bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nigral and striatal regulation of angiotensin receptor expression by dopamine and angiotensin in rodents: implications for progression of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Villar‐Cheda Begoña , Rodríguez‐Pallares Jannette , Valenzuela Rita , Muñoz Ana , Guerra Maria J. , Baltatu Ovidiu C. , Labandeira‐Garcia Jose L. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThe basal ganglia have a local renin–angiotensin system and it has been shown that the loss of dopaminergic neurons induced by neurotoxins is amplified by local angiotensin II (AII) via angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT1) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) complex activation. Recent studies have revealed a high degree of counter‐regulatory interactions between dopamine and AII receptors in non‐neural cells such as renal proximal tubule cells. However, it is not known if this occurs in the basal ganglia. In the striatum and nigra, depletion of dopamine with reserpine induced a significant increase in the expression of AT1, angiotensin type 2 receptors (AT2) and the NADPH subunit p47phox, which decreased as dopamine function was restored. Similarly, 6‐hydroxydopamine‐induced chronic dopaminergic denervation induced a significant increase in expression of AT1, AT2 and p47phox, which decreased with L‐dopa administration. A significant reduction in expression of AT1 mRNA was also observed after administration of dopamine to cultures of microglial cells. Transgenic rats with very low levels of brain AII showed increased AT1, decreased p47 phox and no changes in AT2 expression, whereas mice deficient in AT1 exhibited a decrease in the expression of p47 phox and AT2. The administration of relatively high doses of AII (100 nm) decreased the expression of AT1, and the increased expression of AT2 and p47phox in primary mesencephalic cultures. The results reveal an important interaction between the dopaminergic and local renin–angiotensin system in the basal ganglia, which may be a major factor in the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Banting Memorial Lecture 2010∧. Type 2 diabetes as an ‘infectious’ disease: is this the Black Death of the 21st century?
Authors: Matthews D. R. , Matthews P. C. 
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 2–9 (2011)AbstractWe are currently facing a global pandemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In some settings, the population prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is 50%, and half of those affected will die from diabetes‐related complications. Eight centuries ago, an epidemic of bubonic plague swept across Europe, killing at least half of its victims. We here draw comparisons between these two pandemics, proposing close analogies between the ‘Black Death’ of the 14th century and the modern‐day equivalent of Type 2 diabetes. Both diseases can be considered in terms of an aetiological agent, a reservoir, a vector and a predisposing toxic environment; populations can be considered as highly susceptible to the transmissable agents of Type 2 diabetes in the setting of calorie excess, inadequate food labelling, poorly regulated advertising and sedentary lifestyles. As for tackling a pandemic of a contagious microbial pathogen, we believe that breaking the cycle of transmission in the diabetes epidemic must be underpinned by political will and prompt, decisive legislation backed by the medical community. Far from fearing that such measures edge us towards a ‘nanny state’, we believe individuals should expect a responsible government to safeguard them from the toxic milieu that puts them at risk of obesity and its complications, and that communities and populations have the right to have their health protected.
A Dynamic Network with Individual Mobility for Designing Vaccination Strategies
Authors: Mao Liang , Bian Ling 
Published: October 2010

AbstractVaccination is a primary means to control infectious diseases. Few studies on vaccination strategies have explicitly considered the mobility of individuals. This article aims to evaluate the efficacy of three vaccination strategies in a dynamic social network, in which individuals are mobile between and within communities. The three vaccination strategies are applied to this social network for evaluation, including a travel‐based, a contact‐based, and a random vaccination strategy. Simulation results show that the contact‐based strategy, commonly seen in previous studies, is not always the most effective strategy in dynamic networks. This strategy is preferable for a population with a large number of intercommunity travelers, for instance in urban areas. On the other hand, the travel‐based strategy, although directly accounting for individual mobility, is not necessarily the most effective in dynamic networks either. This strategy is recommended for a population with a small number of intercommunity travelers, such as rural areas. In addition, one advantage of the travel‐based strategy over the other two is its efficacy in confining the spatial extent of affected areas. Results suggest that the intercommunity travel of individuals should be a major consideration for choosing proper vaccination strategies. By adding the spatial context into vaccination strategies, this research provides new insights into community‐based planning for infectious disease control.
Stereological Estimation of Uncertain and Changing Objects from Remote Sensing Image Mining
Authors: Stein Alfred , Yifru Mamushet Zewuge 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThis article combines stereology with image mining. Image mining identifies and models objects from a series of remote sensing images and communicates this information to stakeholders. Stereology is the science of deriving properties of objects from lower dimensional features. This article first applies stereology to quantify properties of crisp objects on single images. Next it addresses the development of an object in space and time. Finally, it quantifies uncertainty of fuzzy objects. The article is illustrated with a case study from Cambodia, where flooding regularly occurs along the Mekong River. Nine Landsat images have been mined to assess the size of the flooding in space and time. Areal estimates obtained with stereology from single images show a high precision. Estimates of a space–time volume of the size of flooding in space and time include uncertainty estimates that could be ascribed to atmospheric distortion and limited resolution. Finally stereology is applied to estimate the effects on area estimates of fuzzified boundaries. All information can be transferred to stakeholders, e.g. to quantify the size of a disaster. The article concludes that stereology successfully and concisely quantifies phenomena and their uncertainties in a remote sensing image mining context.
Thirty Years of Research on Spatial Data Quality: Achievements, Failures, and Opportunities
Authors: Devillers Rodolphe , Stein Alfred , Bédard Yvan , Chrisman Nicholas , Fisher Peter , Shi Wenzhong 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThis article reflects on the past 30 years of academic research in the field of spatial data quality and tries to identify the main achievements, failures, and opportunities for future research. Most of this reflection results from a panel discussion that took place during theSixth International Symposium on Spatial Data Quality(ISSDQ) in July 2009.
Enhancing the Reliability of 3D Subsurface Models through Differential Weighting and Mathematical Recombination of Variable Quality Data
Authors: MacCormack Kelsey E , Eyles Carolyn H 
Published: October 2010

AbstractOne of the first stages of the three‐dimensional (3D) subsurface modeling process involves collation and analysis of available borehole and/or outcrop data to identify individual subsurface units, usually distinguished by the grain size of the sediment, and the elevation of their bounding contacts. Input data can come from a variety of sources and may be categorized according to their reliability and/or quality. The output from the 3D model is a prediction of subsurface conditions based on these data and the reliability of the output model is highly dependent on both the quality of input data and the types of interpolation methods used. This article presents a new quality weighting methodology that allows the user to assign a differential weighting factor to data points of variable quality in the modeling process. Input data are categorized into high and low quality datasets which are then recombined using a grid math process in which a differential “weighting” factor is applied. This allows the 3D modeling program to maximize the use and effectiveness of data from all available sources while giving high quality data greater influence on the final model output, and will result in the generation of more accurate and reliable 3D subsurface models.
The Influence of Land Cover on Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Elevations in Low‐relief Areas
Authors: LaLonde Tara , Shortridge Ashton , Messina Joseph 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThe Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), the first relatively high spatial resolution near‐global digital elevation dataset, possesses great utility for a wide array of environmental applications worldwide. This article concerns the accuracy of SRTM in low‐relief areas with heterogeneous vegetation cover. Three questions were addressed about low‐relief SRTM topographic representation: to what extent are errors spatially autocorrelated, and how should this influence sample design? Is spatial resolution or production method more important for explaining elevation differences? How dominant is the association of vegetation cover with SRTM elevation error? Two low‐relief sites in Louisiana, USA, were analyzed to determine the nature and impact of SRTM error in such areas. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data were employed as reference, and SRTM elevations were contrasted with the US National Elevation Dataset (NED). Spatial autocorrelation of errors persisted hundreds of meters spatially in low‐relief topography; production method was more critical than spatial resolution, and elevation error due to vegetation canopy effects could actually dominate the SRTM representation of the landscape. Indeed, low‐lying, forested, riparian areas may be represented as substantially higher than surrounding agricultural areas, leading to an inverted terrain model.
Gastrostomy feeding in cerebral palsy: enough and no more
Authors: VERNON‐ROBERTS ANGHARAD , WELLS JONATHAN , GRANT HUGH , ALDER NICOLA , VADAMALAYAN BABU , ELTUMI MUFTAH , SULLIVAN PETER B 
Published: October 2010

Aim  Gastrostomy feeding children with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (SQCP) improves weight gain but may cause excess deposition of body fat. This study was designed to investigate whether weight gain could be achieved without an adverse effect on body composition by using a low‐energy feed in gastrostomy‐fed children with SQCP.Method  Fourteen children (seven male; seven female; median age 2y; range 10mo–11y) with SQCP were studied, 13 of whom were classified as Gross Motor Function Classification Score (GMFCS) level V and one as GMFCS level IV. Children were eligible for the study if they weighed between 8 and 30kg with a diagnosis of severe SQCP and significant feeding difficulties in whom a clinical decision had been made to insert a gastrostomy feeding tube. The feed used in the study had an energy concentration of 0.75kcal/mL (Nutrini Low Energy Multi Fibre). Assessments were performed before gastrostomy insertion (baseline) and after 6 months, and included body composition, growth, nutritional intake, and gastrointestinal symptoms.Results  There was a significant increase in weight (median difference 1.9kg; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85–3.03kg; p=0.012), mid‐upper arm circumference (median difference 1.45cm; 95% CI −0.36cm to 3.47cm; p=0.043), and lower leg length (median difference 1.62cm; 95% CI 0.44–3.95cm; p=0.012) over the 6 months. There was no significant increase in fat mass index (median diff 1.21, 95% CI −1.15 to 2.94, p=0.345) or fat free mass index (median diff −1.43, 95% CI −1.15 to 2.94, p=0.249). Micronutrient levels remained within reference ranges with the exception of elevated chromium. The median percentage intake of the estimated average requirements for energy (kcal) was 43% at the beginning of the study and 48.8% after 6 months on the low‐energy feed.Interpretation  Children with SQCP who are fed a low‐energy, micronutrient‐complete, high‐fibre feed continue to grow even with energy intakes below 75% of the estimated average requirements. This was not associated with a disproportionate rise in fat mass or fat percentage, and the majority of micronutrient levels remained within the reference range.
Reconsideration of the Problem of Complicity between Volunteering Activities and Neo‐liberalism
Authors: NIHEI NORIHIRO 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThere are two opposite opinions on volunteer activities. The advocates applaud them because they could solve problems caused by the nation and the market. The critics of neo‐liberalism, on the other hand, are apprehensive that they would promote social change in line with neo‐liberalism. The aim of this paper is to reconsider the discussions comprehensively and to show theoretical points that avoid complicity with neo‐liberalism. The problems of complicity could be classified into two types. One is at the level of condition, and the other is at the level of consequence. At the level of condition, complicity would occur when volunteer activities function as a replacement for institutions of welfare states, and when volunteers become moralistic and easy to be governed. On the other hand, at the level of consequence, complicity would happen when social disparity that exists among participants in volunteers is mobilized to protect themselves by excluding others. It is then shown that this complicity doesn't always happen and there are ways to avoid it. Such methods are found by considering the “other” who has difficulty in gaining people's sympathy and is neglected in most discussions of volunteers.
Reproductive Technologies and Parent–Child Relationships: Japan's Past and Present Examined through the Lens of Donor Insemination
Authors: SHIRAI CHIAKI 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThis manuscript addresses the principles that underlie the creation of parent–child relationships in Japan. I argue here that the use of reproductive technologies reinforces social norms that dictate the importance of blood relationships within modern families, and these norms, in turn, drive the development of reproductive technologies to the point that their use becomes standard. Here, I will use the social positioning of donor insemination (DI) as the point from which to examine the emergence of parent–child relationships.1 The ethical implications of “third‐party reproductive technologies” like donor insemination, the use of donated eggs, fertilized embryos, and practices of surrogate birth, have come to be questioned in recent years. However, the process of questioning the very concept of an unrelated third‐party donor makes clear the tacit norms behind parent–child relationships, which drive the development and use of reproductive technologies. Here, I will discuss (1) the historical background and contemporary social positioning of DI; and (2) examine the concept of third‐party donors. In cases of male infertility, DI provides a unique opportunity for couples to produce a child who is genetically related to one of them (the woman), and with the institutionalization of DI as a medical infertility treatment, it has become possible for couples to secretly undergo treatment and thus simulate a normative, blood‐related modern family. However, there is a significant level of social resistance to the notion of DI, and with the development of treatment options that make use of the man's own sperm, DI has become only rarely utilized. This fact makes DI an excellent case study to examine the ways that blood and genetic relationships are prioritized in contemporary Japanese society.
Unintended Consequences of “Soft” Regulations: The Social Control of Human Biomedical Research in Japan
Authors: TASHIRO SHIMON 
Published: October 2010

AbstractProfessional socialization and training, informal peer influence, and professional norms and sanctions were once regarded as effective tools in the social control of medicine. However, these intraprofessional controls over medicine have come to be seen as ineffective and new extraprofessional controls have been considered requisite for several decades. In this paper, I focus on the historical development of governmental controls over biomedical research in Japan. A general characteristic of Japanese regulations is the existence of numerous subdivided guidelines and laws. This situation was prompted by the governmental response to bioethical issues on a case‐by‐case basis. While this response has advantages in speed and flexibility, it also has disadvantages in that it lacks consistency, and frequent revisions lead to complicated provisions that cannot be understood by researchers. Another feature of the Japanese situation is excessive reliance on non‐binding guidelines published by various administrative agencies. One reason for the government to rely on these guidelines is that they are formally non‐binding but regarded as “effective” measures because regulated parties perceive them as having binding power. Indeed, some guidelines have their own sanctions against researchers or institutions, which include public announcement of the names of violators. However, if this measure is actually taken without basis in the law, it can be illegal. In this case, Japanese experiences show that excessive reliance on “soft” regulations can lead to paradoxical situations concerning social control of biomedical research.
“Good Manner of Dying” as a Normative Concept: “Autocide,”“Granny Dumping” and Discussions on Euthanasia/Death with Dignity in Japan
Authors: OTANI IZUMI 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to clarify the two characteristics of the way the issue of euthanasia/death with dignity has been discussed in Japan, compared with the situation in Europe and the USA. The two characteristics are: (i) that the concept of “euthanasia” is sharply distinguished from that of “death with dignity” in Japan in that the former only refers to the killing of a patient by administration of a lethal drug while the latter refers to letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life‐prolonging medical treatments; and (ii) that the view that it is sinful to commit suicide is not as common in Japan as it is in the West. In order to clarify these characteristics, I examine the nature of suicide and murder in relation to the issue of euthanasia and death with dignity while briefly reviewing the history of the debates in Japan in order to see how the characteristic understanding of “death with dignity” has generated. I also clarify, by giving examples, the structure of those narratives with regards to the “good manner of dying,” which excludes from society the elderly and people with incurable diseases and ones with motor and intellectual disabilities. In the end, I describe how biopolitics functions in the current Japanese situation.
Flow Analysis of Ventricular Assist Device Inflow and Outflow Cannula Positioning Using a Naturally Shaped Ventricle and Aortic Branch
Authors: Laumen Marco , Kaufmann Tim , Timms Daniel , Schlanstein Peter , Jansen Sebastian , Gregory Shaun , Wong Kai Chun , Schmitz‐Rode Thomas , Steinseifer Ulrich 
Published: October 2010

AbstractTip geometry and placement of rotary blood pump inflow and outflow cannulae influence the dynamics of flow within the ventricle and aortic branch. Cannulation, therefore, directly influences the potential for thrombus formation and end‐organ perfusion during ventricular assist device (VAD) support or cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various inflow/outflow cannula tip geometries and positions on ventricular and greater vessel flow patterns to evaluate ventricular washout and impact on cerebral perfusion. Transparent models of a dilated cardiomyopathic ventricle and an aortic branch were reconstructed from magnetic resonance imaging data to allow flow measurements using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The contractile function of the failing ventricle was reproduced pneumatically, and supported with a rotary pump. Flow patterns were visualized around VAD inflow cannulae, with various tip geometries placed in three positions in the ventricle. The outflow cannula was placed in the subclavian artery and at several positions in the aorta. Flow patterns were measured using PIV and used to validate an aortic flow computational fluid dynamic study. The PIV technique indicated that locating the inflow tip in the left ventricular outflow tract improved complete ventricular washout while the tip geometry had a smaller influence. However, side holes in the inflow cannula improved washout in all cases. The PIV results confirmed that the positioning and orientation of the outflow cannula in the aortic branch had a high impact on the flow pattern in the vessels, with a negative blood flow in the right carotid artery observed in some cases. Cannula placement within the ventricle had a high influence on chamber washout. The positioning of the outflow cannula directly influences the flow through the greater vessels, and may be responsible for the occasional reduction in cerebral perfusion seen in clinical CPB.
The Case for the Development of Public Transit in an Urban Boundary Rural Area
Authors: Majumdar Sarmistha R. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractIndividuals' preferences for automobiles are often taken for granted in our auto centric society. This study attempts to determine if commuters in a city located beyond the fringe of a metropolitan area are willing to use public transit if it is developed and what are the socioeconomic and attitudinal factors that influence individuals' decision to use such a service. Analyses of survey data reveal that preferences exist for public transit service, which can be partly attributed to individuals' concerns regarding rising gasoline prices and air pollution, and is particularly noticeable among those who are educated and/or belong to a younger age group.
Front‐line Regulators and their Approach to Environmental Regulation in Southwest Ohio
Authors: Pautz Michelle C. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractRegulatory approaches and strategies are frequently the subject of study in various literatures, but that examination focuses on practices rather than looking more deeply at the nature of regulatory interactions. Also missing is a more thorough look at what it is front‐line regulators—in this case, environmental inspectors and site coordinators—desire in their interactions and how they perceive their regulatory counterparts. Interviews with regulators in Southwest Ohio reveal that 82 percent of them think the regulated community intends to comply with regulations. Additionally, 71 percent of regulators say that their interactions are positive with the regulated community with three‐quarters indicating that trust plays a role in these interactions. Only 36 percent of interviewees prefer a clear cut and consistent approach while the rest favor a collaborative approach or some combination thereof. These findings should impact discussions concerning regulatory approaches in environmental policy, particularly conversations concerning next‐generation policies.