a critical role in the modulation of microglial phenotype and subsequent inflammatory response. We demonstrated that inhibition of NADPH oxidase or gene deletion of its functional p47phox subunit switched microglial activation from a classical to an alternative state in response to an inflammatory challenge. Moreover, we showed a shift in redox state towards an oxidized milieu and that subpopulations of microglia retain their detrimental phenotype in Alzheimer’s disease brains. Microglia can change their activation phenotype depending on NADPH oxidase‐dependent redox state of microenvironment. Inhibition of NADPH oxidase represents a promising neuroprotective approach to reduce oxidative stress and modulate microglial phenotype towards an alternative state.
Role of ion channels in sepsis‐induced atrial tachyarrhythmias in guinea pigs
Authors: Aoki Yuta , Hatakeyama Noboru , Yamamoto Seiji , Kinoshita Hiroyuki , Matsuda Naoyuki , Hattori Yuichi , Yamazaki Mitsuaki 
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, are occasionally observed in patients suffering from sepsis. Modulation of cardiac ion channel function and expression by sepsis may have a role in the genesis of tachyarrhythmias.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Sepsis was induced by LPS (i.p.; 300 µg·kg−1) in guinea pigs. Membrane potentials and ionic currents were measured in atrial myocytes isolated from guinea pigs 10 h after LPS, using whole cell patch‐clamp methods.KEY RESULTS In atrial cells from LPS‐treated animals, action potential duration (APD) was significantly shortened. It was associated with a reduced L‐type Ca2+ current and an increased delayed rectifier K+ current. These electrophysiological changes were eliminated when NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME) or S‐ethylisothiourea was given together with LPS. In atrial tissues from LPS‐treated animals, Ca2+ channel subunits (Cav1.2 and Cav1.3) decreased and delayed rectifier K+ channel subunits (Kv11.1 and Kv7.1) increased. However, L‐NAME treatment did not substantially reverse such changes in atrial expression in LPS‐treated animals, with the exception that Kv11.1 subunits returned to control levels. After LPS injection, inducible NOS in atrial tissues was up‐regulated, and atrial NO production clearly increased.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS In atrial myocytes from guinea pigs with sepsis, APD was significantly shortened. This may reflect nitration of the ion channels which would alter channel functions, rather than changes in atrial expression of the channels. Shortening of APD could serve as one of the mechanisms underlying atrial tachyarrhythmia in sepsis.
Preclinical and clinical characterization of the selective 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist DU‐125530 for antidepressant treatment
Authors: Scorza MC , Lladó‐Pelfort L , Oller S , Cortés R , Puigdemont D , Portella MJ , Pérez‐Egea R , Alvarez E , Celada P , Pérez V , Artigas F 
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The antidepressant efficacy of selective 5‐HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and other 5‐HT‐enhancing drugs is compromised by a negative feedback mechanism involving 5‐HT1A autoreceptor activation by the excess 5‐HT produced by these drugs in the somatodendritic region of 5‐HT neurones. 5‐HT1A receptor antagonists augment antidepressant‐like effects in rodents by preventing this negative feedback, and the mixed β‐adrenoceptor/5‐HT1A receptor antagonist pindolol improves clinical antidepressant effects by preferentially interacting with 5‐HT1A autoreceptors. However, it is unclear whether 5‐HT1A receptor antagonists not discriminating between pre‐ and post‐synaptic 5‐HT1A receptors would be clinically effective.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We characterized the pharmacological properties of the 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist DU‐125530 using receptor autoradiography, intracerebral microdialysis and electrophysiological recordings. Its capacity to accelerate/enhance the clinical effects of fluoxetine was assessed in a double‐blind, randomized, 6 week placebo‐controlled trial in 50 patients with major depression (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01119430).KEY RESULTS DU‐125530 showed equal (low nM) potency to displace agonist and antagonist binding to pre‐ and post‐synaptic 5‐HT1A receptors in rat and human brain. It antagonized suppression of 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic activity evoked by 8‐OH‐DPAT and SSRIs in vivo. DU‐125530 augmented SSRI‐induced increases in extracellular 5‐HT as effectively as in mice lacking 5‐HT1A receptors, indicating a silent, maximal occupancy of pre‐synaptic 5‐HT1A receptors at the dose used. However, DU‐125530 addition to fluoxetine did not accelerate nor augment its antidepressant effects.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS DU‐125530 is an excellent pre‐ and post‐synaptic 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist. However, blockade of post‐synaptic 5‐ HT1A receptors by DU‐125530 cancels benefits obtained by enhancing pre‐synaptic 5‐hydroxytryptaminergic function.